Chinese Natural Healing -- East Meets West (43). There exists a huge gap between Chinese and Western treatments of health problems. This stems from the disparity in culture, philosophy, approaches, and the tools available. The following illustrates the basic differences: Natural and Holistic • Chinese healing is natural, holistic, and somewhat spiritual. • Western healing is scientific, specialized, standardized, and mechanical. Lower Costs • Chinese treatment has low operating costs due to minimum equipment required and competitive prices for natural herbs. • Western treatment is going through runaway inflation due to huge equipment expenses and rising costs of pharmaceuticals. Minor and Recurrent Problems • Chinese methods are suitable for treating minor and recurrent problems like fever, joint pains, allergy, and menstrual irregularity. • Regarding emergencies and severe illness such as cancer and AIDS, Western treatment offers surgery, special drugs, chemical or other modern therapies. Different Kinds of Myths • Chinese methods are full of cultural myths that people like to talk about but seldom fully understand. • Western methods are not devoid of myths either. They are full of scientific myths and technical terms that people like to quote in everyday conversations. Fix Root Cause rather than Symptoms • While both methods talk about fixing the root cause, Chinese methods stress on strengthening and making the body more robust to guard against illness. The Chinese philosophy is that the body can heal itself if you follow a healthy lifestyle, and maintain balance with nature. • Western methods prefer fixing the symptoms instantly. Examples are: a pill to kill pain, to lose weight, to sleep, to relax, to enjoy sex, to avoid pregnancy, and so on. Prevention better than Fix • Chinese methods stress prevention. It is a gradual learning process to understand the root cause, to build up the body, and to change your lifestyle to a healthier one. • Western methods are preoccupied with fixing than prevention. In one area like vaccination and special drugs, the West has scored big success in containing epidemics. However, the vaccination against a minor problem like the flu presents some doubts. First, the flu is not a dangerous epidemic because it comes and goes with the seasons. Second, the vaccine prevents the body from developing its own defense against the flu. The vaccine is mostly good for seniors who are weak, because it can help prevent the flu from developing into severe illness like bronchitis or pneumonia. Please go to www.herbsandtea.com for further information. Raw herbs or herbal capsules can be tailor-made to suit your needs.