About Traditional Chinese Medicine
Content
Traditional Chinese medicine has been practised for thousands of years in China and Asia and for hundreds of years in the West.
Unlike Western medicine which is based on observable cause and effect, Traditional Chinese medicine understands illness as being caused by an imbalance in the body’s energy (known as “Qi”).
A traditional Chinese medical practitioner therefore seeks to diagnose the imbalance of energy in the mind and body that is seen as the cause of a patient’s illness or symptom and uses acupuncture and herbal preparations to restore the balance.
Because Traditional Chinese Medicine is tailored to the individual patient rather than a specific symptom or disease, the specific mechanism and benefits of acupuncture and herbal medicine are very difficult to demonstrate in randomised control trials, which is the standard system for assessing Western medical treatments.
Research shows that acupuncture is effective for a wide range of conditions
There is a significant and growing body of evidence-based research demonstrating the effectiveness of certain acupuncture protocols for a wide range of conditions. The British Acupuncture Council maintains a set of fact sheets on these conditions.
The Committee for Practice in Advertising
The UK’s Committee for Practice in Advertising will only allow advertising material (including websites) to claim acupuncture is effective for the treatment of specific conditions. It is therefore necessary to say clearly that Traditional Chinese medicine should be considered as a complementary therapy and the Fertility Support Company does not advocate it as an alternative to Western medicine.
If you are in any doubt about your health or any symptoms you are experiencing you should consult your doctor. The Fertility Support Company and its practitioners do not claim to “cure” infertility or any other ailment. As with any treatment, the response of any individual to acupuncture and herbal medicine may be different to that of others and there is always the possibility that a small minority of patients experience side effects. If you experience anything unusual, please call me immediately.
What my clients say
To read about what my patients have to say about their experience and the support they have received, please see the Baby Gallery.
“Like many, I have also come to the realisation that Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is very beneficial for the treatment of fertility issues and I would advise anyone having problems conceiving to start with TCM before considering IVF. My problem ended up being a very straightforward and common one and yet the fertility clinic did not diagnose it. I could have ended up paying for very costly IVF treatments and suffering a lot of physical and emotional turmoil!”