About Chinese Medicine

Create a state of balance

Improve your well-being

Practiced for 3,000-5,000 years, Chinese medicine is a holistic approach to health that is being embraced across the globe. Many of its methods complement western practices and we employ the strengths of both.

What are the benefits of Chinese Medicine?

Lower risk

Chinese medicine doesn’t use pharmaceuticals and provides an alternative to surgery, medications and drugs

Holistic approach

Chinese medicine views the body as an interconnected network and looks deeper for root causes

More than a diagnosis

Instead of treating you as an isolated condition, Chinese medicine treats you as an individual and unique person

Chinese Philosophy

Qi and meridians

Qi (pronounced chi) represents the essential energy necessary for life that is present throughout the universe. Qi travels through the human body through meridians or Jing Luo, which regulate the functioning of our organs and systems. Meridians are similar to the circulatory system but are non-visible.

When these pathways are not functioning properly, due to illness, poor diet, or emotional stress, the flow of qi can weaken or become blocked. The blockages may then lead to malfunctioning organs, which in turn leads to further illness. By maintaining these energy pathways through acupuncture or Chinese herbal medicine, we aim to restore the body to a state of balance and promote healing.

Yin and yang

In Chinese philosophy, yin and yang represent all forces that are opposite yet dependent and intertwined within one another. Yin embodies cold, femininity, darkness, and passivity, while yang embodies heat, masculinity, light, and movement.

This can be applied to the human body’s need for homeostasis or balance. If we become too hot, we will sweat, thus returning to a state of harmony between yin and yang. Illnesses can also be seen as an imbalance, such as fatigue being a lack of yang. Your practitioner may recommend foods that are hot/warm (ginger, onion, oranges) or cold/cool (kale, watermelon, lettuce), perform acupuncture, or prescribe appropriate Chinese herbal medicine to return balance.

The five elements

In Chinese philosophy water, fire, earth, metal, and wood symbolise the five elements that make up the universe, each with a specific set of characteristics. Our bodies cycle through these elements and each gives way to the next. This creates balance, but dysfunction can occur when one becomes too prevalent.

The elements also each connect to an organ system, such as wood relating to the liver. If there is an issue within the liver, symptoms pertaining to wood such as repression, anger, pain in the ribs, or a bitter mouth can be seen and therefore diagnosed. Your practitioner can then use acupuncture or Chinese herbal medicine to rebalance the elemental cycle.

Heaven, human and earth relationship

All factors in the universe such as planets and solar systems move in cycles that create energy. Cycles such as the four seasons dictate growth, decline, death, and rebirth, and the energy they create plays a significant role in our lives. This can be seen in the natural tendencies of sleep and hibernation in winter, rebirth in spring, increased activity in summer, and nourishment in autumn.

However, humanity has learned to live outside these patterns, which can negatively affect our internal cycles, such as sleep, hormones, and energy. Your practitioner may recommend acupuncture or Chinese herbal medicine to realign these cycles.