TCM is a time honored, holistic and natural healing system developed over the last 5000 years. It places great emphasis on illness cure, prevention and rejuvenation. It cures disease by tapping into our bodies’ self-healing power. Acupuncture and herbal medicine therapy are the two main components of TCM. It sometimes calls for Tuina (Chinese massage) and forms of meditative, low impact martial arts; such as Tai Chi and Qi Gong.
The concept of balance in yin and yang is the principal philosophy of TCM.
Yin means darkness. In darkness, life comes to a rest, a motionless state when body quietly rejuvenates with the nourishment it receives. In health science, yin analogs a decrease in physiological and motor functions for the preservation of energy, organ repair, absorption and storage of nutrition. On the other hand, excessive yin is like a pond in the shade, where dampness and coldness prevail. Excessive inactivity leads to decrease in energy production and accumulation of pathological wastes; such as phlegm, mucous, fluid and fat.
Yang means the sun. In the brightness of the sun, people engage in activities, constantly using and producing energy to meet the challenge from both the modern society and natural existing pathogens. In health science, yang analogs an increase in physiological and motor functions, which breaks down the material components of our bodies to fuel these activities. Overabundance of yang is like a fire in the wilderness, which burns down all the lives. Excessive activity would exhaust our bodies’ resources which includes the material components, nourishment and fluid.
Only through the quest for balance in yin and yang can we reach the state of optimal health. It is a state with balance in anabolism (building up) and catabolism (breaking down), a mind with balance in aimlessness and purposefulness and a life with balance in rest and activity.
Our mission is to help people lead a healthy life style, to regain their self-healing potential, and to rediscover the healing remedies our Mother Nature has given us for generations before. By achieving this, we, as a society will not have to rely solely on the expensive chemicals and surgeries. We will have more affordable health care which integrates natural healing with modern medical science.
The concept of balance in yin and yang is the principal philosophy of TCM.
Yin means darkness. In darkness, life comes to a rest, a motionless state when body quietly rejuvenates with the nourishment it receives. In health science, yin analogs a decrease in physiological and motor functions for the preservation of energy, organ repair, absorption and storage of nutrition. On the other hand, excessive yin is like a pond in the shade, where dampness and coldness prevail. Excessive inactivity leads to decrease in energy production and accumulation of pathological wastes; such as phlegm, mucous, fluid and fat.
Yang means the sun. In the brightness of the sun, people engage in activities, constantly using and producing energy to meet the challenge from both the modern society and natural existing pathogens. In health science, yang analogs an increase in physiological and motor functions, which breaks down the material components of our bodies to fuel these activities. Overabundance of yang is like a fire in the wilderness, which burns down all the lives. Excessive activity would exhaust our bodies’ resources which includes the material components, nourishment and fluid.
Only through the quest for balance in yin and yang can we reach the state of optimal health. It is a state with balance in anabolism (building up) and catabolism (breaking down), a mind with balance in aimlessness and purposefulness and a life with balance in rest and activity.
Our mission is to help people lead a healthy life style, to regain their self-healing potential, and to rediscover the healing remedies our Mother Nature has given us for generations before. By achieving this, we, as a society will not have to rely solely on the expensive chemicals and surgeries. We will have more affordable health care which integrates natural healing with modern medical science.
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ABOUT TRADITIONAL HERBAL MEDICINE
Introduction
It is generally accepted that Africa is the cradle of mankind and the use of herbs is as old as mankind itself. African herbal medicine is the oldest; most tried and tested form of medicine known to mankind. In a sense it is degrading to refer to it as an “alternative”, since herbs form the basis of all medicine. Conventional drugs, homeopathic medicine, Chinese medicines all owe their existence to African herbal medicines and herbs.
In contrast with western medicine, which is analytically based and emphasizes the treatment of symptoms rather than the cure of the underlying causes, African herbal medicine takes a holistic approach to health. It is a discipline involving the extensive use of herbs combined with aspects of a patient’s psychological health. The skills and botanical knowledge of African Traditional Medical Practitioners on plants, their ecology and properties are invaluable.
