Tried & True Medications

My pharmacology professor made a comment once that I will never forget: "I only take drugs that are old - I never take the new drugs because we do not know what their long term effects are." Isn't this statement absolutely fascinating? It made me reflect upon my thesis paper on how culture effects medicine. Americans are raised in a culture that values "new" and "young". This way of thinking carries over into medical treatments, where new drugs are often touted as the next wonder of the world. In many cases, newer is better. But perhaps not when it comes to everything.

When working with prescription medications that have been on the market for a few decades, their effects are more thoroughly documented. Long term effects are more likely to have been spotted and built into consideration before they are prescribed. Most medication trials are not decades long, as companies work to get their products into the market as soon as possible. This means we usually don't know the long term implications of prescription medications when they are new.

Compare to this to the hundreds, if not thousands, of years of research we have on traditional Chinese medicine. Herbal medicine may seem old fashioned in comparison to some drugs on the market, but our ancestors have spent many, many years documenting their effects and side effects. Some of the effects that have been observed can be quiet surprising. The scientists of the past have been very thorough in their observations of how the human body will respond to different herbal medicines.

It therefore strikes me as quite odd when medical doctors express concern over herbal medicine. I would argue that, under the correct supervision, Chinese herbal medicine is much safer than prescription medication. This prejudice is probably due to a conservative approach to something that they have not studied and do not understand. Acupuncturists in the state of California have been taught and tested regarding Chinese herbal medicine. Finding a practicitioner that is licensed is a good first step to making sure that you are properly monitored while taking Chinese herbal medicines. More info on the applications of Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture can be found at www.AcuSpaWellness.com