Chinese Medicine
Balancing Body, Mind and Spirit
At the heart of Chinese Medicine is the understanding that we are a reflection of Nature, a microcosm of the universe. The same rhythms, elements, and cycles that move through the natural world also move through us.
Health is the harmony between Yin and Yang, and the balance of the Five Elements: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. When this balance is disrupted by factors such as stress, emotions, diet, environment, or trauma, disharmony and symptoms arise.
Holistic Diagnosis
Chinese Medicine seeks to restore harmony by treating the root causes of imbalance, not only the symptoms. Through observation, listening, and palpation, patterns of imbalance are revealed.
Practitioners assess:
- Physical signs such as tongue, pulse, skin, nails, voice, hair, face, and shape of the body
- Digestion, sleep, energy, menstrual cycle, and emotions
- Palpation of the belly and wrist pulses, and the overall quality of Qi - the life force that animates the body
Treatment Therapies
Chinese Medicine uses a variety of therapies that support the body’s natural ability to heal:
Acupuncture
The gentle insertion of fine, sterile needles at specific points along meridians to regulate the flow of Qi and Blood. Acupuncture reduces pain, calms the nervous system, restores energetic balance and supports a wide range of conditions including pain, stress, immune, digestive, hormonal, and reproductive imbalances.
Herbal Medicine
Customized herbal formulas restore balance in specific organs, glands, and body systems. Herbs include the roots, leaves, and flowers of plants as well as minerals and various animal parts. Herbal formulations take the form of teas, tinctures, powders, pills, and syrups.
I prescribe both Chinese and Western herbal formulations, with organic, wildcrafted, and sustainably grown and harvested ingredients as often as possible.
Moxibustion
The warming of acupuncture points and channels with the herb mugwort to ease pain, support digestion, immunity, and reproductive health, and strengthen and stimulate the flow of Qi and Blood.
Cupping and Gua Sha
Both techniques improve circulation, release stagnation, and relieve muscular or energetic tension. Cupping uses suction of the skin and underlying muscle layers. Gua Sha uses smooth scraping tools to move stagnant Qi and detoxify tissues.
Tuina (Chinese Medical Massage) is a therapeutic bodywork modality using pressure, rolling, stretching, and manipulation to open meridians, move Qi, and relieve pain.
Medical Qi Gong is an energetic therapy using intention, visualization, sound, and movement to direct Qi for healing. I may also recommend specific Qi Gong exercises for home practice.
Dietetics - Food is medicine. Each food has energetic properties (warming, cooling, drying, moistening) that can harmonize or aggravate a condition.
The Wisdom of Integration
Chinese Medicine views the body as a living ecosystem - dynamic, intelligent, and interconnected. It offers tools not only for healing illness, but for cultivating vitality, emotional balance, and spiritual harmony.