Acupuncture: Needle on an acupoint
Massage therapy: Tuina (also called Anmo)
Moxibustion: Burning an herbal stick placed above an acupoint
Cupping: Vacuum suction cups on the skin (near acupoints)
Herbs: Herbal Medicine (fighting diseases), Dietary Supplements (seasonal adjustment)
Therapeutic exercises: Tai Chi, Qi Gong and many others

Acupuncture involves the insertion of hair-thin needles into specific points on the body. There are as many as 2,000 acupuncture points on the human body (though only approximately 350 acupoints are commonly used), which are connected by 20 meridians (channels and collaterals). Most people feel only a minimal amount of pain as the needles are inserted. When practiced by a licensed practitioner, acupuncture is extremely safe and does no harm. It can treat many health conditions, and also bring total relaxation to the mind and body.

An acupuncture session usually takes 30-45 minutes. Patients will need a thorough diagnosis first. Most patients are treated once a week;some are treated up to three times per week. We expect patients to feel some relief of symptoms after a couple of sessions. Due to many variables, it is difficult to predict how long it will take for acupuncture to cure a particular health condition.

Acupatch is an adhesive patch with a metal pellet, which can stimulate an acupuncture point without penetrating the skin. Acupatch is effective in its own right. It acts more slowly than acupuncture and is more effective for shallow acupoints, such as on the ear. The advantage of acupatch is that patients can massage those acupoints themselves, thus relieving certain symptoms on demand. We usually use acupatch in conjunction with acupuncture. For patients who do not like needles, acupatches may be used without acupuncture. Acupatch is effective for headaches, pain relief, weight issues and various addictions (smoking, drinking, substance abuse). An acupatch session takes about 10-20 minutes. Patients need to visit the clinic twice a week.

Cupping is carried out by placing an oxygen-depleted glass cup on the skin. The vacuum, which is created by a burning taper placed briefly inside the cup prior to its placement on the skin, stimulates the flow of Chi and blood in the cupping area. Cupping therapy can be performed as an alternative to acupuncture. The cups are placed over acupuncture points, but they treat a larger area of the body. At Chi Wellness, cupping is usually used in junction with massage or acupuncture as needed. A cupping session takes about 20-30 minutes.

Herbal formulas consist of a combination of herbs. There are 150,000 formulas recorded in Chinese medicine. Herbalists prescribe formulas specifically tailored for a particular patient and a particular medical manifestation of a condition. Here, Chinese herbal medicine has an advantage over other types of herbal treatments. Herbal remedies are effective for many health conditions and have few side effects when prescribed by qualified practitioners.

Patients will need a thorough diagnosis before being given a prescription (a combination of of 5-20 herbs). A prescription is used for 1-2 weeks before patients are reevaluated. Chi Wellness is still in the process of building a pharmacy of 200 kinds of herbal extract powders. Meanwhile, we provide our patients with herbs in raw forms (requiring brewing) or powder forms through other quality herbal pharmacies in Boston.

Tuina Massage therapy is called Tuina (meaning push and pull) in China. The Tuina therapist manipulates the energy in the body by kneading the points along the Chi meridians. There are four main schools of Tuina, encompassing about twenty techniques. One is Acupressure, which relies on fingers to stimulate acupoints. Tuina is used for relief of pain, headache, injuries, stress, insomnia, poor digestion and irritable bowel syndrome. During a Tuina session, especially those of one hour or longer, patients get into a state of tranquility and total relaxation. Patients feel rested and yet energized afterwards. The therapeutic effects of Tuina often last for days and up to a week.

Our form of massage is deep, strong and precise. During the first visit, we recommend customers with chronic aches and pains to have a whole body massage, which takes approximately one hour. In the first session, our therapist will survey and diagnose sore points throughout the body, systematically relieving pain. Our treatment will not only treat pain being felt at the moment, but also expose and treat hidden pain. The latter may cause future injuries and health complications if not treated properly. It is particularly effective to combine therapeutic Tuina with acupuncture therapies. During, or shortly after the session, customers may experience some soreness. This should not be cause for alarm or require treatment with medications.

Reflexology is a form of therapeutic massage in Tuina that is applied to the feet or the` head. According to Chinese medicine, the feet or head reflect health conditions of various parts of the body. Reflexology massage can promote overall wellness, relieve stress, headaches, strains and pains. Reflexology massage is strong, but more refined than whole body massage. Patients feel light and energized afterwards.

Tai Chi, an ancient Chinese exercise, combines martial arts with Chi-Gong (or Qigong) breathing techniques. Tai Chi is a serious yet gentle workout that brings a unique state of tranquility. Tai Chi's therapeutic benefits include: stress release, relaxation of mind and body, relief of aches and pains, and improvement of strength, flexibility, balance, and coordination. Tai Chi exercise requires regular practice. Average students may expect to gain therapeutic benefits after 3 to 12 months of practice.