Traditional Chinese Medicine
What is Chinese Medicine?
Traditional Chinese Medicine (often referred to as TCM) dates back thousands of years and is a system of primary health care that includes acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine and remedial massage (tui Na). In Australia, the most popular forms of Chinese medicine are acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine.
Chinese Herbal Medicine, involves the use of traditional plant-based medicines such as roots, flowers, tuber, leaves, seeds, and fruits to cleanse and strengthen the blood and increase the body's Qi (chi). Plant medicine is largely science-based with many individual herbs being sold in your local health stores and pharmacies today such as extracts of ginger, cinnamon, astragalus, and chrysanthemum. Our TCM Herbal Medicines are TGA-approved formulas for maximum safety and potency. Today no animal parts are used and they are heavy metal tested for safety in Australia.
The primary feature of Chinese medicine is the premise that good health relies on the restoration and maintenance of harmony, balance, and order in the individual. TCM takes a holistic approach to understanding the normal function and disease processes and focuses as much on the prevention of illness as it does on the treatment.
What is Qi (Chi) and how does it affect the body?
When healthy, an abundant supply of Qi (pronounced chee) or ‘life energy’ flows through the body’s meridians (a network of unseen channels through the body). If the flow of Qi becomes blocked or there is an inadequate supply of Qi, the body fails to maintain harmony, balance, and order, and disease or illness follows. This can result from stress, overwork, poor diet, disease pathogens, environmental conditions, and other lifestyle factors.
Chinese medicine focuses on the underlying condition as well as the treatment of the symptoms. Treatments work on the basis of individualised formulae for each patient.
Chinese herbal medicine supplements the body with the energy it misses and cleanses the toxins. They are strategically formulated based on thorough Chinese medicine evaluation of one’s energy status.
Chinese herbal medicine treats both acute and chronic illness, promotes health and beauty, and help one age gracefully. Chinese herbal medicine can work independently by itself, or in combination with acupuncture.
Dr. Johnathon Dao. Lic TCM/ ACU
Moxibustion is a form of fire heat treatment often combined with acupuncture that stimulates specific acupuncture points of the body. It involves the burning of mugwort herb near acupuncture points or attached to acupuncture needles creating a lovely warming sensation. The term is derived from the Japanese "mogusa" meaning herb (mugwort) and the Latin "bustion" meaning burning.
Shiatsu (Finger pressure) is an ancient form of traditional Japanese physical therapy that involves stimulating the acupuncture points and meridians with finger pressure, often with gentle rocking and stretching also. It can be performed gentle or firmly depending on the persons needs and likes for complete relaxation and therapeutic benefit.
Traditional herbal formulas that are only available from your Licensed Acupuncturist are more effective than single herbs in most cases and have a greater balancing action and single herbs alone.
Acupuncture, Moxibustion, Shiatsu & Chinese Herbal Medicine can be very effective for many diseases and conditions including back pain, muscle stiffness, headaches, migraines, tendonitis, arthritis, digestive disorders, anxiety, insomnia, urinary problems and female health problems such as menstrual cramps, irregular periods, and infertility as well as a vast array of health conditions.
