Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture

What is Traditional Chinese Medicine?

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a practice that’s evolved over thousands of years. TCM takes your entire wellbeing into account, whereas Western medicine is often focused on strictly treating the disease.

There are two central ideas at the root of TCM.

  1. Qi: The belief that a vital energy runs throughout your body, constantly moving and changing. During TCM appointments, your body’s Qi will often be addressed in order to maintain a healthy energy flow.

  2. Yin and Yang: Yin (meaning dark) and Yang (meaning light) are the two components of your Qi. They are opposites and they require balance. If your Yin and Yang are not in balance, you cannot achieve harmony in your body. TCM will help rebalance your Yin and Yang, and ultimately, heal your Qi.

What is Acupuncture?

Acupuncture is the insertion of needles into the skin providing relief from pain and discomfort. Acupuncture can be provided on its own by a Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner or as part of a broader treatment.

The needles stimulate the muscles and nervous system and can aid in the treatment of chronic pain, lower back pain, joint pain, osteoarthritis as well as aid in migraine relief and rheumatoid arthritis.

What is Tuina?

As one of the main branches of Traditional Chinese Medicine, a Tuina massage seeks to correct the flow of Qi in the body and aid in healing.

It works along the same principles as acupuncture but instead of using needles the practitioner uses their finger tips to apply pressure to specific acupoints in the body. This removes energetic blocks that prevent healing and promote a healthy body.

Our TCM practitioners

Yuanhua Liu, PhD, MS, MD(TCM), R. TCMP, R. Ac

Yuanhua Liu received his Bachelor of Medicine from Hubei University of Chinese Medicine; his Masters and Ph.D. from Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese medicine. He was an Associate Professor at Chengdu University of TCM, and an associate Chief Physician in the field of acupuncture and Tuina therapy at Sichuan Provincial Hospital of TCM.

He offers TCM herbal therapy and acupuncture, tuina therapy (Chinese style massage), acupressure, cupping, and more.