REMEDIAL MASSAGE THERAPY IN TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE

Traditional Chinese Medicine is an ancient combination of therapies that address internal imbalances that lead to illness and disease. These imbalances are often caused by an external stimulus like injury or stress. Remedial massage is one traditional Chinese method that addresses injury-related imbalances. 

What is remedial massage therapy?

Remedial massage therapy is a technique that uses pressure to relieve pain and promote healing of damaged tissues. The purpose of remedial massage is to activate the body’s own healing mechanism. Unlike traditional massage, remedial massage aims for the source of the problem, and in treating the source it also relieves the patient’s accompanying symptoms. 

Why get a remedial massage?

Similar to traditional massage, remedial massage eases stiffness and soreness, promotes relaxation, and increases flexibility. Massage is also a great technique to help improve posture, relieve stress and anxiety, decrease pain and swelling in injured tissue, and stimulate the blood supply to aid the removal of toxins from muscles. 

Remedial massage, can be used to treat:

  • sprains and strains
  • back pain
  • neck pain
  • shoulder injuries
  • sciatica
  • arthritis
  • fibrosis
  • fibromyalgia

How to become a remedial massage therapist

Remedial massage therapy is an exciting field with amazing opportunities to meet great people, learn effective techniques to restore and maintain internal balance, aiming others to improve their lifestyle.

To become a remedial massage therapist, you must take courses in the Diploma of Remedial Massage HLT 52015 that are approved by the Australian Natural Therapists Association. You can find approved courses and other requirements here. There are both full-time and part-time options, but all practical training must be performed at an approved campus, such as here, at SITCM.

If you would like more information on the benefits of remedial massage and the opportunities available for remedial massage therapists, contact us today. 

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Our most recent graduates from HLT 52015:

THE PATTER OF LITTLE FEET: HOW ACUPUNCTURE CAN HELP ADD TO YOUR FAMILY

The inability to conceive a child can be a source of much sorrow for a couple. Sometimes there is no apparent reason for the problem, and that just makes it harder. But there is hope. Acupuncture has an amazing ability to help couples conceive and is fast becoming a recognised and effective method for treating infertility. 

Acupuncture may reduces stress

External factors such as career, finances, and more can cause stress for an individual. Being unable to have a child can add to this. Stress causes the body to release stress hormones.

These hormones are intended to help a person escape or face a dangerous situation, also known as the fight or flight reaction.

They are not intended to be in the system on a regular basis. Someone under constant stress finds themselves in a vicious circle. They are upset, which causes stress hormones to be released, and then they are anxious and stressed because of the presence of the hormones.

Acupuncture and Endorphins

For a woman trying to conceive, stress is bad, because stress can alter her normal menstrual cycle, making conception even more unlikely. Acupuncture restores normalcy by causing the body to release endorphins, which are the body’s own painkillers. Endorphins have a calming effect, erasing anxiety and inducing feelings of well-being. Once a normal state has been achieved, blood flow is normalised back to the ovaries and uterus, enhancing fertility. Acupuncture also helps to restore normal blood flow to all areas of the body. 

Endorphins also influence the brain’s pituitary gland, or master gland. The pituitary is responsible for releasing and regulating the hormones of menstruation, conception and early pregnancy. Endorphins help to normalise this critical hormonal system, increasing the chances of pregnancy. 

Some women have difficulty with conception because they have negative immune system factors. Acupuncture, along with diet and herbs, may help to correct theseelements factors and restore the immune system to normal function, eliminating the immune issues that can prevent normal pregnancy from occurring. 

Acupuncture and IVF

Studies have shown that acupuncture increases the chances of success with IVF, too.  Among women receiving IVF and acupuncture concurrently, the pregnancy rate was close to double when compared to women who were only receiving IVF and no acupuncture. 

Acupuncture and Male Infertility

Acupuncture can help men, too. About a third of the time, conception problems are the result of male fertility problems. Acupuncture improves sperm count and motility, both critical factors in conception.

Sydney Institute for Traditional Chinese Medicine

You don’t have to be trying to have a baby to seek help through acupuncture. If you’d like to try acupuncture, or if you’d just like to know more, contact us.  A trained staff member will be able to assist you, and it’s all confidential. We look forward to speaking with you. 

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The Evolution of High Tech Acupuncture

Scientists and practitioners have built a strong case for the use of traditional Chinese acupuncture. Over the last three decades, research has continued to confirm the extensive benefits of this therapy. Expanding on acupuncture‘s proven effectiveness as an analgesic, exciting new developments combine acupuncture with other technologies to advance medical treatment plans.

A new joint study shows groundbreaking results in biomolecular cancer research. During this study, Professor Su-Il In and his partners found that by combining traditional acupuncture with electrical nanotechnology they could decrease the incidence of abnormal vascular clusters that usually precede colorectal cancer in rats. The amazing results didn’t stop there, the research team also found that the combination of acupuncture and technology seems to slow the maturation rate of colorectal cancer in rats.

the research team also found that the combination of acupuncture and technology seems to slow the maturation rate of colorectal cancer in rats.

In the aforementioned study, the researchers used electrochemical nanotechnology to turn traditional acupuncture needles into nanoporous needles. This manipulation increased the surface area of the needles which doubled the electrophysical signal produced by the stimulus and led to the surprising results.

