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Understanding Common Types of Pain

Many individuals who visit our Eu Yan Sang TCM Physicians experience discomfort in the neck, shoulders, and spinal region. These areas are especially vulnerable because of poor posture when standing, sitting, or carrying heavy items. Over time, such habits can lead to muscular strain, imbalance, and eventually chronic aches.

We also support patients with acute injuries arising from sports or accidental falls. When an injury appears severe, our Physicians will refer the individual to a Western doctor for further assessment. For less serious cases, TCM treatments can help enhance the body’s natural healing process.

How Pain Arises

From a TCM perspective, pain often stems from two key causes: obstruction and deficiency.

Disrupted qi and blood flow, or
deficiency in qi, blood, the liver, or the kidney,

may give rise to sensations such as swelling, piercing discomfort, aching, tightness, or cold and warm types of pain.

Pain can occur in any part of the body. At Eu Yan Sang, our Physicians support pain-related conditions linked to nerve or soft tissue issues through acupuncture, scraping, tuina, and cupping. These methods often yield positive outcomes. For conditions such as fractures, bone spurs, or severe muscle or ligament tears, patients may require additional medical evaluation.

TCM Pain Management Options

At Eu Yan Sang, our Physicians can offer various TCM approaches to help individuals manage pain effectively.

Acupuncture: On top of pain relief, it provides a wide range of benefits and supports overall wellness.
Scraping: Suitable for milder discomfort
Cupping: For deeper or more persistent aches.
Tuina: Helps relax tense muscles and improve joint mobility.

Building on this approach, our physicians also integrate Electromagnetic Therapy via the Super Inductive System (SIS) to provide more comprehensive pain support.

By applying targeted electromagnetic fields to the nerves and muscles, this therapy helps disrupt pain signals, relax tense muscles, and improve qi and blood circulation. When used alongside acupuncture, it further enhances meridian stimulation, supporting more effective pain relief and recovery.

Lifestyle Adjustments to Support Healing

While receiving TCM support, it is essential to stay physically active. Gentle movement and stretching help keep the muscles flexible and reduce the likelihood of recurring discomfort. However, overexertion should be avoided, as it may worsen symptoms.

In TCM, pain is often linked to poor circulation or blood stagnation around the affected area. Eu Yan Sang’s approach focuses on promoting qi and blood flow, relaxing the muscles and soothing the nerves through herbal medication and physical therapies.

Diet's role in pain management
Incorporating certain foods may help ease discomfort naturally:

Ginger / Indian Curry / Chili Padi
These contain turmeric, which may help reduce discomfort. Menstruating women may find ginger tea with brown sugar helpful in easing menstrual pain.
Omega-3
Deep-sea fish rich in Omega-3 are known to support inflammation relief, rheumatism, arthritis, and migraines.
Coffee
Coffee may temporarily lessen discomfort by influencing pain receptors. This is most effective for those who do not drink coffee regularly.
Berries / Cherries
Strawberries, cherries, and blackberries have anti-inflammatory properties similar to aspirin. They also support the immune system and help soothe aches.

Ready to Support Your Wellness Journey
If persistent aches are affecting your daily life, our Eu Yan Sang Physicians are here to help you find relief and restore balance from a TCM perspective.

Book an appointment today and take the first step towards better comfort, better mobility, and better well-being.

Acupuncture and expert consultation can help:

Increase circulation to get your energy flowing again
Stimulate meridians & restore balance within your body

Alleviate pain & feel good again

What is Acupuncture?

Acupuncture, involves the insertion of thin needles into specific points on the body to stimulate energy flow and promote healing. It’s a time-tested practice with roots dating back thousands of years, renowned for its ability to alleviate various forms of pain and restore harmony within the body.

How Can Acupuncture Help You?

Increase Circulation: By targeting key points, acupuncture enhances blood flow, aiding in the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to tissues and organs. Say goodbye to stagnation and hello to revitalisation!

Restore Balance: TCM operates on the principle of balancing the body’s vital energy, or ‘Qi’. Acupuncture helps to unblock meridians, ensuring smooth energy flow and promoting overall well-being.

Alleviate Pain: Whether you’re dealing with chronic discomfort or acute aches, acupuncture offers targeted relief. From migraines to muscle tension, our physicians tailor treatments to address your specific needs, providing effective and lasting pain management.

World Health Organization (WHO) Endorsement

In 2003, the World Health Organization (WHO) recognised acupuncture as an effective form of treatment for 28 diseases, symptoms, or conditions and identified 64 indications where acupuncture could be beneficial. These include but are not limited to:

Headaches
Neck Pain
Knee pain
Low back pain
Sprain
Sciatica
Rheumatoid arthritis
Tennis elbow

Article reviewed by:

Physician Dylan Soo

TCM Physician at Eu Yan Sang TCM Clinic

Get The Right Treatment

Fight The Flu With TCM

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), flu is perceived as an invasion of the body by external pathogenic factors (邪气), brought about by seasonal changes. The battle between pathogenic factors and the body’s immunity, also known as Vital Qi (正气), results in the exhibition of symptoms like runny nose, cough, dry throat and fever.

There are six external pathogenic factors in TCM: wind, cold, summer heat, dampness, dryness, and fire (heat). These arise from abnormal changes in weather or climate, and can also combine to form different patterns of illness. Among these, the two most common types of flu are wind-cold flu (风寒感冒) and wind-heat flu (风热感冒).

Wind-cold flu (风寒感冒)

Occurs more frequently during cold weather or environments.
Common symptoms: runny nose with clear mucus, strong aversion to cold, chills, fever, little or no sweating, and cough with clear phlegm.

