Aryana Libris

Authors : Schnyer Rosa N. - Allen John J. B.
Title : Acupuncture in the treatment of depression A manual for pratice and research
Year : 2001

Link download : Schnyer_Rosa_N_-_Acupuncture_in_the_treatment_of_depression.zip

Forewords. The encounter of Eastern and Western medical traditions has been moving at a fast pace. Talk about "integrated" and "complementary" medicine may speak to a tendency for hasty co-habitation that may not allow for careful reflection and clear articulation of essential principles. In the industrial nations, Western medicine (a.k.a. biomedicine) is a huge edifice compared to the tiny infrastructure East Asian medicine has begun to build. This imbalance in power poses a possible danger that any partnership may mean a devaluation or dismissal of East Asian medicine's own epistemological and philosophic center of gravity. This disregard could come from either the Western or Eastern side of the encounter and becomes especially evident when scientific research requires rigid methods that may undercut the essential flexibility of Chinese medicine. Rosa Schnyer and John Allen's new book, Acupuncture in the Treatment of Depression, is an ambitious attempt to create a crosscultural medical dialogue where both sides are given sufficient time and respect to create honest partnership. This unique book actually allows both sides of a paradigmatic gulf to present their perspective and see where there are possibilities for genuine co-operation and mutual development. This collaboration even extends to the difficult terrain of allowing a traditional and realistic approach of acupuncture to be tested within the narrow confines of randomized controlled trials. The book is an open and honest encounter. Both sides learn about the 'other' and clarify their own self-perceptions. The book's first move is biomedical: the Western nosological category of depression is explained. Then, the Chinese side presents its response to this Western description of the phenomenon. The discussion is clear, straightforward and uninterrupted. There is no rhetoric. While each side learns about the 'other,' the more important process of sharpening se1fawareness is also ongoing. A psychologist will benefit from reading the Western presentation as will an acupuncturist benefit from the discussion of Chinese medicine. The Chinese medicine material presented here is a subtle, complex, valuable and undogmatic perspective that brings together many of the styles available to Western practitioners. In many ways, this discussion of acupuncture is totally refreshing and marks a milestone in our profession's ability to synthesize available approaches. Even the most veteran practitioner will benefit from this uniquely refined discussion. The book then moves towards a collaborative understanding that would allow Chinese approaches for treating depression to be evaluated by conventional methodologies of clinical research. Each side seems ready to honor the other. Acupuncturists require flexibility, ability to treat the whole person and recognition of the legitimacy of Chinese diagnostic categories for selecting treatment. Western researchers need reproducibility, standardization, randomization and blind assessment. All these requirements are explained clearly. Both sides listen. While each side makes some compromises, the authenticity of both sides remains undiminished. A new synthesis is created and one can even speak of a new era of responsible and honest relationship between Chinese medicine and biomedicine. Ultimately, this book is one of the very few books on Eastern and Western medicine that embodies the sensibility that Martin Buber describes in I and Thou: 'all real living is meeting. Massachusetts 2001. Ted Kaptchuk. ...