Healers use plants in a variety of ways; whole or in part as teas, infusions, applied directly to wounds and cuts or prepared as powders for use as snuff or as smoke. Within plants, lies the power to heal, nourish, sustain and transform. It is power granted to whoever wishes to draw from it. It is within these African plants that the secrets for health and wellness prevail.
Not only has Nature blessed Southern Africa with a generous richness of flora, but also with the expertise on their uses. Over 30 000 species grace this diverse landscape. Ethno-botany is beginning to reveal the healing secrets and nutritional value of Africa’s plants.
Why has the conventional medical profession not embraced traditional herbs in the same way it has drugs? The answer has to do with money, power and teaching methods. Conventional medicine exercises its domination by rejecting other medicinal practices as “unscientific and/or untested”. It enforces its will through institutions, which, against popular will and opinion, disallow other medicinal methods and products.
Herbal medicine has been used by all cultures for centuries and is still the main form of medical treatment among 80% of the world’s population (statistics from WHO). Many of today’s drugs (e.g., quinine, reserpine, ephedrine, ipecac, etc) come directly from plants while most synthetic drugs are based on chemicals extracted from herbs.
African medicinal plants have been well documented and scientifically tested for tuberculosis, malaria, cancer and other ailments. It is time that we turn to these medicines, which are affordable, non-toxic, effective, natural and South African’s cultural right. It is time to move away from old attitudes and embrace a new way thinking that respects and reveres our human heritage and knowledge. African herbal medicines form an integral part of our past, present and future. It offers real solutions and progress.
The Case for Traditional Herbal Medicine.
The western scientific community can only verify in laboratory conditions claims made by Traditional Doctors. In turn, the Traditional Doctor can teach Western scientist the properties of medicinal plants, the different species, the synergy between these plants and possible side effects. With respect to African medicinal plants, the Traditional Doctor has more to offer the world than western scientists.
Pharmaceuticals
Scientists worldwide are looking for “new cures” in collaboration with traditional healers. The reality is that these so called “new cures” have existed for generations and may be a new discovery to western scientists but they have always been a part of traditional culture, knowledge and are therefore our national right and asset.
Taking an active out of a plant is like listening to a lone cord from an instrument within an orchestra; more often than not, it makes no sense and is totally misleading with regard to the whole symphony.
Against popular will, pharmaceuticals have in the past tried to ban herbal and traditional medicine. Any data other than clinical trials is considered as unreliable claims, so-called ethno-botanical and anecdotal data. What is omitted is the fact that it is often through anecdotal and ethno-botanical data that pharmaceuticals research and formulate their products. Furthermore, the truth about these clinical trials and the side effect that drugs cause is often hidden from the public and professionals alike. Legal actions against pharmaceuticals come about because of lies, not their openness or care for the public at large.
Religion
People that profess African herbs as a source of witchcraft practice are untruthful either through total ignorance, stupidity or are purposefully misleading the public for personal gain.
Herbs have been mentioned in historical literature, and in the Bible. The Bible states: “I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for food.” Genesis 1 verse 29
Mankind has, since its creation, used herbs to treat illnesses. Herbs are the primary healing source for mankind and are used by all religions and their true teachers, masters and prophets. We have to look no further than to the time of Buddha, Christ and Mohamed. They and their followers used herbs as tools for healing and well-being, as mankind has always done. There is nothing evil or unnatural about herbs.
Herbal Medicine
Herbs are a The Natural Source of Healing – the primary source of medicine for mankind. Our knowledge base of herbs derives directly from Traditional medicine practices. Unlike drugs, that generally have countless side effects, herbs can realign the body’s defences, helping it to heal itself as well as disease. Herbs work in synergy with the individual. Herbs have a natural, vital energy that has the ability to maintain and boost the body’s natural immune system and protect it from disease.
