Australia has two types of health consumer. There is the bohemian for whom acupuncture and Chinese herbal treatments fit into a life already immersed in crystal therapy, chakra healing and dolphin therapy. At the other extreme are people committed to western scientific treatments for whom Chinese medicine is fantasy.

In a country that is young, secular and disconnected from its indigenous population, many Australians would have to make a cultural leap to embrace treatments based on herbs, energy or other ancient notions.

The proof, however, is in the cure, and this is what has convinced an increasing number of Australians to turn to Chinese medicine.

Stories of success with Chinese medicine are abundant in Australia. In the case of acupuncture, it is backed by scientific research that supports its effectiveness as a medical treatment.

All of this has led to an official change of opinion, with 15 per cent of general practitioners now using acupuncture, many private health insurers offering rebates on complementary therapy, and the Australian Medical Association releasing a discussion paper that recognised the scientific research into acupuncture.

Judy James, chief executive of the Australian Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Association (AACMA), said the organisation had doubled in size in the past 10 years in response to rapid growth in demand.

'We now have more than 1,400 members around Australia,' she said. 'The great thing about Chinese medicine is that it's adaptable. It has a coherent and substantial body of knowledge developed through thousands of years of clinical testing, and it can be adapted to suit local environments.'

Ms James said the key issue for TCM in Australia was statutory regulation to protect consumers and further develop the profession.

'Victoria is the only state that requires practitioners of Chinese medicine to be registered, and we are pushing for that to become a policy in all states,' Ms James said.

'The AACMA also has strict guidelines about whom we accredit. And we also require some applicants for membership to pass theoretical or clinical examinations before receiving accreditation.'

Tania Siu studied Chinese medicine in Australia, and followed this with three months at the Jiangsu Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Nanjing, China. She now has her own practice.

She said there were a few notable differences in the way TCM was practised in Australia.

'Some medicines used in China cannot be used legally here because of their toxic content,' Ms Siu said. 'Additionally, the Chinese healthcare system allows citizens to access traditional Chinese medicine much more affordably than in Australia.'

Jiang Min, who completed a bachelor of medicine majoring in TCM in Guangxi University, said the TCM career path was very different in Australia.

'In China, I was working with seriously ill patients, suffering strokes and coronary trouble, so I had to use drugs and Chinese medicine. In Australia, we treat only milder conditions such as period and back pain, infertility and chemotherapy symptoms.'