Chinese Medicine: More than just needles

Most people when they think of Chinese medicine commonly think  "acupuncture". Yet acupuncture is only one of many effective healing modalities used in Chinese medicine. Other commonly used modalities include Chinese herbs, massage, cupping, moxibustion, guasha, electrical stimulation, Chinese diet therapy, and Qi gong. The effectiveness of a treatment plan lies in the skillful integration of these modalities along with consistent treatment.

A Practical System
Traditional Chinese medicine is a very practical system that encourages healing in the body and helps the organ systems in the body to work synergistically with one another. There is nothing magical or mysterious about how it works. Half the battle is figuring out what has caused the problem in the first place. The next step is to address the causative factors (root problem) and then treat the symptoms. If the root cause in not addressed the symptoms will keep reoccurring.

A Case Study
About a year ago, I treated a man (I'll call him Bob) who initially came in with Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Bob was also overweight and borderline diabetic, had high cholesterol, experienced intermittent chest pain, and suffered from chronic fatigue. I treated Bob for three months (two times per week) using acupuncture, massage, cupping, and moxibustion. In addition, I used Chinese diet therapy and herbal therapy as part of his treatment plan. Bob was extremely compliant with his treatment plan both in and out of the office. After three months he went back to his doctor for blood work and a regular check-up. His blood sugar level and cholesterol were back in the normal range, he lost 40 lbs., and no longer suffered from bloating, abdominal pain, and diarrhea, and his energy returned.

Lifestyle Changes: a must
An important part of Bob's healing process were the lifestyle changes he made. Bob was ready and willing to make those changes. My experience over the years has been that the patients who are the most compliant see the greatest change. Healing is a three-part process that involves awareness, implementation, and participation. There are no shortcuts to true healing. True healing is about respecting and nurturing the body's innate wisdom so that you may live a healthy, happy life.

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