In the early civilizations, food and medicine were inextricably linked, and many plants were eaten for their health-giving properties. For example, the armies of slaves that laboured to build the Egyptian pyramids took a daily ration of garlic in order to ward off pestilential fevers and infections that were rife at the time. By this time, written Clay models of garlic bulbs were found in an Egyptian tomb dating 3750 BC. In what is believed to be the world’s first industrial dispute, the slaves building the Great Pyramid went on strike when their garlic ration was cut.
Ancient cultures, like Egyptians, were highly skilled with herbs. The ancient text written in 1500 BC contains records of over 700 herbs and their beneficial properties – the first herbals. The papyrus from the city of Thebes, lists many medicinal herbs that are still in use today.
As well as the Egyptians, the ancient Greeks and Romans were practitioners of herbal medicine. As their armies conquered the then known world, military doctors took the plants and their uses with them – and also gained new skills as they travelled. For example, the Roman conquers of Britain brought with them many Mediterranean herbs, including lavender and rosemary.
The earliest written records on the use of the poppy and its extracts, heroin, first appeared during the time of Christ. These records mention the use of heroin as a painkiller and warn of its side effects such as addiction. New forensic evidence points to heroin being used by the Egyptian upper classes during the time of the Pharaohs as a painkiller.
From the Dark ages into the medieval times, herbals were painstakingly hand-copied in British and other monasteries – each of which had its own garden for growing herbs to treat both monks and local people.
The advent in the 15th century of the printing press encouraged the compilation and publication of herbals. Nicholas Culpeper (1616-54) wrote the famous herbal, The English Physician Enlarged (1649), which has been in print ever since. By 1800, a vast amount of traditional lore on the medicinal use of herbs was available from Britain, Europe, Middle East, Asia and the Americas.
Chinese, North American and Indian cultures have always relied heavily on herbal medicine. The Chinese have practiced herbal medicine for 5000 years. To this day Chinese herbs play a vital part in health care, and there are numerous schools of herbal medicine and herbal dispensaries in most hospitals.
However soon after, the growth in popularity and power of scientifically inspired conventional medicine send the profession of herbal medicine into a decline – although it continued to flourish in the countryside.
In 1864 the National Association (later Institute) of Medical Herbalists was founded to train and maintain standards of practice, which remain in existence today. In its early years – and well into the present day – the Institute resisted attempts by orthodox medical pressure groups to have herbal medicine banned.
Public opinion was with the herbalists, helping them to stay in business. Gradually interest in herbalism increased – especially over the past 20 years – as more and more people questioned the use of synthetic drugs and their prolonged and sometimes alarming side effects.
Today, scientists are predicting that herbal remedies will lead a revolution in medical treatment within the next ten years, using ancient recipes with thousands of active compounds instead of pharmaceuticals with a single active element.
In Natal (South Africa), more than 400 species of indigenous plants are sold commercially. Some of these plants are so popular that the demand for them is threatening their very survival. A similar situation exists throughout Asia, Africa and South America.
There are many benefits of herbs. Herbs help cleanse and purify the body, regulate and tone the organs to function normally. Herbs are high in vitamins and minerals and other nutrients that nourish and build the body. Herbs allow the body to have extra energy to heal itself, and finally herbs promote the body’s natural good bacteria. Herbs take up substances from the earth and convert them into vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, proteins, and fats that our bodies use for nourishment and healing. By using the whole herb, we take in all the natural goodness and vital ingredients they carry. Most herbs contain several active substances, one of which usually dominates and determines its choice as a remedy. Other healing aspects of herbs should not be overlooked because they help the body to assimilate its benefits and buffer any side effects.
Acupuncture: has been studied and utilized for over 2,500 years by Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners for a wide range of maladies.As opposed to Western medicine, Acupuncture is more preventative, so most people can benefit from a treatment even if they feel well. The acupuncturist performs a diagnosis, then inserts needles to stimulate energy channels or meridians. Every treatment is custom and adaptable, no two treatments are ever the same!
