Acupuncture, an ancient healing art originating from China with over 3000 years of history, has garnered widespread attention and adoption in the West. However, it’s essential to understand that not all acupuncture practices are created equal. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Western acupuncture (WA), often referred to as dry needling, differ significantly in their approaches, philosophies, and effectiveness. Understanding the Philosophical Divide Traditional Chinese Acupuncture: Rooted in millennia-old principles, TCM acupuncture views the body as a complex system of meridians or e ..read more

My partner and I are trying for a baby and considering IVF, can acupuncture help? Yes, acupuncture is very effective in helping with this journey and some studies report that chances double when doing IVF and acupuncture together. To start with we focus on regulating your menstrual cycle and any other underlying health issues. The main objective here is that when you do fall pregnant, we want your body in optimum condition for a successful and healthy implantation. One of the main concepts with acupuncture is that we look to harmonise the body, increase qi and blood production and create ov ..read more

Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) is a routine option for oncology patients in China. As well as chemotherapy, surgery, radiation and so on, cancer patients will take the Chinese herbal medicine formulas prescribed by their Oncologists. These formulas are given to assist their treatments and to manage the side-effects of treatments, such as nausea, fatigue, diarrhoea, insomnia and urticaria (hives or rashes). There have been many research studies into the efficacy of CHM in supporting the treatment of cancer patients, and the results indicate that Jia Wei Xiao Yao San (加味逍遥散) is one of, if not ..read more

The First Acupuncture Consult In a modern world of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) we still apply the same ancient practice, but with slight modifications to allow for some changes in the way life was lived many thousands of years ago. In TCM we have four classical modes of enquiry: looking, listen/smell, asking and touching. So, what does this mean for a treatment at The Health Clinic. Generally speaking, the first consult we have a series of questions (ASKING) such as main complaint, sleep, diet, bowl motions, pain, menstrual cycle (if applicable), medications, desired outcomes, previo ..read more

I have been getting re-occurring headaches, my GP says its due to stress. Can acupuncture help with this? Headaches are horrible things, having once been a sufferer myself of migraines, I feel your pain. Again, without sounding bias, yes acupuncture is fantastic for treating headaches, migraines and/or cluster headaches (that’s how I have treated my own previous history of headaches). Tension headaches are the most common in the world with some reports saying that 2 in 3 people will/do suffer from tension headaches on a regular basis. In Chinese medicine we view headaches slightly different ..read more

I have chronic insomnia and nothing seems to work. Does acupuncture and Chinese medicine help with this condition? How common is insomnia? Insomnia is a worldwide issue and can affect 10-30% of the world’s population at any one time. In saying this, often people think they have ‘insomnia’ but there is potentially a underlying cause such as work/financial stress, depression, anxiety, excess in diet/social activities.  Insomnia can be varied in how it presents. How can we treat insomnia at The Health Clinic? Generally speaking, a person will sleep 7-8 hours per day, yet when this sleep i ..read more

What is cupping? Cupping is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) therapy used to treat ‘stagnation’ within the body. Stagnation happens with all kinds of muscle tension and strain, and in some people, stagnation is a part of their general condition or illness. The treatment involves placing glass cups that are heated with a flame onto the affected areas. As the air inside the cups cools, a vacuum is created which makes the skin rise. The suction flushes out the toxins and relaxes tight muscles. What happens in a cupping therapy session? Cupping therapy relieves tension, strain and s ..read more