Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)

Recently there have been many examples of the integration of Chinese Medicine into the western medical establishment. The United Kingdom became the first western nation to include coverage for Chinese medical treatment in its National Health Service. Most major US hospitals now employ Chinese Medicine practitioners. In Canada, British Columbia became the first province to recognize the Chinese Medicine practitioners as health professionals, which gives them the same status as western medical doctors. A reformed BC provincial health care plan to cover Chinese Medicine is also on the drawing board. Similar initiatives have also been taken in On tario and Quebec.

From its ancient roots, modern Chinese Medicine has developed into several inseparable facets, which include acupuncture, herbal medicine, Tuina, dietary regulation, and therapeutic exercise, such as Qigong and Tai Chi. At Clinique SinoCare, we mainly use acupuncture, herbal medicine and Tuina to provide effective treatments for a wide range of health problems.

Difference of Chinese and Western Diagnostic Method

Traditional Chinese medicine is considered to require considerable diagnostic skill. This often depends on the ability to observe what are described as subtle differences without hurting the patient. This may be contrasted with a straightforward laboratory test which indicates an unambiguous cause. A training period of years or decades is said to be necessary for TCM practitioners to understand the full complexity of symptoms and dynamic balances. However nowadays, modern practitioners in China often use a traditional system in combination with Western methods.

Diagnostic & treatment principle

Traditional Chinese Medicine regards the human body as an organic whole. The practitioner observes all symptoms, including lifestyle, diet, working environment, emotional conditions and physical constitution when seeking for the fundamental causes of disequilibrium. Chinese Medicine treats health problems by working with the resources of the body itself. It uses acupuncture, Tuina and herbal medicine, to re-establish the equilibrium of the systemic functions and to achieve a healthy state, most of the time without any side effects.

The diagnosis is the most difficult and also the most critical part of the treatment process. Often the same symptoms in individuals can be a manifestation of different causes and therefore be treated differently. Different symptoms can also be the manifestation of a similar cause and therefore would be treated similarly. In addition, an individual’s physique and organ conditions are also major factors that should be taken into consideration in the diagnosis, so two patients with identical symptoms and causes may also be treated differently.

Preventive treatment

Traditional Chinese Medicine places special emphasis on preventive therapy.  Periods of great stress or seasonal change, for example, are especially advantageous times to receive treatments of acupuncture and herbal therapy.

It is important to know that the body gives a number of minor signs of disequilibrium, which indicate that a disease is on its way towards installation.  The earlier the treatment is undertaken, the more effective it will be.

These treatments help to strengthen an individual’s resistance to disease, restore the balance of yin and yang, ensure the proper functioning of the organs, and build up vital energy – Qi.

Meridians and acupuncture points

It is the meridians (a.k.a. channels and collaterals) that make the human body an organic whole. They link with each other and connect the superficial (sense organs & five tissues) to interior (viscera & bowels) and , upper body to lower body

• ·  Transport Qi, Blood and body fluid to nourish the whole body
• · Transmit feedback, induce stimulation, and regulate physiological functions

Acupuncture points (a.k.a. acupoints) are normally located on meridians, except extraordinary points and Ashi points, and they are the site through which the Qi of the internal organs and channels is transported to the body surface. These acupoints are used to transmit feedback, induce stimulation and regulate physiologic functions of our body.

The thorough understanding of meridians and acupoints are absolute essential for Acupuncture, Moxibustion and Tuina to achieve their desired therapeutic effects.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is the insertion of fine needles at acupoints on the human body to affect the flow of Qi. These points are carefully chosen by the acupuncturist according to diagnosis to treat a wide range of health problems. 

Using very thin, disposable needles, the TCM practitioner will place needles at specific acupoints on the body in order to rebalance and unblock the flow of Qi (vital energy). Used to treat both symptoms and the underlying condition, acupuncture is a powerful medicinal form. When used in conjunction with herbs, acupuncture will strengthen and expedite treatment. The needle insertion feels something like a mosquito bite. Many people find the experience of receiving acupuncture relaxing and pleasurable.