The World Health Organization has listed over 28 diseases and symptoms for which acupuncture has been PROVEN to be an effective treatment. In addition, they note therapeutic results from acupuncture for another 50+ symptoms in which clinic testing is still ongoing.
Acupuncture is quickly being integrated into mainstream Western medicine treatments as well. Both the late Dr. Han and Tram Pham worked in a hospital environment in the past. Dr. Marius was renowned for his work with cancer patients, with some crediting him with saving their lives
Treatable Conditions
Below is a selection of just some of the conditions Acupuncture is helpful in treating:
*PAIN MANAGEMENT
* PREVENTATIVE CARE AND WELLNESS
* PRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND FERTILITY
*DIGESTIVE HEALTH
* MENTAL WELLNESS
Tram is a proponent and practitioner of the Balance Method, which she learned under Master Richard Tang.
The Balance Method is a revolutionary series of system based predominantly on the use of distal points. Distal points in acupuncture refer to points which are not located at the site of pain.
For example, many systems of acupuncture would treat left knee pain by inserting a series of needles at the site of and around the affected left knee. A distal healing practitioner following the Balance Method would instead insert the needles at opposite relational points in the body, such as the right elbow, right shoulder, etc. That's perhaps overly simplistic as every situation varies depending on diagnosis, but should help to illustrate the difference in the styles.
Tram noted an immediate significant improvement in the results from her acupuncture after applying Master Tang methods and followed him closely thereafter, training directly under him whenever possible during the last years of his life.
We Only Use Premium Japanese Needles
Needle-phobic patients need not worry! We only use premium quality, thin Japanese acupuncture needles to enhance the experience for each of our patients. Our needles are thinner and sharper than the Chinese needles used by most practitioners. The result is a more comfortable experience, as they go in easier. While our needles are more expensive, we bear the cost and do not charge our patients more for the upgrade.
Introduction
It is generally accepted that Africa is the cradle of mankind and the use of herbs is as old as mankind itself. African herbal medicine is the oldest; most tried and tested form of medicine known to mankind. In a sense it is degrading to refer to it as an “alternative”, since herbs form the basis of all medicine. Conventional drugs, homeopathic medicine, Chinese medicines all owe their existence to African herbal medicines and herbs.
In contrast with western medicine, which is analytically based and emphasizes the treatment of symptoms rather than the cure of the underlying causes, African herbal medicine takes a holistic approach to health. It is a discipline involving the extensive use of herbs combined with aspects of a patient’s psychological health. The skills and botanical knowledge of African Traditional Medical Practitioners on plants, their ecology and properties are invaluable.
Healers use plants in a variety of ways; whole or in part as teas, infusions, applied directly to wounds and cuts or prepared as powders for use as snuff or as smoke. Within plants, lies the power to heal, nourish, sustain and transform. It is power granted to whoever wishes to draw from it. It is within these African plants that the secrets for health and wellness prevail.
Not only has Nature blessed Southern Africa with a generous richness of flora, but also with the expertise on their uses. Over 30 000 species grace this diverse landscape. Ethno-botany is beginning to reveal the healing secrets and nutritional value of Africa’s plants.
Why has the conventional medical profession not embraced traditional herbs in the same way it has drugs? The answer has to do with money, power and teaching methods. Conventional medicine exercises its domination by rejecting other medicinal practices as “unscientific and/or untested”. It enforces its will through institutions, which, against popular will and opinion, disallow other medicinal methods and products.
Herbal medicine has been used by all cultures for centuries and is still the main form of medical treatment among 80% of the world’s population (statistics from WHO). Many of today’s drugs (e.g., quinine, reserpine, ephedrine, ipecac, etc) come directly from plants while most synthetic drugs are based on chemicals extracted from herbs.
