What Does Traditional Chinese Medicine Treat?

This is a difficult question to answer as there is no finite list. Use the list below as a guide only. When looking at lists of treatable illnesses it is important to keep in mind that these are simply supplied for convenience and only give a partial picture of Chinese medicine’s capabilities. If your condition does not appear below and you are curious to know whether Chinese medicine can help, please don’t hesitate to contact Chris for more information.

Respiratory

Asthma, hay fever / allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, nosebleeds, throat infections, laryngitis, tonsillitis, bronchitis / acute and chronic cough, common cold, influenza.

Dermatological

Acne, eczema / dermatitis, psoriasis, fungal nail, tinea, athlete’s foot, hives, rosacea, burns, scars, corns, warts, chronic dryness, chronic / senile itch, fungal infections, jock itch, cold sores / herpes simplex, leg / mouth ulcers, herpes zoster.

Digestive

Irritable bowel syndrome, gastric reflux / heartburn, hiccup, abdominal bloating, gastric ulcer, peptic ulcer, vomiting, nausea, diarrhoea, dysentery, ulcerative colitis, haemorrhoids, constipation.

Neurological

Pain, headache, migraine, sciatica, Bell’s palsy, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, sequelae of stroke, tooth ache, trigeminal neuralgia, neuropathies, post-herpetic neuralgia, tinnitus.

Muscular-skeletal

Sports injuries, traumatic injuries, broken bones, tendon and ligament damage, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, tennis elbow, frozen shoulder, back pain, stiff neck and shoulders, carpal tunnel, repetitive strain injuries.

Gynaecology / Obstetrics

Painful periods, early periods, late periods, heavy periods, irregular periods, absence of periods, mid-cycle spotting, PMS, infertility, IVF assistance, threatened miscarriage, hyperemesis (morning sickness), breech presentation, posterior presentation, preparation for labour, insufficient lactation.

Other

Quit smoking, addictions, insomnia, chronic fatrigue, stress, anxiety, depression, hearing and vision problems, macular degeneration, hepatitis, glandular fever.

Obscure conditions

Chinese medicine uses its own unique method for describing disease. As a result, the practitioner does not need put a Western label to the disease in order to treat it. The benefit of this is that Chinese Medicine is often able to treat conditions that Western medicine has no name or explanation for. You may have an unexplained abdominal pain or a strange twitch in the leg, either way, Chinese medicine excels at solving obscure problems.

Side Effects of Modern Drugs

Treating the side-effects of modern medication is an important role for Chinese medicine. If you are undergoing a heavy drug therapy such as for cancer, HIV or hepatitis, consider Chinese medicine as a support for this treatment. To experience relatively few, or even no, side-effects not only increases quality of life but gives the possibility of greater treatment success.

Incidences of negative interactions between Chinese medicine and modern drugs are rare. In most cases, the use of the two medical systems side-by-side simply gives enhanced results.