1) Chinese Internal Medication
Traditional Chinese medicine relies on the four diagnostic methods to understand the body constitution and thereby administer treatment. In particular, the unique art of tongue diagnosis and pulse taking is key to allow the physician to know the internal functioning of the essential organs. By gathering clues about the body, TCM internal medicine involves combinations of Chinese herbs and materials to provide personalised treatment to individuals. The Public Free Clinic uses dosage forms which are convenient for daily use including the use of powder, granules, pills, tablets or capsules.
2) TCM Acupuncture
Acupuncture and moxibustion are both a crucial part of Chinese medicine to treat ailments. It is a form of therapy that treats "the internal from the external". It treats systemic diseases through the action of meridians and acupoints with applying specific techniques to treat ailments of the whole body.
Acupuncture is to insert acupuncture points on the human body with slender needles, and through specific manipulation of the needles at the acupuncture site to produce the effect of curing diseases. Moxibustion uses kneaded moxa (processed wormwood) in small balls or long sticks as a medium. The kneaded moxa is ignited to generate heat and is placed on (or close to) certain fixed parts of the human body surface, to achieve the purpose of curing diseases.
Clinically, the Chinese physician will diagnose the cause and nature of the disease, and which meridian and viscera the disease belongs to according to the Chinese medicine principle. Based on the diagnosis, the corresponding acupuncture points are selected for treatment. The treatment will unblock meridians, regulate qi and blood, balance Yin and Yang, thereby harmonizing viscera functions to achieve the purpose of preventing and curing diseases.
3) TCM Cupping
Cupping is a common technique used in traditional Chinese medicine, with fire cupping as a key distinguishing feature among other cupping methods. Fire cupping uses the heat from the fire to produce negative pressure within a glass cup to allow it to adhere to the skin. Subsequently, the skin will develop warmth, redness and even bruising. It is used in many situations mainly to remove dampness and cold in the body thus bringing about better circulation of qi and blood, as well as relieving tension in the body.
4) TCM Massage
Chinese physician uses his hands to apply specific tuina techniques on the body's meridians and acupuncture points during treatment. Tuina is a non-medicinal, natural, and physical form of therapy. Usually, the physician will use his hands to work on the patient's area of discomfort, or at specific acupuncture points with tuina techniques to unblock the meridians, improve the flow of qi and blood, heal and reduce pain, eliminate diseases and strengthen the body, balance the yin and yang.
5) Chinese Medicine Scraping
Gua Sha is a method of using a scraping board dipped in scraping oil to repeatedly scrape and rub the skin of a patient to treat diseases. The Gua Sha board is used to scrape on meridians and acupoints. Through gentle stimulation, the "yinwei" energy that guards the body is activated to improve circulation at the meridians and acupoints. This helps to remove toxins, clear blockages along the meridians, relax the tendons and regulate the qi, expel wind and dispel cold, clear away heat and remove dampness, promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis, reduce swelling and relieve pain, in order to enhance the body's immunity against diseases, so as to achieve the effects of strengthening the body, preventing and curing diseases.
6) Infra-red
Infrared therapy is a modern technique used in traditional Chinese medicine using an infrared lamp. It uses the penetrative effect of long range infrared radiation to cause the body to warm, thereby achieving good flow of qi and blood in the area being irradiated. The therapy is commonly used to treat symptoms of pain, poor circulation and coldness due to deficiency, and it is often used in conjunction with acupuncture, simulating the warming effect of traditional moxibustion.