Needling away to gain big sway

Acupuncture is the pioneer of TCM in European markets. It is more readily accepted by Europeans because it is more of a therapy than medicine. Wang says there is a Belgian Acupuncturists Federation and a school specialized in teaching acupuncture.

However, it is still difficult to import Chinese medicines into Europe, especially patent drugs because of the differing quality standards.

"There are only one or two Chinese medicines that have been cleared for the European market," Wang says.

"The Chinese government must take steps to further improve the quality control measures for TCM medicines because it will lead to more exports to Europe," Wang says, adding that he sources most of his Chinese medicines from the Netherlands, which has a more mature import market than Belgium.

However, lack of Chinese medicines is just one reason for the limited spread of TCM. Most European insurance companies do not cover TCM treatment, experts say. In the Netherlands and other European countries, TCM treatment is covered partially, while in several others including Belgium legislation is expected.

A one-hour treatment session at Wang's clinic costs 30 euros, while the same procedure can cost about 100 to 150 euros in Switzerland. But in Switzerland, the treatment is covered by insurance.