I believe in good health.
I don’t believe this should be something that is difficult or esoteric, but I do believe it takes attending to. In the same way one attends to one’s general hygiene, I believe we must caretake our health.
I believe we should attend to our health BEFORE we need drastic interventions. And I know that’s something acupuncture & oriental medicine is very good at. In fact, this idea underlies Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). In one of our foundation texts, the Ling Shu, it is stated “The superior physician treats that which is not yet ill. The inferior physician treats that which is already ill.”.
But how do we, as healthcare practitioners in the 21st century, balance the requirements of “medical necessity”, “evidence based medicine”, “outcome assessments” and “reasonable and necessary” (as applied by insurance providers, Medicare and the Government) with this millennia-old idea of nurturing health?
It’s a tough question. My answer is to give my patients the best care I can and follow the guidelines of professionalism, beginning with “first, do no harm”. I give my patients the tools they need to maintain their good health, I speak with them about visits to their general practitioners or specialists, I encourage them to engage with their other practitioners and I refer them to other practitioners when it is appropriate.
I believe in the power, subtlety and majesty of the medicine I am trained to practice, in the transformative properties bound within this medicine and the boundless ability of the human body/mind/spirit to encompass that transformation.
I believe in good health.
The Healer’s Oath
As a practitioner of Traditional Oriental Medicine, I will respect and honor the heritage of this ancient healing art.
Thus ennobled, I pledge to:
- Use my knowledge and skills to aid in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease.
- Treat all patients with dignity and compassion, and to give to them all the respect they deserve.
- Provide the highest quality of healthcare at all times.
- Make timely referrals to other healthcare professionals when appropriate.
- Hold the safety and welfare of my patients in the highest regard at all times.
- Create an atmosphere of collaboration and teamwork with my patients and other healthcare professionals.
- Cultivate myself so that I might serve my patients and the world more effectively.
- Recognize that all true healing is healing of the Spirit.
