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Learn about the different ways KAI uses Traditional Chinese Medicine to treat patients.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a sophisticated medical practice that enhances the body’s inherent healing capabilities. Ancient Physicians discovered a system of specific energetic pathways in the human body. Acupuncture points are located along these pathways, and each point has a predictable effect upon the vital energy passing through it. Modern science has been able to measure the electrical charges at these points, thus corroborating the locations of the meridians mapped by the ancients. Disease is considered to arise because of deficiency or imbalance of vital energy resulting from such factors as trauma, stress, diet, pathogenic factors, and genetic tendencies. Acupuncture disrupts the pattern of deficiency or imbalance and enhances the body’s own natural ability to heal. Acupuncture is incredibly effective at enhancing blood flow, reducing inflammation and pain, relieving stress, and returning the body to balanced good health.
Cupping
Cupping, also known as myofascial decompression, is a traditional medical technique. Cupping works to alleviate pain and tightness, improve range of motion, and aids in detoxification. Glass cups and a flame or silicone cups and pump are used to create suction on the skin. This increases blood flow and manually breaks up fascial (connective tissue) adhesions. By creating more space between muscle, fascia, and bone, we improve range of motion and reduce pain and discomfort. Old stagnant blood is flushed out of the tissue and fresh new blood infuses the area to promote faster recovery and healing. The cups often leave purple or red marks that can indicate areas of poor circulation and blood stagnation. These marks will fade within 1-5 days.
Gua Sha
Gua Sha is an East Asian medicine technique that involves scraping the skin with a smooth-edged tool to improve circulation, relieve muscle tension, and treat internal diseases. In addition to its therapeutic benefits, gua sha can also be used as a diagnostic tool to identify the underlying cause of a patient's symptoms. The benefits of Gua Sha are numerous. It moves stuck blood, promoting normal circulation to the muscles, tissues, and organs directly beneath the surface treated. The patient experiences immediate changes in stiffness, pain and mobility. Normal metabolic processes are restored by the movement of fluids as nutrients are carried to the tissues and metabolic wastes are carried away. Because Gua Sha mimics sweating, it has the ability to resolve fever.
E-Stim
Electroacupuncture/Electric Stimulation/E-Stim, all refer to the same technique which involves attaching metal wires to acupuncture needles and running a current through the needles to stimulate the acupoints. E-Stim is effective in addressing certain conditions such as arthritis and other chronic pain conditions, multiple sclerosis, muscle atrophy, bell’s palsy, traumas to the musculoskeletal system, addition, depression, and many more. It can also be used to accelerate tissue healing in the case of wounds, ulcers, and the like.
Herbal Medicine
Herbal medicine has been the foundation of Chinese medicine for thousands of years and is still practiced extensively throughout China in modern clinics and hospitals. Chinese herbal medicine is the primary therapy used for internal medicine complaints, such as digestive problems, respiratory problems, menstrual issues, and insomnia and it allows for a profound impact on health with minimal side effects.
Moxibustion
Moxibustion is a traditional Chinese medicine therapy technique involving the burning of mugwort (artemesia), known as moxa. The purpose of moxibustion is to stimulate the flow of Qi (pronounced chee), strengthen the blood and maintain general health. Moxibustion can provide many benefits because it generates heat. The first advantage of moxibustion is that it can increase a person's temperature. People with autoimmune illnesses, weak immune systems, and blood circulation issues are typically chilly. The warming properties of moxa make it a brilliant therapy for these illnesses. Moxa is also used in treating in musculo-skeletal, joint and other injuries that produce pain and discomfort. This pleasant heating sensation penetrates the skin, which increases blood flow, and can allow oxygen to flow more readily to the tissues, muscles, and tendons that are particularly affected.
Nutrition
At the heart of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) lies the profound connection between nutrition and one's overall vitality. TCM nutrition principles revolve around the energetic nature of foods, viewing them not just as sources of sustenance but as carriers of specific energies that can influence the body's internal balance. This system categorizes foods based on their energetic qualities, such as warming or cooling, and their interactions with the body's meridian systems. Understanding the energetic nature of foods in TCM provides a unique perspective on how diet can contribute to harmony and equilibrium within the body, promoting health and preventing illness.