Techniques - What is Traditional Chinese Medicine?
Huan Than, 40 B.C.
The Language of Traditional Chinese Medicine
The language of TCM is initially quite foreign and difficult to understand as practitioners refer to Qi, Blood, Spirit, Essence, Yin & Yang, Deficiency & Excess, Interior & Exterior, Body Fluids, Heat or Cold, Harmony & Disharmony and Obstruction to explain the Clinical picture. Treating illness is a matter of harmonizing the Qi and re-establishing the normal balance. In the West we would refer to this as returning the body to its natural state of homeostasis.
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An example of Electro Acupuncture |
TCM treats the whole person and views the clinical picture in light of patterns that emerge, rather than to view symptoms in isolation.
Assessment:
Assessment is based upon classical and standard TCM methods that require a detailed assessment that examines the patient’s lifestyle, individual constitution, emotional state, environmental factors, work habits, diet, history and nature of the complaint. Assessment includes questioning, listening, observing, palpation and examination of the tongue and pulse. An initial consultation is always required prior to treatment to determine the most appropriate response and assist the patient in understanding the treatment process.
TCM is not an exclusive or ideal medical system but it can safely and systematically treat many patterns of disharmony. TCM’s strength lies in its ability to treat chronic illness but is limited in the treatment of acute illness. At this time, a more interventional approach may be more appropriate. We believe that TCM can be used adjunctively with other forms of treatment therapy, as a complimentary form of medicine.
Types of Treatment:
Acupuncture & Traditional Chinese Medicine uses several different modalities to re-establish health and harmony in the body with an emphasis towards combining the use of Chinese herbs to augment the natural healing process. Our facility uses a wide range of therapies designed to meet your individual needs which are listed below.
Acupuncture
Auricular Acupuncture
Electro-Acupuncture
Scalp Acupuncture
Intra-muscular Stimulation-Anatomical Approach
Cupping
Tuina Massage
Dietary Therapy
Chinese Herbal Therapy
Moxibustion
Plum Blossom Needling
Acupressure
Life Style Counseling:
Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing, (EMDR for post-traumatic stress disorders, stress, depression).
The World Health Organization:
The World Health Organization (WHO) Interregional Seminar compiled the following list of illnesses in which acupuncture may be of benefit. This partial list is based on clinical experience, and is not intended to indicate the extent of efficacy in treatment as all conditions may vary in severity and response:
Disorders of the Eye, Mouth & Throat
Acute & chronic pharyngitis
Acute conjunctivitis
Cataract ( uncomplicated )
Central retinitis
Gingivitis
Myopia ( in children )
Nasal catarrh
Post-extraction pain
Toothache
Gastro-intestinal Disorders:
Acute & chronic colitis
Acute & chronic gastritis
Acute duodenal ulcer ( uncomplicated )
Acute dysentery
Chronic duodenal ulcer ( pain relief )
Constipation
Diarrhea
Gastric hyperacidity
Gastroptosis
Hemorrhoids
Hiccough
Indigestion
Paralytic Ileus
Spasms of the esophagus & cardia
Mental-Emotional Problems:
Anxiety
Depression
Insomnia
Stress
Respiratory System
Acute & chronic bronchitis
Bronchial asthma ( uncomplicated )
Reproductive & Genito-Urinary Systems
Amenorrhea
Dysmenorrhea
Impotence
Incontinence
Infertility
Prostatitis
Neurological & Musculoskeletal Disorders
Cervicobrachial syndrome Facial palsy (early stage, i.e. within 3-6 months )
Frozen shoulder
Headache Intercostal neuralgia
Low back pain
Meniere’s disease
Migraine
Neurogenic bladder dysfunction
Nocturnal enuresis
Osteoarthritis
Paresis following a stroke
Peripheral neuropathies
Sciatica
Sequelae of poliomyelitis (early stage i.e. within 6 months)
Tennis elbow
Trigeminal neuralgia
Upper Respiratory Tract
Acute & chronic sinusitis/rhinitis
Acute tonsillitis
Common cold & flu
Please note this list is not exhaustive and does not include the current research status of the treatment of chronic conditions such as Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Sars, and the amelioration of the side effects of Chemotherapy and Radiation. Please contact our clinic for further information that may not be listed.