“Anmo therapy can effectively treat insomnia, relieve headaches and cervical spondylosis, making it suitable for people living at a fast pace.” Dr. Wu Binjiang, president of the Ontario College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Canada, is well-known locally for his head anmo therapy. Patients not only include local compatriots but also those who have heard of him and come seeking treatment.
Currently, TCM culture has spread widely around the world. In interviews with overseas Chinese medicine practitioners via telephone by China News Service, they noted that as TCM continues to gain popularity abroad, more and more foreign citizens are actively seeking acupuncture, anmo therapy, and other treatments as important means of health management and disease prevention.
According to Dr. Wu Binjiang, to satisfy the interest of various ethnic groups in TCM knowledge, the college regularly holds related lectures online and offline, providing translations in multiple languages. “Lecturers explain in simple and understandable ways how acupuncture precisely stimulates acupoints and promotes the circulation of qi and blood, helping the audience understand the mysteries of meridian diagnosis,” he said.
“Since its establishment, our school has trained hundreds of ‘foreign TCM practitioners' for the local community,” Dr. Wu Binjiang mentioned. Many young people are passionate about TCM culture, but mastering it requires continuous effort. Taking acupuncture as an example, after constant adjustments, he designed an efficient and practical quantified training system. “With 3,000 needles as the training benchmark, students gradually learn to control finger strength, improve their ability to hold their arms suspended, and achieve a perfect blend of strength and technique in each stage.”
Recently, Dr. Wu Binjiang organized a study tour for students to Beijing, Harbin, Tianjin, and Shijiazhuang, allowing them to observe expert clinics up close, understand clinical work, visit TCM museums, and experience firsthand the profoundness and breadth of TCM culture. “To master the essence of TCM, one must be persistent and continuously strengthen learning and exchange,” he said.
In the United States, TCM, represented by acupuncture, has a long history of development. Dr. Huang Xiansheng, honorary president of the American Association of Chinese Medicine, introduced that during the construction of the Pacific Railroad by Chinese workers, TCM was brought to America. “At that time, acupuncture and traditional Chinese herbal treatments were mainly concentrated in Chinese communities, and TCM culture continued in this foreign land.”
“Nowadays, the acceptance and recognition of TCM by Americans are constantly increasing,” Dr. Huang Xiansheng observed. During his 36 years of medical practice, many local patients benefited from TCM treatments. “Once, a patient undergoing chemotherapy tried complementary TCM treatment, which significantly alleviated his discomfort,” he recalled. “TCM and Western medicine belong to two different medical systems, each with its own advantages. TCM advocates natural therapies and can complement Western medicine.”
“To promote TCM culture, we regularly organize exhibitions and free clinics. Last year, we screened the documentary ‘Acupuncture Fever – The Path to Legalization of Acupuncture in California,' hoping to let more people understand how acupuncture took root in California after crossing the ocean and eventually ushered in opportunities for development,” Dr. Huang Xiansheng said. He and his team spent over half a year interviewing 14 representatives or their descendants from various stages of acupuncture's development history. By organizing oral histories, searching, and sorting related documents, they aimed to accurately reconstruct this historical period.
“The rapid development of acupuncture in the United States is inseparable from the hard work and efforts of several generations of TCM acupuncturists. We record history, pay tribute to our predecessors, and inspire future generations to continue innovating and engraving TCM in people's hearts,” Dr. Huang Xiansheng concluded.