Do you know Chinese Medicine has a variety of treatment modalities?
Chinese Medicine practitioners use herbal medicine, acupuncture, moxibustion, cupping as well as lifestyle and dietary suggestions to address health problems.
In Australia, the most popular forms are acupuncture and herbal medicine.
Chinese medicine sees harmony and balance in energy the key to good health. Each treatment modality may help the body restore or maintain its order in deferent ways. Here is a quick overview about each modality:
Acupuncture
Acupuncture pins may promote blood circulation and turn off overactive stress responses. It is natural, drug-free and safe. In my experience, acupuncture may be helpful for musculoskeletal tension, sinus congestion, insomnia, stress and anxiety as well as digestive disorders.
Herbal Medicine
The origin of Chinese herbal medicine can be traced back at least 5000 years. There are many classical herbal remedies that may be helpful for menstrual problems, PMS, fertility, menopause, cold and flu, lethargy and allergies. One thing I like about Chinese herbal medicine is that it can be prescribed in many forms - pill, powder, tea or plaster/patch.
Moxibustion
Moxibustion provides heat and a sense of calm. It is often combined with acupuncture. They may work well together for arthritis, chronic lower back pain and knee pain.
Cupping
Suction of cups not only lifts the skin up but may also pulls fluids, toxins or blood that is not moving up to the surface of our bodies. It also separates the muscle fibres slightly, just enough for the fresh blood to flow in. Cupping may be helpful for muscular tension that is diffuse or spreads over a large area. I sometimes combine acupuncture with cupping for stubborn musculoskeletal conditions.
Lifestyle and dietary advice
Chinese medicine believes energetic imbalances can be triggered by improper diet, inadequate lifestyle, stress or other emotional disturbances. I absolutely love giving my patients some habitual suggestions as their ‘homework’ to help them recover and prevent illness.
Now you know Chinese Medicine incorporates more than just acupuncture. Which treatment is your favourite??
This year our Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioner Dr. Wen-Hsien Vincent Liu (Chinese Med.) is bringing traditional cupping and Chinese herbal medicine to Complete Chiropractic Care. His goal is to help our community experience the beauty and versatility of Chinese Medicine and support more people with their health and wellness goals. Call us today to see if TCM is right for you.
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