Founded in 1986, Pacific College of Oriental Medicine is one of the largest and most prominent accredited schools of Oriental Medicine in the nation, with campuses in Chicago, San Diego and New York. One of the oldest medical techniques in the world has finally gained not just a foothold in the U.S., but prestige. The fact that Oriental medicine has been practiced for thousands of years not only shows it has survived the test of time, but also supports its effectiveness in treating illness. Unknown to many in the West, traditional Oriental medicine is a major health care system for over one quarter of the world's population. Cited as an effective system of health care by the National Institutes of Health and the World Health Organization, acupuncture and Oriental medicine are becoming a serious alternative or complement to conventional pain management and medical treatment.
Oriental medicine is an effective, low-cost medical treatment that works in harmony with the body.
Its aim is to improve the patient's health both physically and spiritually by rebalancing the body's own healing mechanisms. Treatment focuses on the well being of the entire person, not simply on physical complaints and symptoms. Acupuncture, herbs, diet, massage and meditative physical exercises such as Tai Chi and Qi Gong all fall under the umbrella of Oriental medicine. Diagnosis involves the classical procedures of observation, listening, questioning and palpation. Oriental medicine's effects are gentle, free of the side effects of many pharmaceutical drugs used for the same conditions.