Zuobiao “Roy” Yuan on the Growing Need for Better Resources Around Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine

As chronic illness becomes more common and treatment pathways grow more complex, many patients are searching for additional forms of supportive care that can help them to reach a better and long-term clinical outcome. Zuobiao “Roy” Yuan, founder of Yi Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine, PhD and Licensed Acupuncturist, believes that growing public interest in integrative care has also exposed a major resource gap around traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture. According to Yuan, many patients arrive at his clinic after navigating years of aggressive treatments and uncertainty around what options may benefit them most.

Yi Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine provides acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine services for patients facing chronic and complex conditions, including cancer, chronic pain, neurological disorders, autoimmune conditions, and some complicated disorders such as renal dysfunction, lung dysfunction, and heart failure.

Yuan, who has more than 30 years of experience and previously worked at a national cancer center focused on Chinese medicine, also a special appointed professor of Shanghai Municipality, says many patients are anxious, sometimes even desperate, long before they enter the clinic. From his perspective, the rapid growth of online medical content and AI-generated health information has created a situation where patients often feel overwhelmed rather than informed.

“Patients are researching constantly, but many still do not know what treatment approach will serve them best,” Yuan says. “They are trying to understand surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, acupuncture, herbal medicine, and many other options at the same time. That creates fear and confusion for people already dealing with serious illness.”

Yuan explains that supportive care should focus on helping patients manage symptoms, reduce treatment burdens, and maintain daily function alongside conventional medical treatment. He emphasizes that acupuncture and Chinese medicine are intended to work in combination with existing care plans rather than replace them.

According to the National Cancer Institute, acupuncture has been studied for cancer-related symptoms. Acupuncture is used in conventional medical care to relieve symptoms associated with cancer and cancer treatment. Research highlighted through its program has explored acupuncture for chemotherapy-related nausea and vomiting, cancer pain, fatigue, dry mouth, anxiety, and quality-of-life concerns experienced during treatment.

Research around traditional Chinese medicine has also continued to expand. It shows how traditional Chinese medicine has been explored in cancer prevention, symptom management, and supportive care alongside conventional treatment. Additional studies involving pancreatic cancer patients and research involving Stage IV breast cancer patients examined outcomes among individuals receiving Chinese herbal medicine alongside standard treatment approaches.

Yuan believes one of the largest misconceptions is that acupuncture only addresses pain, stress, or fertility concerns. He explains that, in China, traditional Chinese medicine practitioners are trained within a broader medical framework that includes integrated care and hospital-based collaboration. In the United States, however, acupuncture was only legalized nationally during the 1970s, which he believes contributed to slower public understanding and narrower perceptions of the profession.

“In China, practitioners of Chinese medicine are trained to understand both conventional medicine and traditional Chinese medicine together,” Yuan says. “The philosophy is centered on integrating all medical resources to give patients better health.”

He also points to educational differences between the United States and China as an ongoing challenge. According to Yuan, many American acupuncture programs focus primarily on outpatient care, and acupuncturists can only do acupuncture, while in China, graduates of Traditional Chinese medicine schools can do both conventional medicine, such as surgery, anesthesia, and prescription, and Chinese medicine like acupuncture and herbs. He believes the United States is moving toward greater integration, particularly as health systems continue expanding acupuncture services, though he says there is still significant room for public education.

For Yuan, success in supportive care is often measured through stability, long-term function, quality of life, and life expectancy. He explains that some patients become so focused on eliminating disease entirely that they overlook the importance of maintaining overall health throughout treatment.

“The goal is to help people live longer with a higher quality of life,” Yuan says. “If patients can continue treatment with fewer side effects, spend time with family, travel, work, and maintain daily life, that matters deeply.”

As integrative medicine continues gaining visibility, Yuan believes education will remain central to helping patients make informed decisions. He says greater collaboration between conventional medicine and traditional Chinese medicine could improve how patients understand symptom management and long-term well-being.

Yuan says, “The future of supportive care will depend on how well conventional medicine and traditional Chinese medicine learn to work together in helping patients live longer, healthier, and more meaningful lives.”