The World Health Organization recognizes the effectiveness of acupuncture and Chinese Medicine for over a hundred of health conditions. (http://tcm.health-info.org/WHO-treatment-list.htm).

Chinese herbal therapy

Chinese herbal therapy draws from a base of more than three thousand ingredients. Over 95% come from plants and the rest come from animals or minerals. Today, modern pharmaceutical technology is widely applied to the ancient art of making Chinese herbal medicine, so herbal medicines can be delivered to patients in the form of a decoction, a powder, a liquid, or a pill. The prescription of Chinese herbal medicine also requires a rigorous diagnostic process.

Tuina

Tuina, also known as Chinese massage or Chinese Massotherapy, is a form of deep tissue therapy. Tuina practitioners use a wide range of hand techniques to massage the soft tissue (muscles and tendons) of the body along meridians to directly affect the flow of Qi, and to realign the musculoskeletal and ligamentous relationships (bone-setting). A better known version of Tuina is Shiatsu, which has evolved from Tuina and has been widely propagated in the west by the Japanese.

Uniqueness of Tuina

Unlike other styles of massage that focus mainly on the relaxation of body and mind, Tuina works on a much deeper level, using dynamic, rapid and slow movements along meridian channels and over muscle groups. It is well suited for the treatment of specific musculoskeletal disorders and chronic stress-related disorders of the digestive, respiratory and reproductive systems as well as muscular pain.

Major benefits of Tuina

• · A form of preventive care for maintaining physical wellness
• · Strengthening the body's resistance to disease
• · Stimulating blood circulation & regulating the nervous system
• · Easing emotional distress
• · Relieving muscular pain

Combining acupuncture, herbal therapy and Tuina

Knowledgeable Chinese medical practitioners often combine two or more of these methods to treat certain conditions. If co-ordinated properly, the combined treatment offers much better therapeutic results.

For example, to treat a digestive system dysfunction caused by long term stress, a combination of all three treatments are often prescribed:

• · Acupuncture works by inserting needles in specific points to promote energy circulation in meridian channels and further regulate the internal organs functions
• · Herbs taken orally work on a much deeper level and provide nutrition or detoxification directly to the internal organs
• · Tuina is applied directly to areas of muscle pain or nodes, which often accompany  a digestive system dysfunction, to help these muscle groups relax and expel toxins into the blood stream and eventually to discharge these toxins from the body

These three therapies often supplement each other, so the speed and quality of recovery can be greater in many cases.

Patients will benefit fully from the herbal remedies, when prescribed and composed to address their individual needs. For different reasons, most of acupuncturists, who are educated in Canada, have limited exposure to Chinese herbal medicine. They often only use Chinese herbal formulas to supplement acupuncture treatment, and are unable to provide the full benefit of Chinese herbal therapy.

Ear Candling

Ear Candling is an un-intrusive way to clean out accumulated wax and white, flaky fungus from the ears. This practice existed in ancient Egypt,China, and Greece for centuries.

As the ear candling session progresses, extracted ear wax and fungus will be burned off, but a majority will be collected in the bottom part of the candle. When the remnant of candle is cut open, most people cannot believe what has been collected from their ear canals.

Benefits of ear candling

Since everyone has ear wax and ear candling is probably the most comfortable and effective way to extract it, therefore almost everyone can benefit from this ancient art.  It is especially beneficial for musicians, singers and wind-instrument players who often have more wax build up and need to keep their hearing at best; also for people who wear hearing aids or had previous ear infections.

However, an excessive ear wax build up is often a sign of heat and dampness accumulation in Liver and Gallbladder, so please consult us to treat the root cause as well.

Conditions that may benefit from Ear Candling :

• Headaches and migraines
• Plugged ears, low hearing and excessive wax
• Ear infections and chronic sinusitis
• Inner ear pressure, ear aches & pain

Illnesses treatable by Chinese Medicine

Almost all modern illnesses are treatable by Chinese Medicine. However, because of its holistic, non-toxic and uninvasive approach, Chinese Medicine excels in the prevention and treatment of chronicle, stress related, emotional and physiologic functional illnesses.  It also proliferated in the filed of maintaining health and beauty in recent years.

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