The Great Divide

Eastern and Western medicine, and “alternative” and “mainstream” care, are a bit like oil and water, they just don’t seem to mix well. The Eastern and alternative sides often proclaim to be getting at the source of the issue, blaming the other of practicing reactive medicine, in which the goal is merely symptom damage-control rather than health. There are accusations of viewing the body as a machine rather than respecting the body as an energetic, dynamic and emotional being. On the flip side, the more Western style of care and “mainstream” medicine claims superiority and makes accusations of the other being fluffy and having unproven theories. Many purport that any positive results from the “other side” are simply by chance, compared to their extensive research, peer reviewed evidence and public funding. Even outside of the strictly Eastern or Western medical philosophies we have some in between who also carry strong opposing views. There are those who focus on structure and biomechanics and those who focus on energy and trauma. There are those who focus on chemical, those who focus on physical, and those who focus on emotional causes as the root of all disease. Those who practice with the vital force in the body being the breath, others the nerves, others the blood, others energy, and still others no force at all. Unfortunately, whether actually spoken or just subliminally suggested through undertones, this nattering and tension between groups is often palpable to the patient, who is stuck in the middle. Truth be told, in all likelihood, the patient would gain the most from a blend of care -  if only the parties would be willing to invite each other to the table for the benefit of their patient.

We could debate all day about the evidence, the research, the historical reports and case studies, the wins and loses of each approach, but that would be futile. After all, who reigns superior in the healing realm will likely never be determined. That is because every patient is different and will respond differently, and every provider has a different approach and demeanour - even within the same profession. I point out this division not to come down on my fellow healthcare providers, or patient/consumer preferences, but to invite a space for us to consider why it is there. It is very possible that with all of the pressures of practice many providers haven’t had the opportunity or time to consider why this rift still exists and why we hold onto it so tightly. And many patients haven’t explored options outside of what they’re familiar with, due to a lack of exposure or an unwillingness to consider trying a different approach.

Healthcare providers are humans too. Most have very good intentions, but we also have emotions, egos and strong beliefs when it comes to why (and how) we do what we do. Asking someone who has spent perhaps 8-9-10+years in post-secondary studies- which required substantial personal sacrifices and significant financial investment, to just abandon the way they learned to approach the body, is a pretty tall order. A pretty big ask I’d say. So maybe now you can appreciate that what comes across as dismissive or demeaning, is actually a bit of self-defence. Nobody wants to feel (and especially not admit), that their significant personal and financial investments led them astray and were not the be all end all of healthcare. But the truth is that by collaborating, we don’t need to take a big ego hit and be defensive, we don’t need to completely abandon the way we practice our trade, and we don’t need to feel that our years of training and investments were all-for-not.

It is possible to believe strongly in the way we do things, but also be open to what others might have to offer. In my experience, patients who report the highest satisfaction and utmost respect for their healthcare providers are those who feel their providers listen and are open minded - especially when it comes to discussing what other types of care they have chosen to include on their journey. So, perhaps we should all loosen our grip on the dogmas of our professions and be willing to be consider others exist and are also legitimate. Don’t worry, that doesn’t mean we need to understand them all inside and out and spend another few decades in school. It just means that we should have a bit of respect for each other and appreciate that a view through a different lens might not be a bad thing. We just need to be open to sitting at the table together. 

Now you may say, “I’m not a healthcare provider, so why should I care about all of that?” Well I’d like to challenge you to ask yourself if you too might be holding on tightly to some long held beliefs about healing. These beliefs will likely swing one direction or the other (“traditional” or “mainstream”,  “East” or “West”, physical or emotional etc). Consider if you too have been a bit defensive of they way you’ve “always” done things and the types of care you will utilize. Think if you might be willing to set that aside and take a peak through another lens to broaden your view on what healthcare could look like for you. You might be surprised at what you find, and how your body responds. You might also discover that a blend may actually be more valuable than you once thought. If you are seeking answers to an ailment or freedom from a destructive pattern and haven’t found it yet, I encourage you to think about being open to exploring something from “the other side” of the divide. Can you find a space and respect for both sides at your table?

Another reason this topic may be of interest to you as a patient is that maybe you are currently looking for a healthcare provider. I would suggest that it may be important to you to find one who is open to the other methods you have chosen to utilize. You have a right to ask them how they feel about you seeking care from other types of providers and their answers might help you determine if this is the right person to have on your team, or not. A provider-patient relationship is optimal when you feel you can approach your provider openly and honestly -  without feeling like you’ll be “in trouble”. And for the providers reading this, make sure you keep that last bit in mind too. Is your patient telling you everything or have your defence mechanisms and the historical professional rifts inadvertently created an environment where they are scared to tell you who else they are working with?

So, regardless of if you are reading this from a provider or a patient perspective, it’s important to be aware of this division and do your part to dissolve it. If you think there is no way that East and West can get along and that biomechanists and energy healers are too far apart to sit at the same table, then I invite you to come back next time and I’ll show you an example that depicts how similar we actually are. Our approach and understanding may be very different but sometimes the ultimate destination is the same. You could say we’re just taking different paths to get there. Think how boring would it be if we all took the same route! We’d have nothing to talk about at the table together.