A Comparison of Traditional and Western Scientific Acupuncture Practitioners

Abstract

A survey was made of five medical and nine non-medical acupuncture practitioners in the South West Thames region. The medical group had a predominantly Western Scientific approach to acupuncture, while the non-medical considered themselves to use entirely Traditional Chinese forms of acupuncture.

The non-medical and traditional practitioners had a significantly greater expectation of cure following acupuncture treatment for a variety of problems including cancers. For each disease, the Western group tended to use a single formula derived from Traditional Chinese theories, while the traditionalists generally adapted their treatment to suit the individual patient rather than the disease.