Traditional Chinese Medicine in Taiwan

For over 3000 years Chinese medicine has healed sick and balanced bodies through massage, manipulation of energy/blood flow and acupuncture. The theories of these practises were long ago outlined in the Nei Jing, the Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine, written between the third and first century B.C.

• Ba Guan - is the art of placing large bell-shaped vacuum caps on one's back, then using the strong suction inside the cups, blood is pulled to the surface of the body. Ailments are said to be in the blood; therefore, brining the blood to the surface draws the toxins and ailments up and allows the body to rid itself of disease - even maladies that may be within internal organs. The downside of the ba guan is that the suction cups leaves large, red, circular bruises on the skin. These bruises remain a deep scarlet colour for about a week, slowly healing and changing back to a normal skin tone over a period of about a month.

• Gua Sha - typically follows a Ba guan treatment. The technique involves pressing a cowhorn implement onto pressure points along the shoulders, spine and often the entire back, then dragging the tool (in a scraping motion) with a force that causes bruising and bursting of small capillaries, bringing more of the body's internal impurities to the surface. Acupuncture generally follows this to help the body relax and to induce quicker healing by balancing the flow of yin and yang.

• Acupuncture - doesn't always mean that a needles has to go into your skin. Some acupuncture involves a small steel prong that is connected to a source of low electrical current. This is pressed onto pressure points and held until the flow of electricity stimulates these points. The initial sensation is very painful, especially if one of the “acu-points” that is being pressed connects to a body organ or energy field that is unhealthy. The unhealthier the organ the more painful the treatment. The soreness is temporary though and the initial sting is replaced by a sense of relaxation.

  The same can be said about traditional acupuncture. Needles are pushed into “acu-points” that are connected with energy fields or internal organs and it is the stimulation of these “acu-points” that activates that organ or energy field and through a combination of techniques including acupuncture and others, this stimulation unblock organs or energy flows or can induce proper function.

• Hair-Pulling - yep – hard to believe this one when I first encountered it. Relax, now a trained professional comes in behind you, grabs your hair in a special way and they slowly start pulling. Gently, then harder, and harder and harder. Until your eyes become slits and the skin on your forehead is stretched tightly back. This generates exquisite pain, tingles flow and then, when it’s done, your legs are like rubber. It feels absolutely amazing.

  ---

  Ancient Chinese Secret

  - best thing for you to drink is warm water. Water cures, cleanses, restores health, and keeps us young.

  ---

• Foot Massage - is my favourite of all treatments. The soles of the feet are said to have 64 reflex zones directly links to internal organs, making the feet a map of the entire body. Foot masses is based on the same principles of acupuncture where rubbing and pressing the feet stimulates “ci” improving organ function and restoring internal health.

The best part of all of this is that you can get a FULL treatment including a foot massage and the whole nine yards cheap! A foot massage and full body massage is generally NT$1000 or less.