African medicinal plants have been well documented and scientifically tested for tuberculosis, malaria, cancer and other ailments. It is time that we turn to these medicines, which are affordable, non-toxic, effective, natural and South African’s cultural right. It is time to move away from old attitudes and embrace a new way thinking that respects and reveres our human heritage and knowledge. African herbal medicines form an integral part of our past, present and future. It offers real solutions and progress.
The Case for Traditional Herbal Medicine.
- The practices of traditional medicine date back many centuries and have therefore been as “tried and tested” as many of the scientific medicines which are often more harmful and with a higher degree of side-effects. Traditional doctors are generally paid by results and recognize the essentials of culture, which should never be scorned because of ignorance and/or arrogance.
- The apprenticeship training of traditional doctors is extensive and arduous, subject to protocols and disciplines similar to bio-medical approaches.
- The holistic approach is one being increasingly adopted by scientific medicine. Modern lifestyles require even greater attention to the psycho-social aspects of healing, which has always been a fundamental tenet of traditional medicine.
- The use of herbs and other organic substances by traditional medicine is another practice now increasingly followed by western medicine. Modern medicine itself has proved the value of “unsophisticated” diets, and the use of herbal remedies is generally less invasive or aggressive than the scientific preponderance of scheduled drugs and frequent surgery.
- The bestseller Cold and Flu remedy in Germany and England is the Pelargonium Sidoides. So great is its popularity, that the Chinese have copied this South African plant and are selling it as their own, contravening the Rio Treaty. It has recently entered the US market and gained a foothold as an effective natural antibiotic.
- The USA sells Aloe and Rooibos products. Both are indigenous plants from South Africa.
- The Dutch have taken the Gladiolus from South Africa and build an industry around it. Recently, this plant has received the attention of researchers for its medicinal potential.
- Some pharmaceuticals have entered into agreements with institutions such as the CSIR for actives from various African plants. A bitter battle ensued between the real owners of the IP of these plants, the bushman, and the CSIR. Documented by the BBC on how the indigenous people are being ripped-off by big pharmaceuticals, it is a must see for everyone, especially the international community.
- South African Universities examined the African Helichrysum used by African healers in ritual rites and Traditional medicine. The results are nothing short of extraordinary; it showed activity for herpes simplex virus type 1, activity against all the gram-positive bacteria, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and considerable activity against fungi. Research on its actives is being carried out in order to sell them to international buyers.
- An international pharmaceutical bought the research on Artemisia and patented it. It followed up by developing a “novel” drug that is presently being sold for Malaria.
- Since trials were conducted on the efficacy of the Devil’s Claw, this herb has gained a foothold in the European and USA markets. Mainly sold for arthritis, pain and as a cortisone alternative, its sales in Germany have risen to over 50 million Euros. Not bad for a little plant from Africa.
The western scientific community can only verify in laboratory conditions claims made by Traditional Doctors. In turn, the Traditional Doctor can teach Western scientist the properties of medicinal plants, the different species, the synergy between these plants and possible side effects. With respect to African medicinal plants, the Traditional Doctor has more to offer the world than western scientists.
Pharmaceuticals
Scientists worldwide are looking for “new cures” in collaboration with traditional healers. The reality is that these so called “new cures” have existed for generations and may be a new discovery to western scientists but they have always been a part of traditional culture, knowledge and are therefore our national right and asset.
Taking an active out of a plant is like listening to a lone cord from an instrument within an orchestra; more often than not, it makes no sense and is totally misleading with regard to the whole symphony.
Against popular will, pharmaceuticals have in the past tried to ban herbal and traditional medicine. Any data other than clinical trials is considered as unreliable claims, so-called ethno-botanical and anecdotal data. What is omitted is the fact that it is often through anecdotal and ethno-botanical data that pharmaceuticals research and formulate their products. Furthermore, the truth about these clinical trials and the side effect that drugs cause is often hidden from the public and professionals alike. Legal actions against pharmaceuticals come about because of lies, not their openness or care for the public at large.
