Author: blue-dragon-acupuncture.com

Almost everyone experiences tiredness from time to time. A late night, a demanding week at work or looking after young children can leave anyone feeling exhausted. Usually, a good night’s sleep or a quiet weekend is enough to restore our energy. For some people, however, fatigue becomes something altogether different. They wake feeling unrefreshed, struggle…

The Extraordinary Vessels in Chinese Medicine The Extraordinary Vessels (奇经八脉, qí jīng bā mài) are a group of eight channels that occupy a distinctive position within the theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine. They are sometimes described as the body’s “reservoirs” or “regulating vessels”. Unlike the twelve primary meridians, they are not directly associated with one of the…

Introduction Most people are familiar with the idea that acupuncture involves selecting individual points to treat illness. However, experienced practitioners rarely think about points in isolation. Instead, many treatments are built around carefully selected point pairings, known in Chinese as Dui Xue (对穴). Just as Chinese herbal medicine has Dui Yao—traditional herb pairs that have proved their value…

Losing your sense of smell can be surprisingly devastating. Most of us rarely think about our sense of smell until it disappears. Suddenly, favourite foods lose their flavour, flowers have no fragrance, and everyday experiences become muted. Many people also describe feeling disconnected from the world around them. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, awareness of smell…

Pediatric Epilepsy in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM): Overview & Treatments Definition & Overview Pediatric epilepsy (痫证) is a common, convulsive neurological condition in children. It is characterized by sudden collapse, loss of consciousness, drooling, upward eye movements, and limb convulsions, with recovery after the episode often returning the child to near-normal state. Epilepsy most often…

Qi Deficiency (气虚, qì xū) is one of the most common patterns encountered in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Qi is often translated as “energy”, although this does not quite capture the full meaning of the Chinese concept. In Chinese medicine, Qi refers to the functional activity of the body: its ability to transform food into nourishment,…

Introduction: Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is an ancient medical system with rich theoretical foundations and practical experiences. Among its components, Dui Yao, also known as herbal pairing, is a crucial aspect of TCM theory. In non-Chineses Herbalism, which is the kind of herbalism most ordinary people might be familiar with, herbs are almost always used…