Traditional Chinese Medicine
Traditional
Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a system of primary health care
that includes acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine,
remedial massage (anmo tuina), exercise and breathing
therapy (such as qigong), and diet and lifestyle advice. In
Australia, the most popular forms of TCM health care are
acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine.
Traditional Chinese Medicine has an uninterrupted history
of development in China and other parts of East Asia dating
back thousands of years. The primary feature of modern TCM
is the premise that good health relies on the restoration
and maintenance of harmony, balance and order to the
individual.
TCM takes a wholistic approach to understanding normal
function and disease processes and focuses as much on the
prevention of illness as it does on the treatment.
When healthy, an abundant supply of
qi
(pronounced chee) or "life energy" flows through the body's
meridians (a network of invisible channels through the
body). If the flow of
qi
in the meridians becomes blocked or there is an inadequate
supply of
qi,
then the body fails to maintain harmony, balance and order,
and disease or illness follows. This can result from
stress, overwork, poor diet, disease pathogens, weather and
environmental conditions, and other lifestyle factors and
becomes evident to TCM practitioners through identifiable
signs of body dysfunction. TCM practitioners look carefully
for these signs of health and dysfunction, paying
particular attention to not only the presenting condition,
but also the medical history, general constitution, and the
pulse and tongue.
Clinical assessment, diagnosis, and treatment principles
are based on the theoretical frameworks of TCM which seeks
to identify underlying symptom patterns that indicate how
the body is or has become dysfunctional. Treatment is
focused on the underlying condition as well as treating the
presenting symptoms. Clinical decision-making and patient
management strategies are also influenced by contemporary
Western approaches to health care, including infection
control practices and known interactions of herbal
medicines with pharmaceuticals and other therapeutic
substances.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture
is an integrated part of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)
and has been used in China and other parts of East Asia for
thousands of years. Today, acupuncture is an effective,
natural and increasingly popular form of health care that
is being used by people from a wide range of cultural and
social backgrounds.
Acupuncture is a wholistic form of medicine and focuses on
the prevention of illness as well as on the treatment of
symptoms.
Acupuncture treatment involves the insertion of fine,
sterile needles into specific sites (acupuncture points)
along the body's meridians to clear energy blockages and
encourage the normal flow of qi through the individual. The
practitioner may also stimulate the acupuncture points
using other methods, including moxibustion, cupping, laser
therapy, electro-stimulation and massage, in order to
re-establish the flow of
qi.
As a natural form of healing, acupuncture has the following
benefits:
* provides drug-free pain relief
* effectively treats a wide range of acute and chronic
ailments
* treats the underlying cause of disease and illness as
well as the symptoms
* provides an wholistic approach to the treatment of
disease and illness, linking body, mind and emotions
* assists in the prevention against disease and illness as
well as the maintenance of general
well-being
Acupuncture
is known to treat a wide range of disorders
including:
Neurological
conditions
such as
headaches,
migraines,
difficulty sleeping, nervous tension,
stroke,
some forms of deafness,
facial and inter-costal neuralgia,
trigeminal neuralgia,
some forms of paralysis,
sequelae of poliomyelitis,
peripheral neuropathy,
noises in the ears, dizziness, and
Meniere's disease.
Cardiovascular
disorders
such as high or low blood pressure, fluid retention, chest
pain, angina pectoris, poor circulation, cold hands and
feet, and muscle cramps.
Respiratory
conditions
such as
bronchial asthma,
acute and chronic
bronchitis,
acute tonsillitis,
rhinitis,
sinusitis,
hay fever, chronic cough, laryngitis,
sore throat,
influenza and the
common cold.
Digestive
system disorders
such as
toothache,
post-extraction pain,
gingivitis,
mouth ulcers,
hiccough,
spasms of the oesophagus,
gastric and
duodenal ulcers,
gastric hyperacidity,
gastritis,
heartburn, hiatus hernia syndrome, flatulence,
paralytic ileus,
colitis,
diarrhoea,
constipation,
haemorrhoids, liver and gall bladder disorders, and weight
control.
Urogenital
disorders
such as cystitis, prostatitis, orchitis, low sexual
vitality, urinary retention, kidney disorders,
nocturnal enuresis,
and
neurogenic bladder dysfunction.
Gynaecological
and obstetric disorders
such as premenstrual tension, painful, heavy or irregular,
or the absence of periods, abnormal uterine bleeding or
discharge, hormonal disturbances, disorders associated with
menopause, prolapse of the uterus or bladder, difficulty
with conception, and morning sickness.
Skin
conditions
such as eczema, dermatitis, psoriasis, nerve rash, herpes
zoster, acne, scar tissue and resultant adhesions, hair
loss and dandruff.
Eye
conditions
such as visual disorders, red, sore, itchy or watery
eyes,
conjunctivitis,
simple cataracts,
myopia in children,
and
central retinitis.
Musculoskeletal
disorders
such as
osteoarthritis,
sciatica,
lumbago, weak back,
low back pain,
rheumatoid arthritis, gout, tenosynovitis, shoulder and
neck pain,
cervicobrachial syndrome,
"frozen shoulder",
and
"tennis elbow".
Sporting
injuries
such as sprained ankles and knees, cartilage problems,
corking and tearing of muscles, torn ligaments and bruises.
Psychological
conditions
such as depression, phobias, emotional disturbances,
anxiety, nervousness and addictions such as smoking.
For
more information and bookings please contact Thrive Health.
ph 02 9331 8661