Cupping is a gentle suction therapy applied to the surface of the skin to create an upward pull on muscles and fascia, and has been in continuous use around the world for thousands of years. Recent clinical research has corroborated its efficacy in the management of many different types of pain including chronic low back, joint, muscle, menstrual, digestive, and pain related to herpes zoster/shingles, as well as headache. It also supports breathing in acute or chronic asthma or cough, promotes quick resolution of the common cold, and reduces fever.

Moxibustion, also known as moxa, is the burning of dried mugwort on or near the skin. As old as acupuncture, moxibustion is used to build energy, warm the body, improve circulation, strengthen digestion, and resolve stagnation, making it an effective therapy for a variety of conditions. Many experience the penetrating heat of moxa as deeply soothing.

Gua sha uses a blunt edged tool to stimulate the surface of the skin with a gentle scraping technique. It increases surface blood circulation and stimulates immune function, and is used for muscle aches and pain, relief from colds and flu, low immunity, detoxification, morning sickness, and some internal organ disorders such as liver inflammation or lung conditions.

One of the guiding principles of Chinese medicine is that prevention is far better than cure. Indeed, Chinese medical theory has a rich understanding of the nature of good health, and how we might cultivate and maintain it abundantly throughout the different stages of our lives. The ways in which you navigate your own body and life — moment to moment and day to day — have far more influence on your overall health and healing than any outside intervention ever will. At the end of the day, you are your own best healer. Once illuminated, the beneficial diet and lifestyle modifications Chinese medicine proposes come easy to some, while for others the process of change can be quite rugged. I’m known for bringing a no-nonsense yet deeply compassionate approach to this aspect of patient education and care.