Traditional Chinese Medicine

Tuina Anmo

Manual therapy in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM): comparable to massage and manual therapy in Western medicine. In Tuina (tui = pushing, na = grasping), not only massage techniques and mobilizations are used, but also cupping/cupping massage and gua sha. Acupuncture points are activated through pressure instead of needles. The treatment can be very intense and sometimes painful, but is always tailored to the individual constitution. Suitable for all indications of Chinese medicine.

Acupuncture

The best-known form of therapy from Chinese medicine in the West. After an initial Chinese diagnostic assessment, very fine needles are inserted into specific points (so-called acupuncture points) and left in place for up to twenty minutes. An acupuncture session is generally deeply relaxing, and many patients fall asleep during the treatment. Main indications include pain syndromes, tension (stress), as well as autonomic issues such as digestive or sleep problems.

Qigong and Taijiquan

Active exercises in TCM:

Qigong, or “working with Qi,” are essentially the physiotherapy or therapeutic exercises of TCM. There are exercises for every area, including mobility, strength, coordination, and balance, as well as endurance if performed with sufficient intensity.

Taijiquan roughly means “the highest form of unarmed combat” and is a synthesis of Qigong and the martial art Gongfu. In a set sequence, all combat techniques are practiced in slow motion with an imaginary opponent. This approach is highly effective for improving strength, mobility, and balance, while also being deeply meditative. Taijiquan is meditation in motion at its finest.

Chinese herbal medicine or pharmacotherapy

After an initial Chinese diagnostic assessment, it is determined whether herbal therapy is indicated and desired by the patient. Treatment with Chinese herbs and minerals corresponds to pharmacological therapy in Western medicine. This form of treatment accounts for the largest share of all TCM therapies worldwide. A special feature is that most prescriptions are individually tailored to each patient, and single substances are only rarely used. In Germany, only ingredients that have been tested according to European standards are used, including species protection regulations and testing for heavy metals and toxic substances. Administration is typically in the form of a decoction (boiled raw herbs), as powders, granules, tablets, or tinctures. For common indications, ready-made formulations are increasingly available to reduce the effort required for patients.

Five Elements Nutrition (TCM Dietetics)

In contrast to Western nutritional science, Chinese dietetics places a strong emphasis on the digestibility of food. Meals are preferably cooked, eaten in a calm setting, and thoroughly chewed. In addition to tolerability, the specific thermal effect of foods is particularly important: foods with high water content, such as cucumber, tomato, or melon, have a cooling effect on the body and are therefore especially suitable in summer, but not for patients who tend to feel cold. Foods rich in fat and protein, such as fatty meat and hard cheese, as well as many pungent spices like chili, pepper, ginger, or garlic, have a strong warming effect. They are ideal in winter but unsuitable for patients with heat symptoms (such as excessive sweating or digestive issues like gastritis).

The superfood of TCM is nourishing soups—often consumed even three times a day.