Internal

Traditional Chinese Medicine believes the human body is a whole and all about internal balance (Yin and Yang). Besides the treatment of specific conditions, our centre specializes in symptoms management, preventive care as well as promoting general health and wellness of our patients. Some of the internal medicine areas our physicians practice include:

Gynaecological conditions
Constipation
Digestive system disorder
Asthma

At our clinic, we recommend Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture for patients with chronic internal diseases. Chinese herbs have been proven to be effective when it comes to treating internal damage. Therapies such as acupuncture are also used to balance the flow of energy and promote blood circulation. TCM treatments can help to offset the side effects of chemical treatments and alleviate swollen limbs, fatigue and anemia caused by kidney failure.

Gynaecological conditions

– Unexplained Dysmenorrhoea (painful periods)
– Irregular Period (Hormone Imbalance)
– Premenstrual Syndrome / Tension (PMT or PMS)
– Endometriosis
– Fibroids (also called leiomyomas, fibromyomas, or myomas)
– Perimenopause & Menopause
– Premature Menopause
– Vaginal Discharge & Itching
– Polycystic ovary syndrome(PCOS)
– Infertility

Overview
In the past, menstrual pain in women was often thought to be psychosomatic. We now understand that menstrual pain is real. It has been recognised that gynaecological diseases/disorders such as endometriosis, dysmenorrhoea, menorrhagia, and pelvic inflammatory diseases are not minor problems for women affected. They often affect women’s quality of life and even reduce their productivity in general. Those who suffer from it deserve appropriate medical consideration.

Treatment may include:
– Herbal Medicine
– Acupuncture + Saam Acupuncture
– King Moxibustion or Moxibustion
– Clinical Massage + Acupressure
– Cupping or Functional Cupping
– Electro Acupuncture or Laser Acupuncture or MPS Acupuncture or Ear Acupuncture
– Musculoskeletal Assessment + Stretching

Treatment of gynaecological conditions
In China, there is a long history of treating gynaecological disorders/conditions with TCM. In modern times, the integrated medical care of combining conventional western medicine with TCM has been safely provided by doctors as part of their routine medical practice in China and other Asian countries and part of the western world. Thousands of case reports showing the efficacy of TCM in the treatment of dysmenorrhoea and other symptoms/conditions associated with menstruation, polycystic ovarian syndromes, endometriosis, vaginal discharge, and many more. Recent scientific research studies have demonstrated that TCM including acupuncture and herbal medicine is effective in relieving some of the symptoms related to gynaecological disorders/conditions and may provide a safe and effective complementary or alternative to conventional medicine.According to traditional Chinese medicine theory and practice, women’s physiology originates in Blood, which is the foundation for the menstrual period, fertility, pregnancy, and childbirth. Kidney deficiency is the basis of many female disorders. The purpose of TCM gynecological therapy is to heat conditions, regulate and tonify Yin, Yang, Qi, and Blood, and clear stagnation.Therapy can consist of acupuncture, moxibustion, king moxibustion, Chinese herbal formula prescriptions tailored to the specific condition, supplements, diet modification, stress reduction, and exercise recommendations.
Chinese herbal medicine is an integral part of therapy. Chinese herbs are used to correct underlying imbalances and restore normal organ functions. TCM can reduce the pain many women experience during their cycle and stabilize mood swings.
In TCM, fertility and conception problems result from imbalances within the network of organs, hormones and energy systems of a woman’s body. This network responds to stress, chemicals, lack of exercise, poor diet, and excess emotions – all of which can put the body off balance. Among the reasons of infertility, one is when your body is cold. If you make your body warm and increase your body temperature through moxibustion, your chances of fertility will also increase.

Constipation

If an elderly’s constipation gets worse, they might even suffer from stroke or dementia. For children, constipation could affect their growth negatively.
While the old adage of “You are what you eat” represents how important the food we consume is for our health, how well our body disposes of the consumed food is also important for our general well-being.
Stool is the discharge of the undigested food usually eaten 24 to 48 hours beforehand, and typically consists of 70 percent water and 30 percent solid waste. Most adults have bowel movements once a day, but some have them less frequently and others may have one every two or three days. As long as the bowel movement is not discomforting, and there are no feelings of incomplete evacuation, the frequency can be deemed normal for that person. In contrast, even with regular bowel movements, if the person complains of difficulty in discharging and stomachache along with harder stool, the symptoms are indicative of constipation. Chinese Medicine divides constipation into two categories. The treatment differs according to the patient’s physical status of whether their stamina is in excess or in deficiency. Constipation in patients with deficient Qi and stamina are more likely when the Yin-Qi is lacking rather than the Yang. Yin-Qi is needed to keep the internal organs moist and wet, and when it is deficient, the stool becomes dry and hard. Chronic constipation is more common among senior patients as they tend to consume less and drink an insufficient amount of water while not exercising enough. Constipation in senior patients tends to fall in the deficient-stamina category, and it has to do with the Qi in the kidneys. Kidneys are where our body stores its energy and they are said to be in charge of all our bodily fluids.The kidneys’ Qi naturally weakens as we age, and especially if their Yin-Qi withers, the whole body becomes thinner, skin drier, and stools harder. Constipation occurring in patients with sufficient stamina is generally caused by excessive heat in the body that causes the intestines to become dry and the stools to become hard. The heat can be caused by what the patient ingests such as alcoholic beverages, fatty, spicy or hot foods, or it can be caused by stress and tension in the body that act as heat sources in the patient resulting in constipation. In order to treat constipation in the deficient category, Hanyak medicine is prescribed to boost the deficient Yin-Qi, warm up the body and supplement the kidneys’ Qi, especially for the senior patients, so that our body can recover moisture and shine. For constipation in the excess category, the prescription depends on the source of the heat. If the heat is caused by the consumed food, prescribed Hanyak brings down the heat in the stomach and intestines, and if the heat is caused by psychological issues, the heat accumulates in the chest and medicine is used accordingly to cool down the heat in the chest area.

