TCM FAQs
What is Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)?
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a complete medical system practiced for over 3000 years. It combines the use of acupuncture, herbs, and nutrition.
It is successful at diagnosing, treating, and preventing illness while promoting health and well being.
Other methods of treatment may include acupressure, auricular therapy, moxibustion, cupping, gua sha, electro acupuncture and navel acupuncture.
All treatments are aimed at restoring harmony and bringing the body into balance.
Acupressure
This technique involves placing physical pressure, by hand, elbow, or with the aid of various devices, on acupuncture points to provide relief of symptoms in responsive patients.
Auricular Therapy
The ear is considered a micro system that represents every part of the body. It is an important component of acupuncture that deals with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease through observation of the color and texture of the auricle, allowing the practitioner to detect certain health conditions.
Moxibustion
Moxibustion is a traditional Chinese medicine technique that involves the burning of an herb called Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris). It is a form of heat treatment that stimulates specific acupuncture points of the body. It can be used on the handle of the needle, above the skin, or on top of salt or sliced ginger. The purpose of Moxibustion, is to strengthen the blood, stimulate the flow of qi, and maintain general health.
Cupping
Cupping is a therapy used to stimulate the flow of blood and qi with the use of either glass cups used with heat to create a partial vacuum or plastic suction cups and placed on specific areas of the body. The suctioning created with the cups affects the superficial muscle layers offering the best deep tissue massage available making it beneficial for sore muscles. Cupping allows for the tissues to release toxins, activate the lymphatic system, clear colon blockages and is used for the common cold. This treatment can leave some slight redness to the skin but will quickly dissipate.
Gua Sha
Gua Sha is a scraping therapy, used with a round-edged instrument that involves stroking the skin, also like a deep tissue massage and results with the appearance of small red petechiae called “sha” causing some redness to the skin that will dissipate within a couple of days. This technique is used to promote the circulation of blood and metabolic processes, giving relief to stiff and sore muscles, fever, chills and digestive disorders.
Electro Acupuncture
A battery powered machine using wires with small clips on the ends electrically stimulates needles and is especially useful for conditions in which there is an accumulation of qi, such as in chronic pain syndromes, or in cases where the qi is difficult to stimulate.
Navel Acupuncture
Navel acupuncture was invented in 2000. Its root comes from I-Ching philosophy. Several clinical trials in China have proven its astonishing clinical efficacy. Naval acupuncture based on I-Ching and BaGua theory, needling points around umbilicus, awaking pre-natal energy for healing. It is a great breakthrough of acupuncture development. Its advantages are “practical, simple, fast-working, extreme high efficacy.”
Navel acupuncture places one or a few needles in the navel area to treat illness. It has superior clinical results on various pain conditions.