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Chinese Medicine is an entire system of medicine that was developed several thousand years ago in China. It has been in continuous use since then, and has a written history dating over 2500 years. There are a number of treatment techniques used in Chinese Medicine, acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine being the most well known.

Acupuncture involves the insertion of very fine acupuncture needles into specific locations on the body. The aim of treatment is to stimulate and harmonise the flow of energy (Qi) throughout the body - which then restores a greater sense of health and wellbeing. Acupuncture needles are much finer than regular medical needles and generally insertion is not painful. Most people report an initial tingling sensation followed by a calm and relaxed feeling during the treatment. Acupuncture treatment is very safe, and practitioners at our clinic only ever use single-use, high quality disposable acupuncture needles .

Chinese Herbal medicine comes in many forms and traditionally involved boiling a pot of herbs on the stove to prepare a decoction. The preparation of decoction is often quite time consuming but provides the most effective results of all herbal treatment options. Herbal pills and granulated extracts are more convenient modern alternatives to decoction. Whilst a very small proportion of Chinese herbal preparations contain mineral and animal constituents, no endangered species are ever prescribed at our clinic. Special dietary requirements such as gluten-free and vegan are easily accommodated - discuss with your practitioner alternatives that are available to you.

Cupping is a physical therapy that is often used. Cupping involves creating a vacuum in a glass cup, which is then placed onto an acupoint. The vacuum then gently draws the skin and causes increased circulation to the area. Sometimes cupping can leave marking on the skin that looks similar to bruising. The marking is painless and usually disappears within a few days. Cupping is often performed on the back, but virtually any area of the body can be cupped.

Food Therapy is the prescription of food cures for certain health conditions. There are no "one size fits all" answers to anything in Chinese Medicine, and food therapy is no exception. Foods that are good for one person's health may be the exact foods that exacerbate another person's health condition. Foods are often prescribed as a supplement to acupuncture or herbal medicine treatment, and is something that can help the patient to become more active in their recovery. Recipes for self healing then become part of the patient's own first-aid kit against disease.

Gua Sha is also known as "Spooning". A Chinese soup spoon is used to drag across the skin to release pathogenic qi from the body, this is the "sha" of gua sha. The area of the body is first lubricated with oil or water to avoid pulling on the skin or causing other discomfort when performing Gua Sha. Pieces of jade, buffalo horn and other items with a smooth edge can also be used. Our clinics do not use animal based Gua Sha tools.

Moxibustion is the burning of a Chinese herb "Ai Ye" over an acupoint. The herb comes prerolled as a cigar, which is then lit and held a centimetre or two away from the skin. The cigar is held there to warm the acupoint and removed before becoming too hot for the patient. The loose herb is sometimes used for shaping into "cones" which are then placed directly on the skin, or on top of a slice of ginger. The burning herb is removed before becoming too hot for the patient, and leaves no burning or scarring on the skin.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has its roots in ancient China. Back then there was no concept of hormones and neurotransmitters, cells and enzymes etc, so they used the concepts that were well understood in those times. They looked to their environment and saw the way that the seasons, the wind, the rain and the heat had on people and their health. The terms they used to describe illness were wind, cold, damp, heat, dryness and summer-heat. Chinese medicine continued to evolve over the centuries to find ways to treat the latest "epidemic" diseases, as well as continuing to treat mild and common diseases and chronic illness. But the language used to describe the body in health and in illness has stayed the same throughout.

It is possible to delve deep enough into scientific medical theory to find correlations between the scientific model and the TCM model of health and disease, but often the resultant scientific explanation doesn't serve to explain the entire TCM concept. Sometimes we talk about “Liver”, “Lung”, “Spleen” in ways that don't relate at all to the scientific medical model. We are often not only talking about the organs themselves, but also about the meridian that joins to that organ and a whole host of functions that were ascribed to those organs 3000-5000 years ago when Chinese Medicine was evolving. 9 times out of 10 when we say that there is a problem with your “Liver Qi” for example, there will be no detectable pathology in your actual liver. We may simply be referring to your tendencies to tension headaches.

It is important to ensure that your Chinese medicine practitioner is properly trained and is registered to practice in your area. Some jurisdictions have much stricter requirements for practitioner registration and licensing than others. Our clinic is located in Richmond, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia and falls under the regulation of the Chinese Medicine Registration Board of Victoria . All practitioners at our clinics are registered with this board, have a degree qualification and have also undertaken further study in China. You can be sure that our practitioners are up to date with the latest research into Chinese medicine and acupuncture.

Our commitment to you is that we will take the time to talk to you, and really get to know you during your initial treatment. We will discuss an estimated treatment timeline with you, and re-evaluate your progress regularly. We're only a phone call away, and always happy to answer any questions that you have.