Many years back, I remember there were articles claiming Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) were nothing but scams, or claiming that TCM was not scientific or worthy to pay attention to. These are misunderstandings.

同病異治 — Same disease, different treatments.

異病同治 — Different diseases, same treatment.

Doesn’t this idiom sound confusing or crazy? Let’s take a look at the context and how common this concept occurs in Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Acupuncture has been around for more than 5000 years. It is a common alternative practiced in China and Asian countries. Recently, it has become more accepted in the Western states. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the National Institute of Health (NIH) has recognized acupuncture as an effective alternative treatment for various conditions.