Skin and hair problems arise from a number of causes. The most common of which are unhealthy lifestyle, sleeping disorders, body weakness, stress and constipation etc.
According to TCM, imbalance in our body often manifests themselves as skin disorders. Their root causes may involve the imbalance between Yin, Yang, Qi stagnation and Blood stasis.
With the worsening of the haze in Singapore breaking into the 300 hazardous levels, many people are experiencing respiratory problems such as sore throat, excessive phlegm, breathing difficulties, cough, skin and eyes irritation. For more severe cases, patients who have history of asthma, suffer repeated attacks and even have problems with lung infections.
In our TCM Clinic, we have also seen a significant increase in the number of patients coming in to seek treatment for cough, asthma and skin related problems. With traditional chinese medicine, while we are able to help you with the recovery of such problems, we believe that prevention is better than cure.
In Aug 2015, the TCM Doctor in our clinic, Dr Li Rui, was invited by Radio Station 88.3JiaFM for an interview to share with listeners how traditional chinese medicine can help to solve infertility problem.
In TCM, Kidney Qi helps to hold the urine in the Bladder. Therefore, Kidney Qi Deficiency could be the root cause of urinary incontinence.
Male urinary incontinence is often related to prostate problems.
Symptoms may include
- Difficulty starting urination
- Frequent urination
- Straining to urinate
Dr Li Rui, our senior physician has engaged in the specialty of TCM for more than two decades. She holds both Master degree in Chinese Traditional Medicine and a Western Medical Bachelor Degree. Among the many different illnesses that are treated at the clinic, Dr. Li specializes in children health too. Her specific skills and experience in treating children illness has earned her a reputation in this field.
Osteoarthritis is a chronic disease which gradually become worst with time if kept untreated. Hence treatment of this disease is very important to prevent further complications and pain in patients. Generally, we see this problem in the older age group but nowadays, more young people are also developing this degenerative disorder.
Case Study
Male 42 year-old
He had been suffering of pain, heaviness and soreness in upper back, neck and shoulder area accompanied with numbness in upper arms. He also complaint of headache and dizziness for the past 3 years. He had to take pain killers if symptoms getting worse.
After 3 months of acupuncture and tuina together with herbal remedy, he no longer need to rely on pain killers. He continued the treatment for another month so as to regulate and strengthen his body constitution.
Habitual constipation is a very common complaint among middle- age working adults. Many factors can lead to this medical condition such as:
- Degeneration of the large intestine and rectum
- Bad habit of ignoring the desire to have bowel movements
From TCM perspective, habitual constipation is caused by a variety of internal energy (qi) problems. The most common cause of habitual constipation is mood disorders and emotional distress. These mental stress weaken the liver, spleen qi and eventually lead to stagnation of qi in large intestines, thus caused constipation and other abdominal problems.
Eczema is a common skin problems. Study have shown that emotional stress can actually make eczema worse. Constant anxiety and stress may easily cause the breakouts of eczema.
TCM provides patients with great results for skin conditions. It involves distinctive diagnostic approach which allows each patient to be treated on an individual basis.
Case Study
Mdm Y had a history of Functional Digestive Disorders for several years. Her symptoms include: severe bloating, constipation (passing stools once a week), fatigue and poor appetite. She always has uncomfortable sensations from all over her body.
She began treatment with acupuncture, Tuina and herbal remedy to disperse stagnated liver qi and strengthen the spleen so as to regulate gastrointestinal function.
Bowel movements are important for our health because they are the body’s natural way of excreting waste from the body. Bowel movements that are infrequent or hard to pass is considered constipated. Many people will turn to laxatives to empty their bowels. The fact is, laxatives and stool softeners do not cure constipation. Overuse of laxatives can lead to dependency and cause other bowels problems.
Chronic fatigue syndrome is a condition where you have long-term disabling tiredness. People who suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome have some common lifestyle and issues : Long working hours, feeling stressed or overwork, exhaustion, nnutritional deficiency, degenerative cellular functions etc.
Early sign of CFS
- Experienced flu-like ssymptoms such as sore throats; dizziness; heaviness and aching on upper body.
- Chronic pains such as muscle and joint pains; stiffness on neck and shoulder, lower back aching or chest tightness.
- Insomnia with vivid dreams; waking up too early, forgetfulness, poor concentration, anxiety, nervous or depression
Case study
A mother brought her 10 year-old daughter to see Dr. Li. She told Dr. Li that her daughter could not pay attention in class for almost a year. Her poor concentration and weak memory significantly affected her school learning process and academic results.
After TCM diagnosis, Dr. Li confirmed the girl’s cognitive and memory performance are normal. In actual fact, she had Allergic Rhinitis which affected her sleep at night and cause day-time fatigue as well as sleepiness. She also had morning sneeze and blocked nose for almost a year. All these issues apparently caused her to be inattentive in class and thus affect her school performance.
Parents should prepare certain herbal soups which are good for their children to consume during examination period. The herbal soup recommended below helps to reduce child’s stress level and also helps to improve memory and brain function.
