Chinese Medicine Consultation

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is an ancient system of natural healing based on the principle of moving 'Qi' to rebalance the mind, body and spirit. Qi is a very basic, but complex, term in TCM; it may be simply translated as 'vital force', 'energy', 'energy matter potential'.

As the vital force of the body, Qi corresponds to the electromagnetic fields which appear to develop and organise body function. Qi also corresponds to blood flow, nervous tone, oxygen movement and muscle tone and capability.

At the Yuan Clinic the TCM practitioners use both acupuncture and herbal medicine to optimise the flow of Qi and promote healing and wellbeing.

Consultation

At the initial consultation the practitioner uses a standard symptom questionnaire to establish a diagnosis in TCM terms. Tongue and pulse diagnosis are also used. The client may also give information on lifestyle patterns or stress factors which may be affecting his/her condition. It is also useful for clients to bring along medical test results and the names of any medications they may be taking.

Treatment

The practitioner will then devise an individually tailored treatment, usually consisting of an acupuncture treatment and a Chinese herbal medicine prescription. Clients receive body acupuncture in private treatment rooms. Fine disposable needles are inserted under the skin at specific points and other TCM techniques such as cupping or moxibustion may be used. Acupuncture sessions generally take 30 to 45 minutes.

There is a herbal pharmacy inside the clinic and prescriptions are made up while clients are receiving acupuncture. Herbs may be taken as a decoction of dried herbs or in powder form. Full instruction on preparation and dosage will be given. Advise on lifestyle and dietary changes and nutritional supplements may also be given.

Follow-Up Appointments

Subsequent appointments will be concerned with discussing symptomatic changes/improvements and the acupuncture treatment and herbal prescriptions will be modified in response to these. In many cases conditions have taken years to develop and although many clients feel immediate benefit from the treatment, some conditions may take several months to improve.

John Tindall | Angela Lapadula | The Green Healer | Contact Us