Prevention Is Better Than Cure: A Reflection

A couple of weeks ago, I had a somewhat traumatic experience when our little dog Django bit my lip as I went to give him a goodnight kiss. I ended up spending two days in A&E, mostly waiting, while I got a tetanus jab and a couple of stitches. Thankfully, it’s mostly healed now, and I’m hopeful that I won’t have any scars.

So why am I telling you this?

Sitting in A&E made me reflect on how the core principle of acupuncture is prevention—often seen as more important than curing illness. This idea is originally touched upon in the second chapter of one of our classical textbook, the Neijing Su Wen:

“Therefore, the sages will prevent disease rather than cure it, maintain order rather than correcting disorder, which is the ultimate principle of wisdom. To cure a disease with medicines or to correct a disorder is like digging a well when one already feels thirsty or making weapons when the war has already broken out which is too late to do much good.”

I felt a bit like a wimp, sitting in A&E with a busted lip, while others were on dialysis machines, holding their noses to stop hours-long nosebleeds, or waiting for complex tests to try and understand their health. Most of the people waiting were seriously, seriously ill. It made me think about how acupuncture might have prevented their conditions from progressing to that stage. Early intervention, I reflected on, could have dramatically helped many of them.

The quote above has always been one of my favourites from our classical texts, but it's one I’ve struggled with. How can I justify encouraging people to continue investing in their health even after acupuncture has helped with their initial complaint? I’ve always grappled with this concept and it’s never sat quite right with me.  However, my time in A&E made me realise just how important regular sessions can be.

Personally, I see an acupuncturist every 6-8 weeks to maintain my health. Sometimes we treat tiredness, sometimes stress, or occasionally I feel slight complaints like some phlegm building up. Every time I visit, there’s something small that we address - stopping it before it can progress.

This whole A+E incident has been a huge shift in my mindset. I’ve come to fully understand this aspect of our medicine, and I encourage you to reflect on it as well. Prevention is better than cure, and acupuncture can play an incredible role in that.

I wanted to share this with you because it might resonate with you too.