Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a sophisticated system of medical practice with over 2000 years of written history. It incorporates a variety of treatments including Acupuncture, Herbal Medicine, Diet and Exercise Therapy and much more.
Traditional Chinese Medicine
CM prioritizes treating patients’ health concerns in their entirety, rather than individual symptoms.
TCM is a natural effective therapy that focuses on improving the overall wellbeing of the patient and can be effectively used to:
- strengthen the body’s resistance to illnesses and assist the body’s own natural healing process.
- Balance and regulate immune, nervous, and endocrine systems.
- Restore and strengthen weak organs and systems.
- Eliminate deep-seated causes of diseases.
- Improve and regulate Qi (vital energy) and blood circulation, remove stagnation or blockage and drain away excess pressure of the meridians, organs, and tissues to treat and prevent pains, disorders, and diseases.
TCM views each person as an individual, with their own unique experience of their illness. Treatment is primarily focused on the deep-seated cause of the disease, tailored to suit the needs of the patient.
TCM’s ability to promote healthy functions of the body means it is often used as an effective form of preventative medicine. TCM’s view is that many organic diseases such as cardiac failure, diabetes, and cancer, do not arise overnight. Rather, they are preceded by a breakdown of healthy function, resulting in reaching an advanced stage. TCM practitioners, using traditional methods of diagnosis, can detect and treat disorders long before they develop into disease.
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TCM has been the main diagnostic method in China for the last 5000 years. Differing from Western Medicine, TCM relies on the experience and expertise of the practitioner rather than pathology tests or diagnostic imaging.
The following methods, in combination or separately, are utilized to assess a patient’s health to discover missing pieces (dysfunctions or imbalances) to your ongoing health and well-being.
- Observation – of the tongue, complexion, eyes, nails, level of vitality, physical appearance, openness, emotional demeanor, etc.
- Auscultation-olfaction (sound and smell) – such as listening to the cough, smelling phlegm, body odor, etc.
- Interview – regarding symptoms and past history, such as chills or fever, sweats, appetite, sleep, urination, defecation, primary and secondary complaints, etc.
- Palpation – such as pulse, abdomen, etc.
Pulse:
Checking the pulse via the wrist is one of the most important TCM diagnostic methods. There are 28 different types of pulses to detect: strong or weak, shallow or deep, fast or slow, empty or full, wiry or slippery, etc. Each different pulse points to different conditions.
Acupuncture is a safe and natural therapy that has been successfully utilized in China for thousands of years. TCM believes that vital life energy known as “Qi” flows through twenty-four pathways and meridians within the body and that pain or disease is often caused by Qi not flowing properly. Acupuncturists determine whether Qi is weak, stagnant, or otherwise out of balance, indicating the points to be stimulated.
By inserting sterile, fine, and single-use needles into specific points along the meridians, acupuncture can remove blockages in Qi and blood, draining away excess pressure and restoring balance to the human body.
Acupuncture can help:
- Regulate and balance body, mind, and spirit.
- Strengthen the body’s resistance to illnesses.
- Boost immune system function.
- Enhance and regulate Qi.
- Restore blood, tissues, organs, and systems to normal physiological function.
Throughout TCM’s history over one thousand herbs have been collected, classified, and used to help treat illnesses. Chinese herbalists discovered how to combine herbs so that the beneficial effects are maximized, and unwanted effects are minimized. Resulting in the development of a large number of traditional herbal formulas that are designed to treat a wide variety of common and uncommon diseases. These herbal formulas can be provided in pills, capsules, granules, liquid, and tablet form.
Chinese herbal medicine, in most circumstances, can be used alongside Western medicine prescriptions to helping treat illnesses and support the patient’s recovery.
The prescribed content and dosage will often change as the condition changes and improves.
Cupping is an ancient Chinese therapy in which a cup is applied to the skin and the pressure in the cup is reduced (by either heat or suction. Cupping is applied to certain acupuncture points, frequently the following acupuncture, as well as to parts of the body that have been affected by pain.
Cupping is generally recommended for the treatment of:
- Aches and pains
- Soft tissue injuries
- Blood and Qi stagnation
The foods that we consume every day play an important role in maintaining our overall health. To prevent diseases from forming, our diet plays an important role in our lifestyle. Regular exercise, good sleeping patterns, social activities, relaxation, and work/life balance, will lead to a healthier mind and body.
Through our professional Health Assessment, we are able to identify your current nutritional status, enabling us to provide personalized dietary and lifestyle advice. We have developed various diet guides that can be tailored to suit different individuals to help with the prevention and treatment of diseases.
Electroacupuncture is a form of acupuncture in which pairs of acupuncture needles are attached to a device that generated continuous electronic pulses between them. This helps unblock the body’s Qi, adding to the effectiveness of acupuncture treatment, and can be especially useful for chronic pain syndromes and cases where Qi is difficult to stimulate.
- Soft tissue injuries and pains
- Weight loss
- Heel spurs and pains
- Arm and hand numbness
- Neck, back, shoulder, hip, elbow, and leg pains.
Laser acupuncture treatment involves the use of laser light to stimulate specific points throughout the body. This non-invasive treatment is a viable alternative to traditional forms of acupuncture. This can help treat various conditions, relieving pain, and inflammation, and restoring the body’s natural functions.
Ear acupuncture can be utilized successfully on its own or in conjunction with other forms of acupuncture. This method uses specific points in the ear to help unblock Qi and promote a healthier balanced body.
- Back pain and arthritis.
- Hormonal imbalances.
- Asthma and allergies.
- Digestive disorders.
Moxibustion involves the burning of a herb called Mugwort (Moxa), is placed directly or indirectly to the acupuncture point or on the end of an inserted acupuncture needle. In TCM, Mugwort’s warming nature is useful for helping to expel cold and dampness from the body as well as warming the body’s channels. The bitter and acrid aspects of Mugwort help to break stagnation, clear phlegm, and rectify Qi and blood.
Moxibustion therapy can be useful for many disorders, including:
- Digestive disorders
- Painful periods
- Sports injuries
- Frozen shoulders
- Pains that worsen with cold
- Cold and flu
Utilising electro current and the resonance effects of frequencies on tissues and conditions to create beneficial changes to symptoms and overall health. It combines the benefits of electroacupuncture and massage, if needles are not your preference, this is a good alternative.
This device can provide effective treatment for the following:
- Soft tissue injuries and pains
- Peripheral never pain
- Wight loss
- Heel spurs and pains
- Arm and hand numbness
- Neck, back, shoulder, hip, elbow, and leg pains.
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