Last weekend, I had the opportunity to attend an online conference from Hong Kong on Chinese medicine for COVID and long COVID.  Tele-health delivery of Chinese medicine has been encouraged in Hong Kong during the pandemic. Chinese medicine practitioners from Hong Kong, mainland China United Kingdom of Britain, United States of America and other countries shared their experience of helping people with COVID and long COVID. Chinese herbal medicine is often used as it can be delivered with limited patient contact. Acupuncture was not possible, instead acupressure has been used. Patients are ..read more

Since January 2022, in our Geelong clinic we have seen more and more patients who have had COVID-19. Some patients came to us within a few weeks of diagnosis, presenting with fatigue, brain fog, loss of smell, feeling cold and / or short of breath. Let us call this post-COVID condition. Others came to us weeks or months after the diagnosis, which fits in with in the diagnosis of long COVID. In the last blog, we talked about long COVID and its diagnosis. In this blog we will explain ours and others’ experience of treating post-COVID condition and long COVID with acupuncture. How does Chinese me ..read more

Feeling exhausted, brain fog, waking up feeling as if having not slept, or not able to get a sound sleep, feeling heavy in the body, short of breath, pain in the body and / or diarrhoea? Feeling blue; feeling anxious? Normal daily chores becoming too difficulty to complete; work getting harder as your brain does not seem to be as clear. This is now more than two or three months after the initial infection of SARS-CoV-2. You wonder if and when you will feel normal again; and if you will ever feel normal again. If the above mentioned scenario applies to you, then you are not alone. What you are ..read more

As the prevalence of common cold and flu increases in this winter, more and more people suffer from dry cough either during their illness or as a result of their cold or flu. Recently I was sick for over one week, from acute viral laryngitis. I rarely get sick. For someone who does not get sick easily, there is a lot to learn from being unwell. Although I dish out advice to my own patients, I, however, have to experience it to know how to walk the walk. Here I share my learning with you.  Having plenty of rest regardless how I feel. This is easily said than done. I did not have fever or bodil ..read more

Most pregnant women (half to two-thirds) will experience morning sickness in the first trimester. The degree of morning sickness varies from mild to severe (hyperemesis gravidarum). The symptoms include nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite and psychological effects (anxiety and depression) (Better Health Channel, 2022; Murkoff, 2016). Morning sickness is generally worse early in the day, but not limited to the morning. It can be anytime during the day or night (Better Health Channel, 2022; Murkoff, 2016). For most women, the morning sickness symptoms will reduce when entering the second trimeste ..read more

As the season changes, from summer to autumn, then autumn to winter, your body changes too. Some might feel tired, experience pain, have sleep disturbance or suffer from Seasonable Affective Disorder. From Chinese medicine point of view, the Yin and Yang balance is shifting during this transition, making our body in a vulnerable state to the temperature changes, shortened daylight, and virus or bacterial infection. The Victorian Government recently announced the new rules of living in the COVID period. As of 22 April 2022, neither check in nor vaccine status is required when attending many ven ..read more

Autumn is upon us. The beautiful golden leaves of elms, orange displays of maples, red flushes of oaks … paint a beautiful picture of the autumn landscape. Almost everyone loves the beauty of autumn and the freshness in the air. Autumn Leaf Do you know that the colour changes in plants signify a transition to the coming winter? In plants, there are many changes occurring during this time. We, the human, as part of the nature, too experience changes. As the night temperature drops, the day gets shorter plus the finishing of summer daylight saving, there are more darkness and coolness around us ..read more

In the previous blog, we provided some pre-conception advice. Today, we would like to talk about postnatal care.   In China, the postnatal care that involves dietary rules for 30 days after childbirth is called “Zuo Yue Zi” (sitting the month). “Zuo Yue Zi” was first recorded in the medical texts during the period of West Han Dynasty (206 B.C. to 25 A. D.) (Chen, 2011).   It is believed in Chinese medicine that women have given lots of vital qi to the fetus during pregnancy, and became yin and yang imbalanced after giving birth. As a result, they are required to be nourished and reba ..read more

In Geelong Chinese Medicine Clinic, many patients have consulted us about what kind of things they can do to get ready before pregnancy. ​In​ today’s blog, we would like to give some general advice.    Folic acid intake ​has been suggested to decrease the risks of neural tube defect in the newborn. Females are advised to take folic acid at least one month before conception then continue for the first trimester of pregnancy. The dosage needs to be consulted with a local GP, but women at normal risk are suggested to take 400 micrograms of folic acid daily (Bitzer & Mahmood, 2022 ..read more

In part 1, we explained the complex factors contributing to menopausal related insomnia, hot flushes and mood changes.  This part 2 explains how Chinese medicine understands the complex interaction, and how acupuncture might provide a promising approach to comorbid depression and insomnia in perimenopause. For detailed information, please read a recent review by researchers from the RMIT University. Chinese medicine view Chinese medicine understands that pre-natal Qi determines our growth, maturity, fertility and longevity. It supports all other body functions as showing in Diagram 1. Whe ..read more