Treatment

It involves the insertion of very fine sterilised needles, disposable and never re-used, into the body surface at strategic points. The doctor will leave the needles in place for about twenty to thirty minutes. The use of needles is virtually painless.

As with much western medicine, the science- the why and wherefore - of TCM is not clearly understood. But it works, and many generations of specialists have refined and perfected the techniques.

Chinese herbals are an integral part of TCM. They are specially formulated in China and include flowers, leaf stalks, seeds and roots. Each herb has healing properties, which are used for specific purposes and perform particular functions.

The doctors prescribe combinations of herbs (carefully selecting up to 15 from a total of 300) specifically suited to treat you and your condition. Each prescription is therefore tailor-made. The herbs are cooked and drunk as a decoction (tea) or taken in tablet form, to get to the root of the problem.

You start by taking the medicine every day. As treatment continues, the doctors closely monitor you progress through regular consultations, altering the prescriptions and reducing the doses accordingly. Since all patients and conditions are different, treatment can vary from a few weeks to several months. After a period of treatment you are able to stop taking the medicine.

It differs from Western massage in that finger and palm pressure is applied using a wide range of techniques. It stimulates Qi mobilisation to regain Yin-Yang balance in certain parts of the body.

It is particularly effective in healing and dispelling of pain in conditions such as back, neck and joint pain, headaches and sports injuries etc.

A therapy in which a jar is placed on the skin surface to cause local congestion, through the removal of the air in the jar. This method promotes the free flow of Qi and blood in the channels, diminishes swellings and pains, and dispels cold and dampness.

In addition to acupuncture and prescribed herbal medicine, a wide range of Chinese patent medicines are also available over the counter without prescription. They can be used for treatment of various diseases or simply used for maintaining good health.