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Traditional Chinese Medicine: A Path to Relief
Are you tired of dealing with chronic pain and discomfort in your body? Are you seeking natural solutions that don’t come with the unwanted side effects of medication? Look no further than Amber & Flow.
At Amber & Flow, we believe that optimal health and wellness are achieved through a holistic and natural approach. Our Traditional Chinese Medicine therapies include acupuncture, massage, cupping, moxibustion, gua sha, herbal remedies and more. These treatments are designed to restore balance and harmony within your body so that you can live a pain-free and stress-free life.
Visit our blog for more information and expert advice on how to achieve optimal health and wellness. Or contact us today to schedule a consultation and start your journey towards optimal health and wellness!
Traditional Chinese Medicine Treatments We Offer
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is a holistic approach to healing that has been practised for thousands of years. It focuses on the body’s energy channels, or meridians, which are believed to connect all parts of the body and supply energy. When this energy is blocked or unbalanced, illness may result. By addressing these imbalances and restoring harmony, you can recover from illness and restore your health. Our clinic offers a variety of treatments that focus on restoring balance to the body, mind and spirit.
Chinese Massage
An Mo Tui Na is a type of Chinese massage that applies the principle of moving the qi and clearing stagnation in the body. It has been used for thousands of years as a treatment for pain and musculoskeletal disorders. Techniques like rolling, rubbing and pinching are used along meridians and on acupuncture points. This helps relieve pain and promote healing in soft tissue injuries such as sprains or strains.
Acupuncture
During an acupuncture treatment, very fine disposable filiform needles are inserted at acupuncture points on different parts of the body. You may be treated on the back or the front. Duration of needle stay is approximately 28 minutes. Once qi arrives, needles maybe taken out. Needles maybe manipulated by rotating clockwise or anti-clockwise depending on the patterns.
Moxibustion
Chinese medicine believes that cold brings about stagnation which causes musculoskeletal pain and tightness. It can also affect women’s menstrual cycle if cold is lodged in the womb. Hence heating a moxa stick and warming the meridian via heat conduction to the needle into the superficial area will ease the flow from stagnation. Many people use moxibustion as a way to balance their emotions and improve their mental state.
Gua Sha
Gua Sha technique is scrapping the skin along meridians and adjacent areas to wake defensive qi to protect the body against the negative external elements. The treatment causes blood flow to the area to improve circulation. The technique is suitable for most acute conditions at the onset of an infection. It can be applied to any body part, but it is most commonly used on the back, neck, and arms.
Cupping
The practice involves creating suction on parts of the body using cups. This can open up the blood vessels, allowing them to release toxins and heal the body.
Cupping is used to treat many conditions, including back pain and arthritis, as well as digestive issues like constipation or diarrhea. It’s also helpful for reducing stress and anxiety.
Qi Gong
Qi Gong is a type of Chinese martial art that focuses on the flow of energy in the body. Qi Gong exercises are typically gentle and meditative, with breathing techniques being a common component. Many people practice Qi Gong as a way to improve their health and well-being, but it’s also used as an effective treatment for many conditions.
Tai Chi
Tai chi originates as a martial arts form. It has been adopted for health to create stability, balance and flexibility. It is considered a low-impact, slow-motion exercise which helps to strengthen the joints, yet creates agility in movement.
Herbs
Chinese herbs are traditionally dried and sold raw. Patients are advised to boil a mixed herbal formula for one to two hours, then consume the fluid.
Herbal supplements are now available online, and many of them can be found in the form of capsules or tablets. Please let us know what conditions you are seeking treatment for and we will be happy to recommend a suitable herbal supplement for you.
Electroacupuncture
Electroacupuncture is a form of acupuncture that uses electricity to stimulate the body’s energy pathways. It is believed to improve health and increase the flow of qi in the body, which can have an effect on pain and other symptoms. The electric current is applied to specific acupuncture points in the skin with needles, or electrodes.
As the needles are stimulated, they release neurotransmitters that can help to alleviate pain and treat conditions like arthritis, depression, and anxiety.
Dietary Advice
Chinese dietetic advice is based on the principles of yin and yang, as well as balance and harmony. The basis of this philosophy is that the body’s needs are met when it is in balance with itself.
The best way to prevent getting sick is to consume food that adds beneficial value to the body. Eating well is the best way to stay healthy.
Frequently Asked Questions
We get asked a lot of questions about acupuncture and Chinese medicine, so we’ve compiled the most common ones here for your convenience. If you have a question that’s not answered here, feel free to give us a call or send us an email! We’re always happy to help.
Acupuncture uses very thin filiform needle which varies in length. When inserted through the skin, there could be a minor sensation of needle prick. Once qi arrived, the sensation change. Some people describes feeling heavy or dull ache while others may feel a tingle. Distal points in the hands or feet may be more sensitive to needle, hence shallow needles are use at acupuncture points in these areas.
Studies have alerted to pleural injury but this is very rare (1,2). There maybe slight bleeding when the needle is taken out. In a review by Ernst and White (2001), acupuncture needle may cause pain in 1% to 45% of participants. 4 categories of adverse effects are organ or tissue injuries, infections, local reactions, and other complications such as dizziness or syncope (3).
Our clinic use disposable needles which are individually packed. The areas where insertions are made are swabbed to prevent infection. Our practitioners practise hand hygiene to prevent contamination to needle.
Depending on diagnosis, treatment plan duration may consists of 4 to 12 weeks visit.
We will provide a self-help guide which you can follow at home, to assist with induction and labour.
At week 37 of pregnancy, we offer birth induction to help manage pain and provide relief during delivery. The effects of birth induction can include reduced pain and improved comfort during delivery.