Ingredients:
- ZhiHuangQi (炙黄芪 ) 50g
- DangSen(党参) 15g
- ZhiGanCao ( 炙甘草) 10g
- FuXiaoMai( 浮小麦) 25g
- Minced beef 75g
- Egg (1)
- Porridge 250g
- Shaoxing wine (绍兴酒）1/2 spoonful
- Small amount of Spring Onions , Ginger and Chinese celery (all cut into small pieces).
- Salt, pepper and sesame oil
Finding a lump in your breast does not mean you have breast cancer. It is more common for them to be cyst or a fibro adenoma. While it is most common for women to experience breast problems, men can also be affected. Check with your doctor if you need additional tests.
Vitiligo is a skin condition in which there is a loss of brown colour (pigment) from areas of skin, resulting in irregular white patches of skin.
It is normal and healthy to produce a clear or white discharge from vaginal. Dr. Li Rui, our senior physician says that there are many possible causes of abnormal vaginal discharge. From the perspective of TCM, vaginal discharge is strongly associated with excess dampness in the body.
The following herbs are contraindicated for use during pregnancy:
- Hawthorn fruit 山楂
- Red yeast红曲
- Herba Asari 细辛
- Cassia Bark安桂
- Pangolin穿山甲
- Rhizoma Sparganic 三棱
- Rhizome 莪术
Most women experience period pain at some point of their lives. Pain is often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and breast swelling.
Dr. Li Rui has been educated in two discipline – both conventional and TCM medicine. She is well-known for treating women health problems. She stressed that untreated menstrual pain might lead to other medical complication such as menstrual disorders and infertility
People plagued with insomnia can lead to other health issues such as heart palpitation, chest pain, dizziness, headache and stroke etc. Sleeping disorder can also cause forgetfulness, tinnitus, and scanty menstrual flow.
Vertigo and dizziness is a common encountered clinical illness. The dizziness can be very uncomfortable, and may sometimes lead to nausea or vomiting. There are various causes of dizziness. Some are minor problems, some are serious and even life-threatening such as brainstorm stroke. If you have a prolonged episode of dizziness, or recurring episodes of dizziness and are not sure what is causing them, then it is best to see a doctor.
Excessive or prolonged menstrual bleeding can lead to anemia. Besides taking iron-rich food, an adequate intake of folate, vitamin B12 and vitamin C are also good for prevent anemia. Avoid drinking tea when consuming iron-rich food as tea inhibits the absorption of iron.
A cold or a flu is an infection of the upper respiratory tract.
Tips for Cold and Flu remedy:
Chicken Soup
Chicken soup has been shown to help break up congestion and ease the flow of nasal secretions. You may also add fresh lemon juice into chicken soup to aid the healing process.
Eczema is a general term used to describe inflammatory conditions of the skin and is the most common skin condition. In Chinese Medicine, it is believed that eczema often results from weakness of spleen and stomach, damp heat and exposure to external pathogenic wind. Patient develops reddened skin that itch or oozing lesions.
Our experienced physicians treat eczema by acupuncture and herbal medicine according to its pattern diagnosis and which organ involved in each individual. In severe case, external herbal formula can be applied with much success. It is also important to avoid certain food that might trigger the problem.
Breast lumps fall into two categories: benign lumps or cysts, and malignant tumours. Majority of breast lumps are benign or non-cancerous. There are many different types of benign breast lump, but most of them will be:
Cysts – Fluid that build up in breast tissue
Fibroadenomas – Solid growths made up of fibrous and glandular tissue
Breast Abscess (Mastitis) – Inflammation of breast tissue
月经异常者可喝三子猪腰汤
妇女月经周期不规律， 诊断患上子宫肌瘤
Uterine fibroids are benign (non-cancerous) tumors that form on the wall of a woman’s uterus.
Menstrual disorders is a disruptive state in which the women’s menstrual cycle becomes irregular. It includes heavy bleeding, disorders of cycle length (too early or missed periods), menstruation pain (Dysmenorrhea), infertility and menopause etc.
From TCM point of view, excessive sweating in children can be due to the following causes:
- Weak body constitution
- Insufficient of Ying qi and Wei qi
- Yin deficiency
Sub-health is a state between wellness and illness. Your doctor is unable to find anything particular wrong with you, and yet you experience all kind of discomfort and even pain. The main syndromes for sub-health condition is manifested by bodily fatigue, body-ache, dizziness with headache, sleep disorders, lack of appetite, insomnia, palpitation, anxiety, numbness etc.
Using TCM methods is best for people who are at the sub-health state, because of its ability to boost body immunity and enhance internal harmony. This is an important aspect of sub-health treatment.
A chronic illness is one that is long term, with side effects and progressively worsening. Types of chronic illnesses include high blood pressure, diabetes, tumor, thyroid disease, dizziness, Tinnitus etc.
It has become popular for patients to seek TCM and modern medication treatment concurrently. TCM utilizes the information gathered by western science and blends it with its holistic approach.
Each patient is different, so each treatment is individualized. We typically combine acupuncture with herbal medicine or massage etc to drive the healing process.
Chinese pediatric massage is specifically designed to prevent and treat pediatric disorders and uses specialized techniques and pressure points that are particularly beneficial for children. Children’s bodies are immature and therefore inherently weak. They are susceptible to diseases that affect the respiratory and digestive system. The therapy has good effect of promoting the vitality of the body’s immunity system.