Traditional Chinese Therapies

Dr Li Lu offers a number of different therapies to treat a wide range of conditions:

• Acupuncture
  This involves putting fine sterilised needles at certain points in the body to mobilise Ch'I energy. It is a standard Chinese treatment which is becoming increasingly recognised in the West. Usually, acupuncture doesn't hurt and most patients find it restful and relaxing. The needles are much finer than the typical sewing needle. They are pre-sterilised for single-use only, and they are discarded after each treatment.
• Acupressure and Moxibustion
  These are alternatives to acupuncture using needles. With acupressure, the points are massaged with the tip of the finger; with moxibustion, the points are gently heated.
• Cupping
  A flame is briefly used to heat the air in a glass cup, which is then put on the surface of the skin. As the air in the cup cools down, a partial vacuum is formed which sucks the skin into the cup. Some cups may be quickly removed and replaced, whilst others may be left in place for a few minutes. Cupping doesn't hurt and most patients find it very relaxing, but it does leave round marks on the skin which may take several days to fade away. Cupping was once a popular therapy in the West, but today is only performed by a small number of practitioners.
• Medical Massage
  According to the patient's condition, this may be gentle or deep tissue massage, and possibly combined with acupressure.
• Chinese Herbal Medicine
  The clinic carries a large range of Chinese loose herbs and prepared herbal products. Where necessary, Dr Li Lu can create a special prescription of loose herbs tailored for an individual patient. These are normally boiled up at home and drunk as an infusion or tea.