Getting to the root of the problem

Written by Staff Reporter

Wednesday, 01 July 2009

Traditional Chinese therapies can get to the root of problems that Western medicine can only treat at a symptomatic level, Ancient Herbs and Acupuncture Manager Bruce Liu tells Hilary Martyn

While most of us live busy and stressful lives, few of us look after our physical wellbeing until our health actually deteriorates.

However, Ancient Herbs and Acupuncture Manager, Bruce Liu says that people who pop pills to deal with pain, rather than focusing on the underlying cause(s) of their symptoms, could actually be further damaging their health.

Liu says that while Western medicine is very effective for acute problems and major injuries, Chinese medicine is very effective in the treatment of chronic diseases.

"A lot of people in this country take painkillers or antibiotics long-term but it"s very negative for the health. It just eases the symptoms but it never deals with the root cause of the problem."

Ancient Herbs and Acupuncture, which has just opened opposite University College Hospital, specialises in a range of traditional Chinese therapies, including acupuncture.

The clinic's mission is to understand how illness is created and to give attention to the spiritual component of good health. Its acupuncturists understand the importance of preventing illness and maintaining vitality and wellbeing. They also believe that each patient is unique, and that everyone who enters the clinic is not seen as ill but as a person, with their own unique characteristics.

Traditional Chinese acupuncture, rather than the Western style acupuncture commonly practised in other clinics, according to Liu, offers better relief to clients, as it treats both the physical symptoms and the underlying problem.

As well as needling to deal with what he calls the "root cause" of the problem, the clinic's acupuncture treatment involves massage to deal with the external symptoms and hot cupping to treat both the external and internal.

"Hot cupping can expel all dampness and coldness from the body and it can relax the spasm," he says. Liu says that the acupuncture offered at the clinic can be especially beneficial to people suffering from arthritis – both rheumatoid and osteo – who are suffering from severe pain and stiffness, and those suffering with various muscular complaints, including frozen shoulder, tennis elbow etc. The clinic also offers reflexology, which also goes beyond the commonly offered treatment, he says.

Reflexology is used as a therapeutic treatment for a full range of conditions, including back pain, sports injuries, migraines and arthritis. It is also said to be effective in treating infertility, digestive disorders, hormonal imbalances and sleep disorders and a range of stress related conditions.

At Ancient Herbs and Acupuncture, reflexology starts with the patient bathing their feet for ten minutes in a herbal tea, which, Liu says, speeds up circulation.

"A lot of woman in this country stand long term. They have a lot of water retention in the legs and they feel really heavy and tired. This herbal remedy speeds up circulation," he says.

The foot massage then takes place, touching on the various acu-points, irrespective of what the patient is presenting with. Reflexology, Liu says, can also be offered as a diagnostic tool to ascertain a client's physical condition.

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