Pain is one of the most common complaints. It signals danger and alerts us that something needs to be done immediately to avoid damage.
Pain is a subjective first-person experience. Everybody’s perception and tolerance of pain are different. However, acute or chronic pain can all have many negative consequences. It affects sleep quality, emotional health, libido, and overall quality of life. Most chronic pain worsens over time, and eventually weighs on the body, not to mention all the medical expenses and reduction in productivity.
At Great Wall TCM clinic, our TCM Physicians and Therapists employ a number of safe and effective methods that are designed to deliver pain relief. These treatments are backed by centuries of proven results in the form of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Our TCM Pain Management Treatments can be customized to meet the needs and preferences of our patients. Continue reading to find out more.
How do we treat pain?
Throughout the years, our TCM Physicians & therapists have earned a good reputation in performing effective TCM Pain Management treatments. The protocols our TCM Clinic adopt are as follow :
- Chinese herbal medicine (ZhongCaoYao 中草药): Prescribed according to the patient’s natural constitution. Many herbs with Qi-mobilizing properties are also used for TCM pain management , analgesics, such as Corydalis (YanHuSuo), Salvia miltiorrhiza (DanShen) and Panax pseudoginseng (ChuanQi), as well as formulas like DangGuiNianTongTang, ShengTongZuYuTang, DuHuoJiShengTang and etc.
- TCM Tuina (TCM Massage推拿): TCM Tuina (TCM Massage) is a non-invasive form of TCM Pain Management Treatment that works directly on the problem area. TCM Tuina (TCM Massage) is especially efficacious in the treatment of muscle-related injuries or pains when used in combination with Skin Scraping (Gua Sha) and TCM Cupping Therapy; in fact, one can hardly avoid TCM Tuina (TCM Massage) as a treatment option when it comes to such problems.
- TCM Cupping Therapy (BaGuan 拔罐): TCM Cupping Therapy is an ancient Chinese form of alternative medicine in which a local suction is created on the skin. TCM Cupping Therapy is commonly used together with TCM Tuina (TCM Massage) and Skin Scraping (Gua Sha) for TCM Pain Management purposes. TCM Physicians believe that TCM Cupping Therapy is an effective form of TCM Pain Management Treatment as it mobilizes blood flow in order to promote healing. TCM Cupping Therapy is being used by Olympic athletes such as Michael Phelps. TCM Cupping Therapy can be used to treat various forms of pain Eg. Backache, Stiff Neck &, etc. TCM Cupping Therapy also is used on the back, neck, shoulder, and other musculoskeletal conditions.
- Acupuncture (ZhenJiu 针灸): Acupuncture needles can reach deeply to the core of pain, and stimulate the brain to release endorphins that alleviate pain. Using TCM pain management techniques that combine local and distant acupoints can provide effective pain relief. In case of a backache, our TCM physician may place a needle at the site of pain and at Wei Zhong (委中) acupoint in popliteal space (behind the knee)
- Skin Scraping (GuaSha 刮痧): Skin Scraping (Gua Sha) is a TCM pain management approach that’s usually used in combination with TCM Tuina (TCM Massage) and TCM Cupping Therapy to provide pain relief. Skin Scraping (Gua Sha) is a safe, painless, and effective way to treat aches, tenderness and/or a knotty feeling in the muscles. Palpation reveals Sha when normal finger pressure on a patient’s skin causes blanching that will fade away in a few days. In addition to resolving musculoskeletal pain, Skin Scraping (Gua Sha) can be used to treat any chronic disorder involving pain, congestion of Qi, and Blood.