Traditional Chinese Medicine

ACUPUNCTURE

Practiced for more than 2,000 years, acupuncture is one of the safest and most natural forms of alternative therapies in the world. Acupuncture is based on the theory of Chinese traditional medicine. The role of acupuncture is to clear the meridians and harmonise the flow of qi (energy and blood.
Acupuncture can be done for a range of conditions. Some of the conditions for which acupuncture is commonly used includes: headache, migraine, blood pressure, depression, anxiety, back pain, muscle pain, asthma, stroke rehabilitation, face lifting, weight loss, balancing hormones and sexual dysfunction.

The technique involves the insertion of fine needles into the surface of the skin. The depth that the needle is inserted depends on the condition to be treated. The needles are placed at certain points of the meridians that correspond to the condition. For instance, when treating migraine, needles will not only be placed in the head but also in pressure points in the arms and legs. Acupuncture can also be used to treat patients with chronic serious conditions such as those who have suffered a stroke, the needles will inserted into points that are linked to neurological processing and in this way the patient will be able to recover the ability to walk, speak and have a normal life again. 

Acupuncture has a relatively long term effectiveness and uses certain pressure points. Normally, acupuncture can be done over 2 - 4 sessions per week. Usually one session is for 30 minutes. The number of sessions for treatment are prescribed by the doctor, depending on the patient’s condition

CUPPING

Cupping is an ancient Chinese method used to relieve muscle tension, promote blood and lymph circulation, detoxification and healing. Like acupuncture, cupping follows the lines of the meridians. Usually this therapy is performed on back parts of body and in some cases this is also done in stomach and legs.

A partial vacuum is created in cups placed on the skin by means of heat. The suction and pressure provided by cupping can loosen muscles, encourage blood flow, and sedate the nervous system. Cupping is used to relieve back and neck pains, stiff muscles, anxiety, fatigue, migraines, encourage Qi and blood circulation, improve congestion, reduce pain and detoxification, strengthen metabolism.
Generally, cupping is combined with acupuncture in one treatment, but it can also be used alone. There are two types of cupping - dry cupping and wet/blood cupping (referred as hijama in Arabic). Blood cupping is little bit different from dry cupping in which blood is suctioned out from the body with the cupping cups. For less serious conditions, blood cupping can be done once a month, whereas dry cupping can be done twice a month but this may vary depending on the patient’s condition. 
Blood cupping is used to extract stagnant blood from an area. For example, shoulder pain can be relieved by the removal of the blood that is not circulating. The treatment will only need to be repeated once a month until symptoms disappear. 

Both forms of cupping can result in immediate relief from symptoms and this is generally long term or permanent. 

Costs

Note that Traditional Chinese Medicine may not be covered by insurance. Please check with your insurance provider for exclusions and inclusions. 

For our tariffs and packages kindly write to cityhospital@mediclinic.ae or call us on 04 435 9999 to book an appointment.