Our approach and treatments are based on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM): an ancient system of health and healing that has been used in China for thousands of years and that still offers a huge source of wellness and inspiration for our lives today.
WHAT IS TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE?
TCM takes a holistic view of health and well-being: rather than focusing on the surface level and treating individual symptoms alone, the approach seeks to establish the root cause of underlying problems so that overall balance and harmony can be restored.
TCM sees the body and mind as an intricate landscape or ecosystem where all is interconnected: what appears to be an unrelated symptom in one part of the body could represent a deeper imbalance elsewhere. Practising TCM helps us listen to the messages conveyed by physical symptoms so we can support the body to come back into balance and health as a whole.
WHAT DOES TCM INVOLVE?
TCM includes several different but complementary approaches to health and well-being, including:
- Acupuncture: very fine needles placed gently in the skin to help the free-flow of qi energy
- Chinese herbal medicine: herbal teas, powders and capsules made from different plants
- Non-needling treatments including:
- Moxibustion: the burning of therapeutic herbs near the skin
- Tuina: a form of Chinese therapeutic massage
- Cupping: the placement of glass cups on the skin to stimulate blood flow and clear stagnation
- Guasha: the vigorous rubbing of the skin to increase blood flow and oxygen supply to the muscles
WHO IS TCM FOR?
TCM is suitable for anyone looking for a natural way to restore their health and well-being. Many people turn to TCM when allopathic or Western medicine fails or produces undesirable side-effects.
By working at a deeper and more holistic level to resolve energetic blocks and stagnation, address disharmony and get to the underlying root causes of symptoms, TCM can help prevent and treat disease and restore overall health and vitality. TCM is not a ‘quick fix’ approach because it considers the body and mind as a unified whole: it may require changes to lifestyle, diet and even the way we think about ourselves and the world around us.
WHICH CONDITIONS CAN TCM HELP WITH?
Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture treatments may influence a wide range of acute and chronic diseases, including:
SKIN DISEASE
Eczema, dermatitis, psoriasis, acne, rosacea, urticaria (hives), lichen simplex, lupus erythematosus, vitiligo, fungal and yeast infections, bacterial and viral disease such as herpes simplex, impetigo, polymorphic light eruption (sun allergy), etc.
ALLERGIES AND AUTOIMMUNE CONDITIONS
Hay fever, asthma, thyroid disease such as Grave's and Hashimoto's disease, myasthenia gravis, Sjogren's syndrome, multiple sclerosis.
GASTRO-INTESTINAL DISORDERS
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), chronic constipation, diarrhoea, persistent nausea and vomiting, stomach ulcers (duodenal and peptic), ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease.
GYNEALOGICAL & OBSTETRICS
Pre-menstrual syndrome, painful periods, endometriosis, abnormal uterine bleeding, infertility, polycystic ovary syndrome, habitual miscarriage, fibro-cystic, morning sickness, insufficient lactation (breast milk), post-natal depression, post-natal weakness and debility.
MALE DISORDERS
Infertility, low sperm count and motility, impotence, chronic prostate problems.
RESPIRATORY CONDITIONS
Asthma, bronchitis, chronic coughs, allergic rhinitis and sinusitis.
RHEUMATOLOGIC CONDITIONS
Osteo-arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, polymyalgia rheumatica, ankylosing spondylitis.
URINARY CONDITIONS
Chronic cystitis, interstitial cystitis, painful bladder syndrome.
PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS
Stress, anxiety, depression, insomnia, Bi-polar disorder, fatigue, emotional instability (anger, irritability, frustration, worry)
SUPPORTIVE THERAPY IN THE TREATMENT OF CANCER:
Side effects of chemo and radiotherapy, fatigue, nausea, low blood count etc.
NEUROLOGICAL CONDITIONS
Parkinson's disease, headache, migraine, dizziness, peripheral neuropathy.
CARDIO-VASCULAR DISEASE
Angina, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, irregular heart rhythm.
MUSCULOSKELETAL ISSUES
Symptoms of arthritis including neck, shoulder, knee and hip pain, lower back pain, carpal tunnel, plantar fasciitis, fibromyalgia.
OTHER CONDITIONS
Hepatitis A, B, C, chronic fatigue syndrome (ME), symptoms associated with HIV infection
COSMETIC
Facial rejuvenation