Digestive System Disorder

Digestion problems can range from minor annoyances such as gas and bloating, constipation, diarrhoea, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and acid reflux, to life-threatening illnesses such as ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s Disease and various cancers that target digestive organs. Whatever the case, it is always worth being proactive about our digestive health.

One of Chinese medicine foundational principles is the emphasis that every individual is unique. Even if two people present with similar complaints, the cause of illness for one person almost certainly differs from that of the other. Therefore every person’s course of treatment must be individually-tailored to suit his/her particular needs. Digestive disorders usually respond best to a combination of three types of therapies.

Treatment may include:
– Herbal Medicine
– Acupuncture + Saam Acupuncture
– King Moxibustion or Moxibustion
– Clinical Massage + Acupressure
– Electro Acupuncture or Laser Acupuncture or MPS Acupuncture or Ear Acupuncture

Asthma

Asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which includes chronic asthma and bronchitis, or airway inflammation, are a spectrum of syndromes that include diseases of the lung which lead to a variety of symptoms, such as chest tightness, shortness of breath, dyspnea, wheezing and cough. Wheezing is type of breathing difficulty where the narrowed trachea and bronchioles produce a whistling, squeaking, puffing or musical sound as the air passes.

Asthma and Traditional Chinese Medicine

Since asthma and COPD involves much inherent anxiety, generated by the alarming symptoms, the treatment plan may proceed slowly, and often the initial therapy in TCM helps provide increased calm and ability to cope with, and adapt to, various types of stress, both physical, mental, and emotional. The adoption of a more holistic and proactive approach to these diseases and symptoms helps the patient achieve a better quality of life and sense of security.

Abdominal Pain

Abdominal pain is caused by inflammation of an organ (for example, appendicitis, diverticulitis, colitis), by stretching or distention of an organ (for example, obstruction of the intestine, blockage of a bile duct by gallstones, swelling of the liver with hepatitis), or by loss of the supply of blood to an organ (for example, ischemic colitis).

To complicate matters, however, abdominal pain also can occur without inflammation, distention or loss of blood supply. An important example of the latter is the irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). It is not clear what causes the belly pain in IBS, but it is believed to be due either to abnormal contractions of the intestinal muscles (for example, spasm) or abnormally sensitive nerves within the intestines that give rise to painful sensations inappropriately (visceral hyper-sensitivity). This often is referred to as functional pain because no recognizable specific abnormality to account for the cause of the pain has been found – at least not yet.

Whether you’ve got a mild stomachache, sharp pain, or cramps, abdominal pain can have many causes. For instance, you might have indigestion, constipation, a stomach virus, or, if you’re a woman, menstrual cramps.

Other possible causes include:

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
Crohn’s disease
Food poisoning
Food allergies
Gas

You may also get abdominal pain if you’re lactose intolerant or have ulcers or pelvic inflammatory disease. Some other causes include:

Hernia
Gallstones
Kidney stones
Endometriosis
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
Appendicitis

In Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM) Exogenous pathogenic Cold, Heat, Damp-Cold or Damp-Heat are the most common factors causing abdominal pain. Cold has a contracting nature and obstructs the channels, collateral, muscles and the Zang-Fu organs, slows down the Qi and Blood circulation, and so causes pain. Heat has a burning and consuming nature, and has an upward-moving tendency. It can consume and concentrate the Blood and Yin, so it slows the circulation of Blood, resulting in its stagnation and the accumulation of water or Phlegm. Heat or Fire may disturb the normal movement of both Qi and Blood, causing stagnation of Qi and Blood. Once this occurs, it may cause pain due to channel obstruction. Damp is a substantial pathogenic factor of the Yin type, and has a heavy and sticky nature. It may combine with Cold or Heat to obstruct the Qi and Blood circulation^ causing pain.

Generally speaking, all these pathogenic factors invade the superficial parts of the body, for instance because of abrupt changes of season. When the weather changes too quickly, people who do not take proper care to wear the correct clothing, or who have a weak constitution or are chronically sick, stressed or fatigued, are particularly vulnerable to attack by these Exogenous pathogenic factors. Invasion of Exogenous pathogenic factors may also be caused by bad eating habits.