As I sit here during the ups and downs and ins and outs of Covid-19, it is difficult to imagine what our lives will be like in the future. Uncertainty is at unprecedented levels. However, I do know one thing with relative confidence: Acupuncture will play a pivotal role within U.S. health care – to a much greater extent than it does now.
The world is suffering: up to 80 percent of the global population may be experiencing PTSD due to recent events. Fatigue, anxiety, fear, stress; we can help. Herbal medicine is being used effectively in China, South Korea and elsewhere to treat Covid-19; and research is starting to put science behind the age-old wisdom that has worked for centuries. And despite all the talk of a vaccine, more people are recognizing that immune health, not drugs, is the secret to healthy living.
In short, natural care – our medicine – is poised to advance in unprecedented fashion if we are willing to take the first, most important steps. But before we can help others, we need to ensure we are helping ourselves during this crisis.
Understanding the Covid-19 Experience
How are you dealing with the pandemic? By truly processing your own experience, you can understand how your patients may be feeling – and what they may be needing in terms of your care.
I hate to group people into categories, but in this case, I think it may be valuable to help understand yourself and your patients during these challenging times:
You're worried in general about the state of the world, your practice, etc., but don't particularly have any significant wellness issues.
You've definitely been affected; your health and wellness are suffering, whether psychological, physical or both. Perhaps you've been infected with the virus and suffered symptoms, or know someone who has; are having difficulty being "cooped up" day after day with no sense of regular routine; and/or are suffering financially because your practice closed.
You've suffered loss: a family member, significant other or friend. (The loss may not be direct; indirect losses are taking place because of higher rates of depression / suicide, opioid and other drug abuse and misuse, etc.).
Understanding your place in the Covid-19 experience is an important step in self-healing. Without restoring your own physical and psychological health and wellness, you can't possibly deliver optimal care to your patients, much less understand their experiences.
Reach Out & Touch Someone
Once you've processed and dealt with your Covid-19 experience, hopefully emerging as a healthier, happier person and practitioner, you're ready to help others. Where do you start? By reaching out; by connecting with existing patients and potential new patients in your community.
AT&T had a slogan quite a while ago: "Reach out and touch someone." I'm not talking about trying to build your practice; I'm talking about reminding patients you're there for them, you're thinking about them ... you care about them. "How are you doing today?" "I hope you're staying safe." "I'm thinking about you"; these simple messages may be more important than a virtual or in-office visit right now.
Phone calls, emails, postcards or a heartfelt message on your website and/or social media pages can all work wonders. You can even schedule a Zoom meeting and invite all your existing patients to share their thoughts about the events of the past few months.
Again, the point is not to rebuild your business (although this type of outreach will likely accomplish that); it's to reconnect with patients on a human level. We all need human connection. It's been stripped from us by stay-at-home orders, social distancing, fear and uncertainty. Our profession can rebuild that human connection, patient by patient, community member by community member.
If you're back in business already, you may not need to directly contact patients by one of the above methods, but the guiding principles are the same. Don't just treat; heal. Ask questions. Encourage conversations. Treat the Covid-19 experience as a disease that can manifest in numerous symptoms, physical and psychological, even in the absence of infection. Bring meaning back to your patients' lives, and you'll reinforce the meaning and value of you as a practitioner and the acupuncture profession overall.
It only takes one person to make a difference – a change agent to help your community through this crisis. Let that person be you.
As modern medical standardization continues, the field of traditional Chinese medicine has the advantage of comprehensive personalization. For rare or complex cases, deeper consideration of constitution is invaluable. Proper constitutional assessment, especially with first-time clients, can guide desirable and predictable outcomes. This leads to a higher rate of return, and greater trust between you and your patient.
Though the creation of a financially sustainable, health-promoting model feels far away today, we are casting a vision for a full return on health, believing that this compels us to keep one foot firmly rooted in caring for the sick and the other foot firmly founded in maintaining health. Shifting from a fee-for-service model to value-based care using a phased approach is paramount.
Traditional Chinese medicine and the Vedic traditions both offer rich frameworks for understanding human health, emphasizing the balance of physical, mental, and spiritual aspects. The concept of "souls" or spiritual components in TCM, namely Hun, Po, Shen, Yi, and Zhi, bears significant similarities to the yogic concept of koshas. Their similarities and differences provide insights into how these systems contribute to holistic health practices.
