Barrie: (705) 721 - 7979 maimedicalbarrie@gmail.com
Barrie: (705) 721 - 7979 maimedicalcentre@gmail.com
TRADITIONAL
CHINESE MEDICINE
Traditional Chinese Medicine in Barrie, Ontario
What is Traditional Chinese Medicine?
TCM has existed for thousands of years. In the last few decades, it has achieved increasing popularity in the West. Only now is modern medical science and research providing an understanding of what the ancients have known for generations.
TCM has a very different approach to medicine, and has five main guiding principles. Firstly, TCM is a holistic medicine, which takes into account all the factors that may influence the manifestation of a disease including your constitution, stress, lifestyle, diet, emotions, and even the season and weather. Secondly, TCM categorizes disease by syndromes, which consists of a group of predictable symptoms that often occur together. Different people with the same disease may have very different symptoms due to the fact that the disease is caused by different syndromes. Therefore, TCM focuses on treating the syndrome rather than the disease. Thirdly, since everyone may presenting symptoms differently, TCM individualizes every treatment according to how the person may feel at the time of the treatment. Since diseases evolve, the treatment will change accordingly. Fourthly, TCM focuses on treating the root of the problem, rather than just the symptoms. By treating the root, the symptoms will also be treated, and will be less likely to develop again. Lastly, TCM emphasizes the prevention of disease, rather than to treat the disease once it has developed. In order to prevent disease, TCM emphasizes the importance of exercise, eating what is right for your body, managing your emotions, and balancing work and rest.
What is Traditional Chinese Medicine Comprised Of?
Acupuncture
Acupuncture introduces very thin, sterile needles into specific acupuncture points to induce your body to heal itself. Disease is often caused by imbalances of the body, blockages of energy (or Qi) and blood, pathogenic factors, or even emotions. The needle sends information into the channels and collateral of your body to remove the obstructions, expel pathogens, regulate your emotions, strengthen your organs, regulate & re-balance your body and revitalize your Qi.
Chinese Herbal Medicine
Natural herbs are used to treat the body from the inside out. The properties of these herbal formulas have been recorded and passed down through generations. Modern science has demonstrated Chinese Herbal Medicine to be very beneficial in treating and preventing diseases. Formulations are often used in conjunction to acupuncture to enhance the therapeutic effects of various treatments.
Conditions Commonly Treated with Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine:
-
Musculo-Skeletal Pain Conditions including arthritis, back pain, joint pain, hip pain, shoulder pain, neck pain, wrist pain, and muscle aches.
-
Nervous System Conditions such as migraine headaches, neuralgia, insomnia, numbness, tingling, dizziness, loss of sensation, fatigue and chronic exhaustion
-
Pre and Post Surgical Support to yield faster recovery and reduce pain
-
Cancer Treatment Support to provide relief from the side-effects of radiation and chemotherapy treatments. Acupuncture and Chinese herbs can also help enhance immune system function during treatment.
-
Gastrointestinal Disorders, such as food allergies, peptic ulcer, chronic diarrhea, constipation, indigestion, nausea, gastrointestinal weakness, gastritis.
-
Relief from symptoms associated with Auto-immune Conditions such as MS, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Psoriatic Arthritis, Fibromyalgia, Raynaud’s disease, and Lupus
-
Uro-genital Disorders, including stress incontinence, urinary tract infections, frequent urination and sexual dysfunction.
-
Gynecological Disorders, such as irregular, heavy, or painful menstruation, menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats, premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
-
Reproductive Disorders, such as infertility and fertility in women and men.
-
Respiratory Disorders such as sinusitis, asthma, allergies and bronchitis.
-
Circulatory Disorders such as high blood pressure, heart palpitations, heart problems, heart attack
-
Emotional and Psychological Disorders, including depression, trauma recovery, fatigue, chronic exhaustion, stress and anxiety
-
Acupuncture for preventive medicine and addictions
-
Detox and Weight Loss
-
Cosmetic Acupuncture, Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture, Acupuncture Face-lift.
-
Natural Dermatology: Acne, Eczema, ….
Tongue Diagnosis
Tongue Diagnosis is a unique method of diagnosis in TCM. The tongue allows the practitioner to observe what’s happening internally. It is possible for a trained practitioner to use the tongue to predict some symptoms you may experience. However, it is mainly used to confirm the diagnosis of a disease.
According to TCM, the tongue is an important part of diagnosis since all the major organs of the body connect to the tongue, and any pathological changes that happen to the organ will in turn affect the tongue. When examining the tongue, the practitioner evaluates a few key characteristics, including the color and shape of the tongue body, and the color and thickness of the tongue coating. Abnormal color changes may indicate that the body is blood deficient, overheated, or has obstructions. The tongue coating tells us if there is pathogenic dampness or heat in the body, or if there is a deficiency of body fluids in your body.
Different parts of the tongue also correspond to specific organs. The tip of the tongue corresponds to the Lungs and Heart. The middle part corresponds to the Spleen and Stomach. The sides represent the Liver and Gall Bladder and the back corresponds to the Kidneys. Any changes in these areas tell us which organ is out of balance, and will guide the practitioner to the right diagnosis.
Pulse Diagnosis
Pulse diagnosis is another common diagnosis tool for practitioners of TCM. A trained practitioner can use only the pulse to determine the condition of your body, and can give a even more detailed information when used in conjunction with Tongue Diagnosis.
Practitioners will often use three fingers on each hand to take the pulse. The right hand tells us the condition of the energy of your body, and the left hand tells us the condition of your blood. Each finger also corresponds to a different organ of the body. On the right hand, the pulse of the Lung, Spleen, and the right Kidney can be felt. On the left hand, the pulse of the Heart, Liver and left Kidney can be felt. Any changes in these organs will be reflected in the pulse, which can be used to accurately diagnose which organ is responsible for the disease.
In each position, we examine at the strength, rate, regularity, width, level and any special characteristic flow of blood. The strength of the pulse tells us if the person is strong or weak, or if there is presence of a pathogen. The width of the pulse tells us if the person is blood deficient, body fluid deficient or has a weak constitution. The level of the pulse tells us whether the disease is internal or external (on the body surface). There are also special pulses that are indicative of specific conditions.