Religion
People that profess African herbs as a source of witchcraft practice are untruthful either through total ignorance, stupidity or are purposefully misleading the public for personal gain.
Herbs have been mentioned in historical literature, and in the Bible. The Bible states: “I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for food.” Genesis 1 verse 29
Mankind has, since its creation, used herbs to treat illnesses. Herbs are the primary healing source for mankind and are used by all religions and their true teachers, masters and prophets. We have to look no further than to the time of Buddha, Christ and Mohamed. They and their followers used herbs as tools for healing and well-being, as mankind has always done. There is nothing evil or unnatural about herbs.
Herbal Medicine
Herbs are a The Natural Source of Healing – the primary source of medicine for mankind. Our knowledge base of herbs derives directly from Traditional medicine practices. Unlike drugs, that generally have countless side effects, herbs can realign the body’s defences, helping it to heal itself as well as disease. Herbs work in synergy with the individual. Herbs have a natural, vital energy that has the ability to maintain and boost the body’s natural immune system and protect it from disease.
In the early civilizations, food and medicine were inextricably linked, and many plants were eaten for their health-giving properties. For example, the armies of slaves that laboured to build the Egyptian pyramids took a daily ration of garlic in order to ward off pestilential fevers and infections that were rife at the time. By this time, written Clay models of garlic bulbs were found in an Egyptian tomb dating 3750 BC. In what is believed to be the world’s first industrial dispute, the slaves building the Great Pyramid went on strike when their garlic ration was cut.
Ancient cultures, like Egyptians, were highly skilled with herbs. The ancient text written in 1500 BC contains records of over 700 herbs and their beneficial properties – the first herbals. The papyrus from the city of Thebes, lists many medicinal herbs that are still in use today.
As well as the Egyptians, the ancient Greeks and Romans were practitioners of herbal medicine. As their armies conquered the then known world, military doctors took the plants and their uses with them – and also gained new skills as they travelled. For example, the Roman conquers of Britain brought with them many Mediterranean herbs, including lavender and rosemary.
The earliest written records on the use of the poppy and its extracts, heroin, first appeared during the time of Christ. These records mention the use of heroin as a painkiller and warn of its side effects such as addiction. New forensic evidence points to heroin being used by the Egyptian upper classes during the time of the Pharaohs as a painkiller.
From the Dark ages into the medieval times, herbals were painstakingly hand-copied in British and other monasteries – each of which had its own garden for growing herbs to treat both monks and local people.
The advent in the 15th century of the printing press encouraged the compilation and publication of herbals. Nicholas Culpeper (1616-54) wrote the famous herbal, The English Physician Enlarged (1649), which has been in print ever since. By 1800, a vast amount of traditional lore on the medicinal use of herbs was available from Britain, Europe, Middle East, Asia and the Americas.
Chinese, North American and Indian cultures have always relied heavily on herbal medicine. The Chinese have practiced herbal medicine for 5000 years. To this day Chinese herbs play a vital part in health care, and there are numerous schools of herbal medicine and herbal dispensaries in most hospitals.
However soon after, the growth in popularity and power of scientifically inspired conventional medicine send the profession of herbal medicine into a decline – although it continued to flourish in the countryside.
In 1864 the National Association (later Institute) of Medical Herbalists was founded to train and maintain standards of practice, which remain in existence today. In its early years – and well into the present day – the Institute resisted attempts by orthodox medical pressure groups to have herbal medicine banned.
Public opinion was with the herbalists, helping them to stay in business. Gradually interest in herbalism increased – especially over the past 20 years – as more and more people questioned the use of synthetic drugs and their prolonged and sometimes alarming side effects.
Today, scientists are predicting that herbal remedies will lead a revolution in medical treatment within the next ten years, using ancient recipes with thousands of active compounds instead of pharmaceuticals with a single active element.
