What is TCM?

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is most often associated with Acupuncture, but this is only one of the branches of TCM. A TCM practitioner employs each of the disciplines described below in order to return the patient to optimal health and wellness.

ACUPUNCTURE:
The word Acupuncture comes from the Latin acus, or “needle”, and pungere, “to prick.”  Acupuncture is among the oldest healing practices in the world.  It aims to restore and maintain health through the insertion and manipulation of tiny needles into specific points on the body.
The tiny needles are about the size of a human hair (10 Acupuncture needles fit inside of a medical needle used for injections.)  Acupuncture is virtually pain-free; in fact, many people report a feeling of relaxation and stress reduction.
As Acupuncture has evolved, many different styles have emerged based on the classical texts and by several countries including Japan, Korea, France and Vietnam – just to name a few. Regardless of its origins or the particular style used, the goals of Acupuncture remain constant: to restore balance within the body and to promote the body’s natural healing abilities.

Auricular Acupuncture:
Auricular acupuncture is one of the more widely used microsystems within TCM. Microsystems use one aspect of the body – for example, the ears, hands or feet to treat conditions that are present anywhere in the body. Auricular acupuncture may be used as a primary mode of treatment or in conjunction with other treatments such as acupuncture, bodywork or herbal medicine.
By stimulating auricular points, an electrical signal is sent to the brain, which then stimulate other areas of the body. In this way, points used in auricular acupuncture can treat the whole body.
This style of acupuncture usually employs tiny needles, ear seeds, or ear tacks. This allows for a gentle stimulation of the auricular points. Ear seeds and tacks may be left in the ears after treatment to apply continuous stimulation to the points, what we like to call “acupuncture on the go.”
Auricular Acupuncture is extremely popular in smoking cessation and drug and alcohol detoxification programs across North America.

ADJUNTIVE THERAPIES:
1.   Moxibustion:

• Artemisia vulgaris (mugwort or common wormwood)
• Practitioners use moxa to warm regions and acupuncture points with the intention of stimulating circulation through the points and inducing a smoother flow of blood and qi.
• Increases blood flow

2.   Cupping:

• Forms a vacuum to promote circulation of blood and lymph
• Like a massage from the inside out
• Relaxes muscle, increases blood flow
• Excellent treatment for colds, flu’s, muscle aches and pains, general fatigue.

3.   Gua Sha:

• Gua Sha involves applying pressure to the skin skin in strokes, by a round-edged instrument. This results in the appearance of small red petechiae called ‘sha’, that will fade in 2 to 3 days.
• Raising Sha promotes normal circulation and metabolic processes. The patient experiences immediate relief from pain, stiffness, fever, chill, cough, nausea, and so on.  Gua Sha is valuable in the prevention and treatment of acute infectious illness, upper respiratory and digestive problems, and many other acute or chronic disorders.