TCM Perspective: Obtaining and Maintaining a Healthy Weight
New year, new you! How many of us, among other new year’s resolutions, intend to lose weight and maintain a healthy figure in 2016? Weight loss and maintenance are top concerns for many people but often, information overload and misconceptions make it hard to keep track of what to do to achieve such goals. Have you heard of globesity? Globesity is a new word created to emphasize the phenomenon of increasing...
TCM Treatments Series: Moxibustion
Moxibustion is a complementary therapy to acupuncture. The moxa used in this treatment is made with dried mugwort (艾叶) and this is burned to heat up areas along acupuncture points. In Chinese, this treatment is called jiǔ ( 灸) or jiǔshù ( 灸術). The most commonly practiced form of moxibustion today is indirect moxibustion, in which a moxa stick (or moxi cigar) is held near the acupoint or placed on...
TCM Treatments Series: Cupping
Cupping is a complementary therapy to acupuncture. Expats not familiar with cupping may wonder about the round, uniform marks they sometimes see on people who’ve received cupping treatment. Cupping is an ancient treatment used in many cultures around the world. Though it’s becoming more common in acupuncture practices in the west, it is still unfamiliar to many people. How Cupping Works Cups (most commonly made of glass) with negative pressure (created with...
TCM Treatments Series: Acupuncture
In our TCM (Tranditional Chinese Medicine)series, we'll be sharing insight into some of the major TCM treatments and answering frequently asked questions about them. One TCM method to cure diseases and restore balance is acupuncture. TCM Philosophy TCM believes a healthy body and mind is achieved through a free flow of vital energy (Qi) throughout the body. In TCM, the organs are interconnected and work together. An imbalance in one organ leads...
FAQs about Craniosacral Therapy for Babies and Children
I’ve previously shared an introduction to craniosacral therapy (CST) and an overview of how the birth process affects babies. Here are answers to some of the most common questions about the beneficial process of CST for infants and children. What sort of birth related and childhood conditions do Craniosacral Therapists treat? Craniosacral therapists do not focus on specific conditions, but on the underlying health of the body as expressed by the cranial...
The Trauma of Birth from an Osteopathic Perspective
How can birth be traumatic? Birth is indeed a normal part of the cycle of life. Yet birth is certainly capable of becoming our very first trauma. This trauma may be extreme, producing obvious injury. However, even when a normal birth appears to be completely trauma free, the pressures applied to the infant’s cranium can still cause some problems. The tiny infant is extremely resilient, able to withstand tremendous pressures as...
Introduction to Craniosacral Therapy for Babies and Children
Craniosacral therapy (CST) is a branch of osteopathic cranial work, popularized by John Upledger D.O.. The cranial concept was first developed by an osteopath called William Garner Sutherland in the early 20th century. Since Sutherland, there have been many practitioners like Upledger who have further developed the theory and other branches of the practice. Cranial work uses the osteopathic principles of the application of anatomy and physiology in order to correct...
Chiropractic Care in Shanghai
Craniosacral therapy (CST) is a branch of osteopathic cranial work, popularized by John Upledger D.O.. The cranial concept was first developed by an osteopath called William Garner Sutherland in the early 20th century. Since Sutherland, there have been many practitioners like Upledger who have further developed the theory and other branches of the practice. Who needs a chiropractor? A typical patient of mine works 10 hours/day and may sit in a car...
Gaofang: Keep Your Body Strong This Winter
In our last article, we discussed winter health and tips for helping the body adjust to the seasons. TCM does a great job addressing winter health and treating seasonal illnesses, due to its focus on strengthening the body to live in harmony with nature. Common winter ailments like colds and coughing can be effectively treated with herbal decoctions and acupuncture. Today, we’ll share how an ancient Chinese tonic can improve...
In Sync with the Seasons: Winter Health
In TCM, winter is related to the water element and associated with the organs kidney and bladder. The kidneys are the source of the kidney Qi which is composed of the prenatal Qi (stored in the kidneys) and the postnatal Qi (stored in the spleen). The prenatal Qi is given at birth by our parents. It is responsible for the renewal and regeneration of cells and tissue. It is said...