Qi in Motion Acupuncture

Traditional Chinese Medicine

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) includes the practice of acupuncture, moxibustion (the burning of the herb mugwort to tonify acupuncture needles, or used alone to warm acupuncture points), massage, herbal therapy, and qi gong. All of these modalities are employed to improve the flow of qi (pronounced "chee") through 12 primary and eight accessory channels known as meridians. Qi is thought to be the vital force that circulates throughout the meridians to protect, nourish, and animate living beings. Although TCM treatments are used to mend disease states, the central purpose, or higher wisdom, is to maintain the body's order and balance by preserving the conditions within which life thrives. Disease states are thought to result from internal and external causes that disturb balance, such as that between yin and yang. Treatment is aimed at correcting the imbalance through disbursement or replenishment of the disrupted element within the body.
TCM practice is based on thousands of years of practice and recorded case histories, or "wisdom that has stood the test of time." Due to historic religious, cultural and philosophical constraints in China, TCM practices have historically not been experimental based.

ACUPUNCTURE
-constitutional acupuncture
-electroacupuncture
-ear acupuncture
-laser acupuncture
-scalp acupuncture
Acupoints are specific places where acupuncture and moxibustion are applied for the treatment of disease, and their location and therapeutic indication form the basis of practical treatment in the clinic.

MOXIBUSTION
Moxibustion is a therapeutic method which treats and prevents disease by applying the stimulation of warmth and heat to the acupoints and the meridians. Artemisia vulgaris is the most common in use in the clinic.

CUPPING
Cupping is a therapy in which a glass cup is attached to the skin surface, causing local congestion through the negative pressure created by introducing heat in the form of ignited material, with the aim of treating disease. Cupping is often use together with acupuncture, as its functions similarly to moxibustion.

GUA SHA
Gua Sha involves repeated pressured strokes over lubricated skin with a smooth edge. Commonly a ceramic Chinese soup spoon was used, or a well worn coin, even honed animal bones, water buffalo horn, or jade. In classical Chinese practice, the Gua Sha technique is most commonly used to treat:
• Fever
• Fatigue caused by exposure to heat or cold
• Cough and dyspnea: bronchitis, asthma, emphysema
• Muscle and tendon injuries
• Fibromyalgia.
• Headache
• Stiffness, pain, immobility

QI GONG
Qigong is an ancient Chinese health care system that integrates physical postures, breathing techniques and focused intention. Qigong (Chi Kung) means cultivating energy, it is a system practiced for health maintenance, healing and increasing vitality. Like any other system of health care, Qigong is not a panacea, but it is certainly a highly effective health care practice. Many health care professionals recommend Qigong as an important form of alternative complementary medicine. The gentle, rhythmic movements of Qigong reduce stress, build stamina, increase vitality, and enhance the immune system. It has also been found to improve cardiovascular, respiratory, circulatory, lymphatic and digestive functions. One of the more important long-term effects is that Qigong reestablishes the body/mind/soul connection.

TUI NA MASSAGE
Tui Na is a hands-on-body treatment using acupressure that is a part of Chinese medicine whose purpose is to bring the body into balance. Tui Na is one of the external methods, especially suitable for use on the elderly population and on infants. Today it is subdivided into specialized treatment for infants, adults, orthopedics, traumatology, cosmetology, rehabilitation and sports medicine. Tui Na has fewer side effects than modern drug-based and chemical-based treatments. It is used to treat or complement the treatment of many conditions; musculo-skeletal disorders and chronic stress-related disorders of the digestive, respiratory, and reproductive systems. In a typical Tui Na session, the patient wears loose clothing and lies on a massage table or floor pad. After answering some brief questions about the nature and location of the health problem as well as basic questions about general health, allergies and other existing conditions, the practitioner will concentrate on specific acupressure points, energy trigger points, muscles and joints surrounding the affected area. Treatment sessions last from 15 minutes to over an hour.