The development of Western rehabilitation in China and its comparison to traditional Chinese medicine

Misal, Shefali and Miller, Paul K. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5611-1354 (2019) The development of Western rehabilitation in China and its comparison to traditional Chinese medicine. In: British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES) Student Conference 2019: Sport and Exercise Science - Transforming Lives, 17-18 April 2019, University of Dundee and Abertay University, UK. (Unpublished)

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Abstract

Traditional Chinese medicine has a strong role and value amongst Chinese people, though it is popular in China, it has recently popularised internationally with various concepts of treatment. China’s cosmopolitan growth over the recent years is creating an increase for Western rehabilitation, demonstrating its development and acknowledgement of new cultures and scopes of practice in treatment. Western and Chinese cultures are still learning to further acknowledge each other’s method of treatment, though knowledge maybe limited it is steadily increasing, and positively influencing both the West and China. Widely known, acupuncture is a traditional Chinese medicine method used in practice. The aim of this study was to understand the comparison between the two different systems of medicine through current trends. With early institutional ethics approval in summer, the research was conducted through semi-structured interviews conducted in Shanghai, China. Grounded theory approach was used, to establish the trends present amongst Western treatments, the development of Western rehabilitation in China and its comparison to traditional Chinese medicine. Five participants were involved in this study, four of which participated in semi-structured interviews, participants were all professionals working at American Medical Centre, in Shanghai. Collection of data has established that there is a steady increase in China for Western rehabilitation, however the divide stands between generations; where the results so far have demonstrated that younger generations are more open to trying Western treatment since it is less time consuming. Conversely, older generations may be sceptical due to “sociocultural factors”. Results for this study are still pending, however provisional themes emerging from this research are: (1) popularity, (2) sociocultural factors, (3) and integration. With mentioning points such as Western rehabilitation is becoming “popular due to China’s cosmopolitan nature.” Along with traditional Chinese medicine that is also integrating into Western culture “Chinese hospitals are popular in the United Kingdom and France.” Locality, another concept that emerged through this research “in rural areas they still seek traditional Chinese medicine.” Similarly, both forms of treatment if “combined or used alongside each other would take practice further”. The findings of this study at this stage show that the knowledge of international forms of practice and treatment has increased in recent years in China, consequently suggesting the ongoing expansion in China for Western commodities and culture, using medicine. This opens a wider scope for researchers to study and collaborate Western rehabilitation practices, techniques and approaches with Chinese methods.

Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (Poster)
Departments:	Academic Departments > Medical & Sport Sciences (MSS) > Sports and Physical Activity
Depositing User:	Anna Lupton
Date Deposited:	06 Jun 2019 13:19
Last Modified:	13 Jan 2024 08:48
URI:	https://insight.cumbria.ac.uk/id/eprint/4808

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