Traditionelle Chinesische Medizin (TCM) und Osteopathie in Berlin-Charlottenburg und Oberfranken

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Oliver Lohse carries a Masters Degree in Chinese Medicine from the Zhejiang Chinese Medical University.

Traditional Chinese Medicine heals gently. The physicians of ancient China developed over thousands of years a refined understanding of the processes within the human body. Through careful observation and the transmission of knowledge across generations, they accumulated a body of wisdom that remains valid today for restoring and maintaining health.

This state of health is characterized by lightness and effortlessness. To reach it, one must learn to understand the body’s language, recognize its needs, and provide what it requires so that it can restore balance on its own as much as possible.

This principle is represented by the symbol of Yin and Yang. It expresses the simplest form of balance. Everything that exists has polarities, such as above and below, inside and outside, soft and hard. In the Yin-Yang symbol, these polarities are harmoniously distributed. At the same time, its flowing design indicates that polarities are constantly changing. What is above sinks downward, what is below rises upward. What is soft contracts and solidifies, and what is solid eventually dissolves. In a harmonious state, these transformations follow a life-supporting order.

When this transformation of polarities becomes unbalanced, harmony is lost. The change no longer occurs effortlessly, and additional energy must be expended.

Traditional Chinese Medicine is the art of restoring and promoting this natural balance of forces within the body. It observes the relationships between regions on the body surface (meridians and acupuncture points), internal organs, body functions, types of body tissue, emotions, climatic influences, and the cycles of day and season.

These interrelations are grouped into five overarching elements which, like Yin and Yang, together form a harmonious whole.

The TCM practitioner makes a diagnosis by palpating the pulse, examining the tongue, and classifying the described symptoms.

Based on this diagnosis, a treatment plan is developed. The methods used may include acupuncture, moxibustion, herbal therapy, Tui Na massage, cupping, and Gua Sha.

The duration of treatment can be very short in acute cases, consisting of only a few closely spaced sessions, or it can extend over long periods—or even life phases—in chronic or supportive cases.

Traditional Chinese Medicine has been used in China for thousands of years to treat almost all human illnesses. Like all healing systems that predate modern natural science, TCM is based on a worldview formed through experience and interpretation. Its effects are therefore often not fully explainable by scientific means.

Over the past two decades, numerous studies have been conducted to evaluate its effectiveness according to modern empirical standards. The World Health Organization (WHO) has published an analysis of these studies.

Acupuncture

Moxibustion, Electro-Acupuncture, Dry-Needling/Sparrow Pecking

Acupuncture is the best-known method of TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) in the west.

In acupuncture, fine needles are inserted in precisely located points which are situated all over the body. Many of these acupuncturepoints are familiar in their properties and build coherent paths together. These paths, appearing like energy pathways are called in the west ‘meridians’.

During millenia doctors of Traditional Chinese Medicine have observed and passed on relations between certain areas of the bodies surface and its internal functions.
These relations are fundamental to all further mentioned methods of therapy in TCM.

By means of stimulating acupuncture points processes of the body can get regulated, pain can be relieved and energetical blockages can get neutralised.

Because the needles used for acupuncture are very thin, often the stitch is not even perceptible. If the patient is very sensitive or anxious points which are less tender and even smaller needles can be chosen.

Moxibustion is a TCM-method, where points or regions are treated with warmth. Traditionally dried mugwort (Moxa) is burnt in a small box near the body or on the end of an already set needle. The warmth penetrating the body activates, moves, opens vessels and expels coldness. Modern moxa lamps provide a similar infrared radiation without fire and smoke by electrical heating up a mineral disc. In my TCM practice in Berlin Charlottenburg I primarily use such moxa lamps.

For treating stagnated humidity which stagnated within the tissue, needles which are already set can be attached to a weak electrical current. Aim of this technic, called electro-acupuncture, is particularly the treatment of muscle- and jointpain.

Another method in acupuncture is the direct treatment of so called Ashi 阿是 Points, tender points deep in the muscles, via a needling technique called ‘Sparrow Pecking’. Modern physiotherapy adopted parts of this therapy style as ‘Dry Needling’. We use this method for strong patients and athlethes.

Tuina Anmo, Cupping, Guasha

Tui Na literally means pressing and pushing and is a description for all manual technics in Traditional Chinese Medicine for the treatment of patients. Anmo means pressing and rubbing and comprises treatments which we call massage in the west. As a whole, Tuina Anmo is a treatment form, containg massages, acupressure, osteopathic and chiropractic technics, mobilisations, tapping, jolting, et al..

The method of cupping, as used for centuries in all parts of the world, is also part of Tuina Anmo.  Cupping is used for removing blood stagnation, breaking stasis and removing coldness.
In Guasha, the skin is continously rubbed with a blunt spoon to remove conglutination in the underlying tissue.

Herbal Therapy

The treatment with herbs is the most important method in TCM. With a drug arsenal containing roots, leaves, fruits, minerals and few animal products the most diverse diseases and symptoms are being cured. Here, processing and combination of the drugs play an essential role. A TCM-recipe usually contains between two and twelve drugs.

An intake of TCM-herbs can be indicated for relieving an acute or chronic suffering. A herbal therapy usually takes depending on the issue a few weeks up to several months.
In context of preventive lifestyle, under counseling of the therapist, TCM-herbs can also be taken continuous in smaller doses.

In most cases the animal products can be replaced with plants for vegans.

Traditionally the herbs are cooked several times before intake. Modern herbs often are powderised and can be prepared within 20min cooking time or even as an infusion. For cases where not even this is possible there exist pre-processed herbal granulates which only need to be poured with warm water as well as ready made preparations.

Dietetics, Lifestyle

Your diet and lifestyle are fundamental for your enduring wellness and health. Traditional Chinese Medicine classifies foods in their influence to the body and therefore allows a very conscious diet. Here many foods are also considered remedies and the other way around. Also the different ways of processing food and the time of eating play a role. Which leads to lifestyle.

Fortunately TCM is not a medicine of ascetiscm but rather points out a ‘middle path’ which shall be taken. Man shall avoid extremes and shall balance the influences in life.  In a nutshell the answer to the question what one needs for a healthy life is: Recreative sleep, good food, clean air and fun.
I will happily support you in my practice in Berlin Charlottenburg for finding your personal, healthy lifestyle.

QiGong

The practice of QiGong as one of the five main branches of TCM also has a place in my practice and not only myself but my patients practice it regularly for therapy and wellbeing. To regulate and balance the yin and yang qi of the organs and the general system of body a regular practice of qigong is recommended.

Click here to find a schedule of regular QiGong Lessons and Workshops in my practice.