KUALA LUMPUR, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- When Shyamala, an Indian Malaysian woman with a spinal condition, first considered acupuncture on a friend's recommendation, she had already tried various treatments and had been advised by doctors to consider surgery. An avid hiker, she was reluctant to take that route and decided to try acupuncture instead.
After several sessions, her back pain gradually eased, and her physical condition improved beyond her expectations. She later traveled to Peru for a hiking trip and has recently returned to Malaysia. She now turns to acupuncture as needed and shares her experience with friends, hoping more people will become familiar with the treatment.
Her story illustrates how traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), long associated with Malaysia's Chinese community, is finding a wider audience among people from different cultural backgrounds.
At Tung Shin Hospital in Kuala Lumpur, patients from outside the Chinese community are making up a growing share of those seeking TCM treatment.
Angeline Liew Ai Ying, deputy superintendent of the hospital's Chinese Medical Division (CMD), said such patients accounted for 17 percent of the division's patients so far this year, with the proportion increasing in recent years.
Acupuncture is particularly popular among them, Liew said. Common reasons for seeking treatment include health problems following a stroke, sleep disorders and pain.
Founded in 1881, Tung Shin Hospital is one of Kuala Lumpur's oldest medical institutions, offering both traditional Chinese and Western medical services. Its CMD provides acupuncture, internal medicine, gynecology, bone and joint treatment, and tuina massage. The hospital also conducts charitable consultations and community outreach clinics, extending its services beyond its premises.
Beyond hospitals, traditional Chinese medicine shops are also adapting to the needs of a changing customer base.
Kien Fatt Medical Store, a family-run business along Petaling Street with a history of more than 80 years, has witnessed changes in how people access traditional remedies. Ng Chee Yat, the third-generation custodian of the business, said the shop initially focused on the wholesale of Chinese herbal medicines while also providing traditional remedies to neighbors.
Today, the shop serves customers from different backgrounds. While many Malaysians outside the Chinese community are already familiar with acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine can be less familiar to them and often requires more explanation, Ng said.
One challenge is convenience. Traditional herbal decoctions take time to prepare, which may not suit the routines of people with busy lifestyles. In response to changing needs, ready-made herbal preparations in pill form offer an alternative to decoctions, making traditional remedies easier to take and more accessible to customers, including those from the Malay community.
The exchange of clinical expertise between Chinese and Malaysian practitioners is another part of TCM's development in the country.
Yu Dongdong, an associate professor at Henan University of Chinese Medicine, returned to China in September after spending about a year working in Malaysia. During his stay, he treated local patients, took part in community health consultations and shared clinical techniques with Malaysian practitioners.
One of his early Malay patients was a man in his 60s who suffered from neck pain and numbness in both hands. After hearing from others that acupuncture might help, the man sought treatment from Yu.
Yu examined the man's pulse, and the patient felt that his assessment closely matched his condition. After about three acupuncture sessions, the man reported feeling much better and recommended Yu to a neighbor suffering from back pain.
The referrals continued. The man's daughter and other members of his community also sought treatment, Yu said. Some patients came to him already knowing they wanted acupuncture because friends or relatives had recommended it.
Yu also trained several local Malaysian Chinese medicine practitioners in acupuncture. One of them, who runs his own clinic, later told Yu that his patient numbers had doubled after the training. The practitioner also reported receiving more positive reviews on Google Maps, with patients praising his acupuncture skills, Yu said.
Yu said exchanges between Chinese and Malaysian practitioners offered opportunities to share clinical experience and techniques, helping local practitioners further develop their skills and enabling more people to understand and benefit from TCM.
"Taking traditional Chinese medicine overseas is a long-term effort to help more people understand and use it," Yu said. "Through exchanges and the sharing of clinical experience between Chinese and Malaysian practitioners, we can help bring the benefits of traditional Chinese medicine to more people." ■