In Natal (South Africa), more than 400 species of indigenous plants are sold commercially. Some of these plants are so popular that the demand for them is threatening their very survival. A similar situation exists throughout Asia, Africa and South America.
There are many benefits of herbs. Herbs help cleanse and purify the body, regulate and tone the organs to function normally. Herbs are high in vitamins and minerals and other nutrients that nourish and build the body. Herbs allow the body to have extra energy to heal itself, and finally herbs promote the body’s natural good bacteria. Herbs take up substances from the earth and convert them into vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, proteins, and fats that our bodies use for nourishment and healing. By using the whole herb, we take in all the natural goodness and vital ingredients they carry. Most herbs contain several active substances, one of which usually dominates and determines its choice as a remedy. Other healing aspects of herbs should not be overlooked because they help the body to assimilate its benefits and buffer any side effects.
Acupuncture: has been studied and utilized for over 2,500 years by Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners for a wide range of maladies.As opposed to Western medicine, Acupuncture is more preventative, so most people can benefit from a treatment even if they feel well. The acupuncturist performs a diagnosis, then inserts needles to stimulate energy channels or meridians. Every treatment is custom and adaptable, no two treatments are ever the same!
The World Health Organization has listed over 28 diseases and symptoms for which acupuncture has been PROVEN to be an effective treatment. In addition, they note therapeutic results from acupuncture for another 50+ symptoms in which clinic testing is still ongoing.
Acupuncture is quickly being integrated into mainstream Western medicine treatments as well. Both the late Dr. Han and Tram Pham worked in a hospital environment in the past. Dr. Marius was renowned for his work with cancer patients, with some crediting him with saving their lives
Treatable Conditions
Below is a selection of just some of the conditions Acupuncture is helpful in treating:
*PAIN MANAGEMENT
- low back pain
- neck pain
- shoulder pain
- wrist/hand pain
- tennis elbow
- sciatica
- knee pain
- joint pain
- sports injury pain
- strained muscle
- sprains
- arthritis pain
- facial pain (including craniomandibular disorders)
- headache, migraine
- dental pain
- tempromandibular (TMJ) dysfunction
- postoperative pain
- adverse reactions to radiation or chemotherapy
- post stroke recovery
* PREVENTATIVE CARE AND WELLNESS
- common flu/fever
- seasonal allergies
- allergic rhinitis, including hay fever
- regulating sleeping pattern
- increase energy level
- essential hypertension
* PRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND FERTILITY
- regulating menstrual cycle
- hormonal imbalance
- menstrual cramps
- fertility
- morning sickness
- correction of malposition of fetus
- induction of labor
*DIGESTIVE HEALTH
- weight management
- regulating metabolism
- regulating stool movement
- stomach upset
- indigestion
- acid reflux
- nausea and vomiting
* MENTAL WELLNESS
- stress management
- depression
- anxiety
- mental focus/concentration
- mental clarity
Tram is a proponent and practitioner of the Balance Method, which she learned under Master Richard Tang.
The Balance Method is a revolutionary series of system based predominantly on the use of distal points. Distal points in acupuncture refer to points which are not located at the site of pain.
For example, many systems of acupuncture would treat left knee pain by inserting a series of needles at the site of and around the affected left knee. A distal healing practitioner following the Balance Method would instead insert the needles at opposite relational points in the body, such as the right elbow, right shoulder, etc. That's perhaps overly simplistic as every situation varies depending on diagnosis, but should help to illustrate the difference in the styles.
Tram noted an immediate significant improvement in the results from her acupuncture after applying Master Tang methods and followed him closely thereafter, training directly under him whenever possible during the last years of his life.
We Only Use Premium Japanese Needles
Needle-phobic patients need not worry! We only use premium quality, thin Japanese acupuncture needles to enhance the experience for each of our patients. Our needles are thinner and sharper than the Chinese needles used by most practitioners. The result is a more comfortable experience, as they go in easier. While our needles are more expensive, we bear the cost and do not charge our patients more for the upgrade.