According to what I mentioned in my post “Helpful advice on how to prepare for a visit to the TCM doctor”, then what can both the patient and I do to make the treatment work better before our next appointment？
It is not just your TCM doctor's job...
Seeing a Traditional Chinese Medicine doctor is quite different from seeing a Western medicine doctor. TCM doctors treat diseases based on a totally different perspective from Western medicine doctors.
Unlike Western medicine doctors who use medicine with standard treatment, TCM doctors need to gain information that needs to be clarified by the patients, not before the appointment but also after, regarding your reaction and response to the prescription.
This is necessary in order to adjust the previous prescription to suit you more and have a better recovery.
Please do not be unrealistic and think that feeling your pulse can give all the clues that your TCM doctors need.
Irregular taking of the prescribed herbs and reluctance to pay attention to what I ask my patients to observe is irresponsible and can only result in wasting each other's time.
How I prepare before your next appointment？
As a TCM doctor, I read carefully and document all the information that my patients provide, all the photos no matter the tongue or the skin are presented and arranged chronologically. That is the reason that I might know more clearly than my patients about their physical changes.
I consider all the prescriptions and treatments before my session. For difficult cases, I not only do research but also ask other TCM or even Western medicine doctors' opinions.
Since I do my homework before the session, during the appointment, I can have better quality communication with my patients. It can be more about listening or watching the skin difference with my patients.
Treatment is not just by herbs or acupuncture. Emotional support also plays an important role. This is my dedication to my patients.
Therefore, I also need my patients to have a serious attitude to work with me, TCM treatment is not just a spa experience. We need to work together.
Be sure to regularly take your herbs and monitor your physical changes
Seeing a TCM doctor is indeed quite different from seeing a Western medicine doctor. I really do need my patients to monitor and record their physical changes after taking the herbs I prescribed, then I can make the proper adjustment to have a better result.
Your health is not just your TCM doctor's job, we need to work together to speed up your recovery！
