Please reach us at acupuncture@giaotran.ca if you cannot find an answer to your question. We will answer them at your next in-person or virtual appointment.
What you are going to do is to extract the essence, taste and flavour of all of the herbs in that pack through a gentle boil. It is called "decoction". You would "cook" them like you would make a vegetable broth. You will be drinking the liquid only and discard the solid. Your practitioner usually tells you:
Here is the details on how to decoct your herbs: https://tranacupuncture.ca/blog/f/decoction
Key points to remember:
The only rule about the amount of liquid is you have sufficient liquid to fully cover the herbs until the end of the extraction process. Here below are the details to your question:
https://tranacupuncture.ca/blog/f/how-much-water-should-i-use
Key points to remember:
Usually you drink your herbal broth at any time of the day on a stomach that is not overly full or overly hungry for better absorption, away from coffee and alcohol.
Darker colour herbal broth (Yin nourishing treatment) are usually taken in the afternoon. Clearer colour herbal broth are usually taken in the morning.
If you did not receive any specific instruction, then just drink the herbal broth at any time of the day before 7pm, on a stomach not overly full or empty, away from alcohol and coffee. You usually drink it luke-warm or at the room temperature unless specified otherwise.
Short answer: do NOT add anything else to alter the original taste. It will not make the decoction taste better and it may alter the intended property of the herbal actions.
To make the experience better, drink your liquid quickly and rinse your mouth with clear water right after. Some patients use a straw to send the herbal broth down the throat faster with minimal contact with your taste buds. After a few rounds of the herbal drinks, you would get acquainted with its flavour. Just like your first time taking the coffee. You did not like its bitter taste at first.
Short answer: Generally twice weekly for the first month or until we obtain a noticeable, stable improvement. Some of more acute conditions would require a more frequent visit.
In Ontario and in major English speaking countries (members of the World Health Organization), the medicine I practice is called Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). In Quebec, it's called traditional Oriental medicine (TOM). TCM includes 5 key modalities:
TCM is about balance and harmony. Internally it values the homeostatic, the harmony the Yin and Yang, the Five Elements (Water, Fire, Wood, Metal, and Earth) and the free flow of the Blood and Qi. Externally, it promotes harmony with the environment and moderation in actions.
With proper diagnosis, or patterns differentiation, TCM may provide relief for a wide variety of conditions ranging from common ailments to specialized care such as managing cancer treatments related side effects and palliative care, lymphedema, edema, neuropathy and pain management, sport and athlete performance and injuries, concussion, post concussion, post-stroke rehabilitation, fertility, sexual dysfunction, tremours...etc.
Treatments will attempt to address both the symptoms and the underlying causes of the imbalances taking into account each patient unique constitution (the gestalt).
With the spirit of disease prevention, self-care, throughout different visits, we will regularly review your conditions together and attempt to establish potential causes of your ailments and understand the patho-dynamic. From there, objective markers of progress will be set. This allows you to track your progress. You also will learn what you can do for yourself through lifestyle, diet, exercises and mental/emotional attitude to prevent the coming back of certain patterns.
"Be the light to yourself" - Krishnamurti
Acupuncture is a form of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) that has been practiced for over 3,000 years. It acts to balance and rebuild the body’s “Qi” (pronounced “chi”).
Acupuncture theory recognizes special pathways in the body called “meridians” through which the Qi circulates. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) views disease as the result of an imbalance or blockage in the body’s natural energy flow. Such imbalances can manifest in physical, emotional, and stress-related disorders. In our practice we use acupuncture as a way to unblock or influence Qi and help it flow back into balance.
This authentic, wholistic approach is very different from simplified versions of needles therapy (sometimes misleadingly called "acupuncture") performed by other professions, without a TCM diagnosis, such as Physiotherapists, Massage Therapists, Chiropractors, Medical doctors or Naturopathic doctors who are not Registered Acupuncturists or Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners. It is clear that TCM modalities are best practiced with TCM diagnosis. Shortcuts or simplified version of this ancient medicine certainly leads to limited outcome.
Acupuncture is performed by placing very thin needles into your skin at certain points or acupoints and leaving them there for a short while as you rest. This is done to influence the energy flow. For most people, the effect often instills a sense of peace and tranquility.
Medical research has taken a big look at why and how the stimulation of acupuncture points helps relieve pain. Evidence shows that the body’s natural painkillers such as endorphins and peptide opioids are released during acupuncture treatment.
As well, acupuncture stimulates the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland, resulting in a broad range of systemic effects. Blood flow has also been shown to increase along with alterations in the secretion of neurotransmitters and neurohormones. Many research studies have shown that acupuncture therapy also positively impacts the immune system.
Drawing upon a traditional Chinese medicine practice, a form of sage called mugwort is burned near various acupoints around the body to stimulate blood flow, improve organ function, and relieve pain. With proper technique and diagnosis, moxibustion is an excellent complement to acupuncture to treat deficient cold conditions with or without stagnation (in traditional Chinese medicine meaning).
“Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift... That's why they call it present” ― Master Oogway (Kung-Fu Panda)
Herbal medicine is a type of medicine that uses roots, stems, leaves, flowers or seeds to improve health, prevent disease and treat illness.
For thousands of years people have relied on Mother Nature to provide remedies for their ailments. Through trial and error, time-tested formulas proven to be safe and effective are handed down and valued till today. With the advancement of technology and science, each ingredient or herb has been studied, laboratory tested and demonstrated to be safe for regular use at certain doses, under certain conditions. Therefore, when properly used according to a diagnosis, they deliver outstanding benefits to our health to provide healing for our ailments, to reinforce our immune system, to improve energy, concentration, to nourish and balance the body. All done naturally!
Alongside with acupuncture and moxibustion, I frequently use herbal medicine to fasten the outcome of certain protracted conditions, such as:
"Look deep into nature and you will understand everything better". Albert EINSTEIN
Pulses taking. An important part of TCM treatments.