NUANCED BENEFITS OF TRADITIONAL CHINESE ACUPUNCTURE

With a background exceeding 3000 years, acupuncture remains among the more familiar therapies of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Promoting self-healing, a trained acupuncturist stimulates precise body parts targeted by inserting sterile needles. While the much publicised opioid addiction epidemic inspires intense research, crystallising acupuncture’s benefits, its application to other ills defies overestimation.

Formal clinical studies prove acupuncture’s efficacy in treating a multitude of diseases, symptoms, and conditions, including: 

  • Stroke
  • Migraine headaches
  • Depression
  • Joint (e.g., knee, tennis elbow) pain
  • Low back pain

  

 

Treating Post Stroke Patients with Acupuncture

Some days of hospitalisation, with one to two weeks of follow-up in patient rehabilitative care (occupational and speech therapy), form the norm of post stroke treatment. In contrast, many patients treated with acupuncture therapy enjoy a noticeably quicker and comprehensive recovery.

Migraines Resolved through Acupuncture

The internationally well regarded CNN network informed the world of an April 2017 long term study published by JAMA Internal Medicine. The randomised clinical trial, involving 249 migraine patients, confirmed acupuncture’s efficacy. Those undergoing acupuncture therapy enjoyed a significant reduction in migraine (without aura) attacks, as compared with those patients treated with sham acupuncture and those placed on a waiting list.

Treating Depression with Acupuncture

As part of a study, three women with severe mood disorders were treated with electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and electroacupuncture therapy (EAT). Each of these severely depressed patients failed to respond to previous multiple trials of different psychotropic medications and psychotherapies. ETA caused a reduction in symptoms, but at the expense of memory loss and disorientation. On the other hand, EAT coerced significant remission of symptomatology, while also being better tolerated by these patients. Psychopharmacological and/or psychotherapeutic treatment of depression may witness high relapse rates. Acupuncture therapy yields comparable relapse rates, but it precludes the addiction potential associated with prescriptive drugs. And, as noted, produces none of the adverse side effects accompanying other treatment regimens. Combined with research’s failure to confirm drugs as a superior treatment, the studies strongly suggest acupuncture as the wiser therapeutic alternative. 

Joint and Low Back Pain

A 90 athletes clinical study segregated the subjects into three treatment groups: acupuncture only, massage only, and a combination of Traditional Chinese Medicine massage with acupuncture. The third group, receiving the combined therapy, showed the most comprehensive improvement. 

The U.S. National Library of Medicine, collaborating with the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, conducted a study to determine the “Efficacy of Acupuncture for Chronic Low Back Pain.” (6) The clinical trial underscored acupuncture therapy as “effective for chronic low back pain.” 

In summary,acupuncture focused studies repeatedly embrace its inherent value. Unlike prescription driven pill remedies, the looming shadows of potential addiction or adverse side effects do not exist. That reality guarantees continued controlled studies of acupuncture’s treatment prowess and, in all likelihood, consistent across the board authoritative enthusiasm.

The Sydney Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine provides higher and vocational education on natural health remedies. Contact us to discern the precise manner in which you can emerge as an industry ready practitioner in the growing field of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

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A REVIEW OF ACUPUNCTURE IN CANCER TREATMENT PROGRAMS

Cancer is a treacherous disease that devastates individuals and families. While medical advancements have increased the survival rate for many forms of cancer, the individuals affected must still deal with the pain and side effects of aggressive treatment plans and recovery. Fortunately, proponents of Traditional Chinese Medicine have long known that acupuncture is an effective analgesic, and there is an increasing collection of data that supports this practice. 

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UNDERSTANDING THE BASICS & BENEFITS OF TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE

Proponents of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) have trusted its practice for over 2000 years. TCM has a rich history and continues to grow in popularity. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health offers great insight on the beliefs that gave rise to TCM, the therapies and techniques in practice today, and the science that currently supports TCM. 

Ancient Beliefs

History asserts that TCM has its roots in ancient Taoism. Similar to Taoist beliefs, TCM sees humans as microcosms of the universe. Ancient TCM proponents also agreed with Taoist practitioners that balance was important. In TCM, the balance of opposing yin and yang forces supports holistic health. In addition to the Yin and Yan forces, TCM also believes in Qi as an energy that flows through every individual and is essential in maintaining health. TCM is based on the belief that fire, earth, wood, metal, and water have the ability to represent all manner of phenomena. 

TCM in Practice

TCM includes a variety of practices and treatment methods. Here are some of the most well-known:

  • Acupuncture: Technique during which practitioners insert thin needles through the skin to stimulate and manipulate Qi flow.
  • Moxibustion: A form of heat therapy used to increase Qi flow and dispel pathogens.
  • Herbal Medicine: The use of plants and plant parts for medicinal purposes.
  • Tui Na: Therapeutic massage and bodywork used to treat disharmony in the body.
  • Tai Chi: A series of focused movements combined with deep breathing techniques to help with relaxation. 

Current Research

In 2012, data gathered from 29 pain studies showed that acupuncture patients reported better pain relief than the patients who did not receive acupuncture.

Recent Tai Chi studies seem to support this therapy as beneficial in joint strength and mobility as well as general wellbeing in certain populations. 

Interested in learning more about the history or benefits of TCM? Contact us today or download our free guide: