Chinese Medicine in Portland, Maine

What is Chinese Medicine?

Chinese Medicine — 中醫, is a complete medical system that offers a variety of therapeutic tools such as acupuncture, cupping, medical massage, movement therapy, moxibustion, Chinese herbal medicine, dietary therapy, and lifestyle advice. Chinese medical theory provides a comprehensive framework for understanding the body’s function and dysfunction. The body is seen as an interconnected ecosystem, where each aspect is as important as the next. The goal is to achieve balance within the ecosystem to attain optimal health and longevity. Chinese medicine treatments are focused on the individual as a whole rather than isolated symptoms of an injury or illness. Offering versatile solutions, Chinese medicine treats common health concerns and conditions deemed stubborn or confusing by conventional medicine, such as autoimmune disorders and chronic illnesses.

Chinese Medical Modalities

Each Chinese medical modality is a stand-alone therapy, though they are often combined to create an integrative and holistic approach to your health & wellness. Combining acupuncture and herbal medicine is common, though not always necessary, as each therapy excels at treating different types of conditions. Some cases may be treated with acupuncture and herbs concurrently, while other cases may be treated with one.

• ACUPUNCTURE - The insertion of thin, single-use needles at specific points on the body to improve circulation, promote healing, relieve pain, and restore balance.

• DRY NEEDLING - Technique using acupuncture needles to treat acute and chronic physical pain, improve muscle function, and increase mobility.

• DAOIST ZANGFU ACUPRESSURE - Abdominal massage to improve digestion, optimize pelvic function, reduce tension, and promote well-being.

• CUPPING - Suction cups on the skin to decompress tight tissue, increase circulation, and reduce pain.

• MANUAL TRACTION - Therapeutic technique to gently create space in the joint cavities and lengthen tight muscles to increase mobility.

• PATTING - Rhythmical percussion on the body to create positive physical and chemical change.

• MOXIBUSTION - A heat therapy that involves burning mugwort (moxa) near acupuncture points to warm the body, improve circulation, and enhance healing.

• CHINESE HERBAL MEDICINE - Personalized herbal formula to address acute or chronic illness and support the body's healing process.

• DIETARY THERAPY - Personalized nutrition guidance based on Chinese medicine principles to optimize health and improve digestion, energy levels, and overall wellness.

• LIFESTYLE ADVISE - Practical recommendations that extend beyond the treatment room for daily habits, movement, and mindfulness to support long-term health and balance.

• PRESCRIBED MOVEMENT - Personalized physical movement recommendations to improve your health & wellness.

Orthopedics & Chinese Medicine

Treating physical injury has been a foundational aspect of Chinese medicine since ancient China's Warring States Period (ca. 475-221 B.C.). Out of necessity, the medicine became very physically focused in order to treat traumatic injuries on the battlefield. The study of martial arts was also closely connected to the study of medical arts. Understanding human anatomy offered a strong advantage in fighting since one could better understand the vulnerabilities of the body. Bodywork and acupuncture were known to be highly effective at treating musculoskeletal injuries. Herbal liniments, plasters, and internal formulas were also used to treat traumatic injuries. The famous Shaolin monks/physicians studied both martial arts and medical arts. With that said Chinese medicine is extremely effective in treating orthopedic injuries, pain management, and acute, chronic, and complex pain syndromes.

Today, the field of orthopedics in Chinese medicine continues to grow. Physical Therapists and Chiropractors now recognize the benefit of using filiform or dry needles (solid needles that do not inject medication, hence the ‘dry’ designation) to treat musculoskeletal issues. Dry needling has become a popular treatment for orthopedic and sports injuries. Whether referred to as acupuncture or dry needling, treatment can improve muscle strength and flexibility and prevent future injury. In terms of sports recovery, acupuncture can significantly reduce pain after injury and help with routine recovery, such as delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Through orthopedic acupuncture and bodywork, Chinese medicine treats acute and chronic injuries and conditions such as pain, inflammation, sprains, strains, sciatica, and arthritis. Not only can acupuncture successfully treat and prevent injury, but it can also effectively enhance elite performance for athletes. Whether you are a seasoned athlete looking to support muscle recovery or someone dealing with acute or chronic pain, Chinese medicine can help!

Internal Health Conditions & Chinese Medicine

Chinese medicine believes there is no separation between the mind, body, and spirit. Treatment of the physical body results in treatment of the psycho-emotional self as well. Chinese medicine’s comprehensive understanding of the interconnectedness of the physical and non-physical aspects of the mind, body, and spirit continuum is a foundational aspect of its success in treating patterns such as anxiety, stress, insomnia, addiction, and depression, to name a few. Chinese medicine also excels in the treatment of complex and difficult-to-treat illness patterns causing conditions such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and many more. In Chinese medicine, treatment is focused on the individual rather than disease names or symptoms. Bian zheng lun zhi - 辨證論治, meaning that treatment methods and strategies are performed based on a person’s unique presentation.

Another facet of Chinese medicine relates to epidemiology and treating illnesses such as the common cold, flu, and COVID-19. Chinese medicine has also shown its ability to treat long-COVID and post-viral fatigue syndrome (chronic fatigue). Historically, China has experienced many episodes of epidemics ranging from plagues to infectious diseases. Thousands of years ago, Chinese scholar physicians began to develop strategies to prevent and treat outbreaks, drawing upon their understanding of how external pathogens interact with the body. Two major Chinese medical classics arose from epidemic outbreaks. The first, Treatise on Cold Injury / Shang Han Lun - 傷寒論, is arguably one of the most important Chinese medical texts to date. It was written by Zhang Zhongjing in the Eastern Han dynasty (ca. 25-220 C.E.) after he watched two-thirds of his 200-member family die of illness in less than ten years. This devastation led him to compile strategies and formulas that treated the influenza of the time into a complete medical text. Zhang Zhongjing was the earliest doctor to describe the stages of pathology in the body from external pathogenic factors.

Fast forward to the late Ming and Qing Dynasties (ca. 1600), when scholar physician Wu Youke (1592-1672) developed the idea of pestilent qi (li qi) — which explained infectious factors as the etiology of communicable diseases. He asserted that pathogenic factors enter through the nose and mouth. Ye Tianshi (1667-1746) and Wu Jutong (1758-1836) expanded upon these ideas, and the Warm Disease Theory / Wen Bing Xue - 温 病 学 was established. Rather than a single classical text, during this era, a handful of medical texts were written about Wen Bing Xue. Even though Wen Bing Xue was referenced in ancient texts, it was not fully developed as an independent system until the Qing Dynasty. At its core, Wen Bing Xue is based on ancient classics such as the Nei Jing (Inner Classic) and Shang Han Lun (Discussion of Cold Damage). The particular strategies of Wen Bing Xue evolved to deal with the clinical realities of the time that past theories could not fully address. Wen Bing doctors did not simply dismiss past theories; instead, many built upon the past while adapting to modern medical needs. Wen Bing Xue demonstrates a wide variety of strategies, including Shang Han Lun theory.

A Brief History of Chinese Medicine

Chinese Medicine has its roots in folk and shamanic therapies used during the Shang Dynasty Period (ca. 2100-1600 B.C.). Fast forward to the Warring States Period in the Zhou Dynasty (ca. 475-221 B.C.), an era of a brutal war. There was a great need for practical solutions in the treatment of injury and illness on the battlefield. This shift in necessity revolutionized the approach to medicine. The Warring States Period marks the beginning of intellectual reform and a shift of ideas that changed explanations of observable phenomena away from shamanistic viewpoints to a systematic and comprehensive medical framework. Medical theories and methods were based on the observation of nature, health, and illness. The ancient Chinese had a sophisticated understanding of the natural world and its reflection in the human body. As medical theories shifted, scholar physicians began to create classical texts, and a rich history of Chinese medical literature began to emerge. The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Classic / The Huang Di Nei Jing - 黃帝內經, one of the principal Chinese medical texts, was compiled in this era.

Chinese Medicine is one of the oldest professionally practiced medical systems in the world. It is a holistic and comprehensive medical system that recognizes the interconnectedness of the body, mind, and spirit. With a rich history spanning back thousands of years, Chinese Medicine features some of the oldest medical modalities in the world, including bodywork, acupuncture, cupping, moxibustion, herbal medicine, dietary therapy, and movement therapy. Chinese medicine treatments may include any combination of these modalities within a single session. Treatments are personalized to address each individual’s unique, specific needs.

Chinese medicine defines health as a dynamic state of balance and harmony within the body, mind, and spirit continuum. The ability to adapt as our environment changes allows us to maintain balance throughout life. As a tree bends gracefully in the wind, we must remain firmly rooted yet adaptive and resilient.