Wind-heat flu (风热感冒)

Occurs more often during hot and dry seasons.
Common symptoms: a sensation of heat, cough with yellow phlegm, runny nose with yellow mucus, sweating, headache, sore throat, thirst, yellow urine, and dry or hard stools.

Treatments are aimed at expelling the heat and cooling the body. Examples of herbs which are used include Fructus Forsythiae (lian qiao, 连翘) and Flos Lonicera (honeysuckle flower, 金银花).

Acupressure Points for Relieving Flu Symptoms

1) Feng Chi (GB-20)

Location: At the base of the skull, in the depression adjacent to the large neck muscle.

Benefits: It is an important point on the head and can dispel pathogenic wind evil. As flu and headache are typically due to invasion of pathogenic wind evil, massaging the Feng Chi acupoint can help relieve flu symptoms and headaches.

2) He Gu (LI-04)

Location: On the back of the hand, and it is at the highest point of the muscle when the thumb and index fingers are brought close together.

Benefits: This point can be used for conditions in the neck and head region, such as headaches, fever, dry mouth, nosebleeds, swollen neck, sore throat, or ENT (ear, nose, and throat) related conditions.

3) Ying Xiang (LI-20)

Location: On either side of the nose, at the meeting point with the nasolabial line or laugh line. You may use the knuckle of the thumb or index finger to massage this acupoint.

Benefits: This acupoint is connected to the Lung meridian and nose. Hence, stimulating this acupoint helps to clear nasal congestion and other nasal discomfort.

Self-help Home Remedies

Note: As mentioned above, treatment in TCM varies according to the type of flu pattern. It is important to obtain an accurate diagnosis of your condition before trying any home remedies.

1) Ginger Tea (for Wind-Cold Flu Pattern)

Ingredients: 10g Ginger, 10–15g Brown Sugar
Preparation: Slice the ginger and simmer it in boiling water with the lid closed for 5–10 minutes. Add the brown sugar afterwards. Drink the tea while it is still hot.

2) Chrysanthemum Flowers Tea

Ingredients: 6g Chrysanthemum flowers, 6g Mulberry leaves, 3g Wolfberries
Preparation: Simmer the Chrysanthemum flowers and Mulberry leaves in boiling water for 5–10 minutes. Add the wolfberries before serving. Drink when slightly cooled.

As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure. A stronger body makes you less susceptible to illness. It is especially important to strengthen your immune system during haze periods or flu season. Here are some helpful tips!

Stay hydrated. Aim for at least 8 cups (about 1.9 litres) of water daily to keep your body functioning optimally.
Exercise regularly. Engage in light activities such as jogging or swimming three to four times a week to promote good blood circulation and support the smooth flow of Qi throughout your body.
Get adequate sleep. Ensure at least 7 hours of uninterrupted sleep each night to allow your body to recharge and recover.
Maintain a balanced diet. Avoid spicy, fried, and oily foods to prevent excessive internal heat. Steer clear of cold drinks, as TCM believes that cold foods and beverages can weaken the digestive system.
Consume enough fibre. Include fibre-rich foods in your diet and stay well-hydrated to support smooth and regular bowel movements.
Support your body with herbs. Herbs such as wild American ginseng and Cordyceps are known to boost vital Qi and strengthen respiratory (lung) functions. Drinking luohan fruit tea regularly can also help clear lung heat and replenish the body’s yin.

Note: In TCM, there is rarely a one-size-fits-all solution. Even individuals with the same condition may receive different prescriptions, as their root causes and body constitutions can vary. For a more detailed diagnosis and treatment plan, it is best to consult a registered TCM physician. Pregnant individuals are also advised to seek professional guidance before consuming any herbs or performing acupressure massage.

Covid-19 in TCM’s Point of View

Over the past thousands of years of Chinese history, TCM has battled against hundreds of plagues that led to the accumulation of effective treatments and prevention methods to alleviate the symptoms experienced. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) as we experience today, is also classified as a “plague”.

Unlike a common flu that is caused by common pathogenic factors (e.g. wind, cold, heat, humidity, dryness and fire), plague is often associated with dampness and toxin pathogens. Currently, the clinical observations in China have shown that COVID-19 is commonly caused by the interactions of dampness, toxin, heat, and stasis, of which dampness being the most dominate pathogenic factor.

For mild to moderate stages of COVID-19, the common symptoms observed are low fever, tiredness, dry cough, muscle ache, nausea or diarrhea. The common syndrome is “lung with dampness toxin retention” and hence the TCM treatment principle is to eliminate exterior pathogens, heat and dampness, detoxify and invigorate the spleen.

Why do some people have it worst then? This is because COVID-19 is a disease that presents itself in different stages. For the critical stages, the toxin further attacks the lung and heart, at worst blocking the vital organ’s function and resulting in the collapse of yang qi in the body. This results in high fever, shortness of breath, unconsciousness, multiple functional failure and shock. The treatment principle at this critical stage aims to ventilate lung qi, remove heat to restore consciousness and to recuperate the yang qi.

Here are some tips to help with your recovery from Covid-19.
Do:
consume smaller meal portions at the beginning and slowly increase portion as your appetite returns.
Start off with food that are easy to digest, for example diluted porridge.

Incorporate other nutritious food as you regain appetite, such as thicker porridge, fish meat and chicken soup.

_{Tips: To remove excess dampness and strengthen your spleen, you can boil lotus leaves in water first and use this water to later cook your porridge. You can also add Chinese barley (薏苡仁), Chinese yam (山药), lotus seed (莲子), tangerine peel (陈皮) and Qian Shi (芡实) into your diet too.}

Don’t:
over-consume cold and raw food such as fruits and salads, spicy and oily food as it will trap dampness and further burden your spleen and stomach.

_{Sources: https://cmjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13020-020-00375-1}

Natural Rhythm of Yin & Yang in Our Body

Sleep is an essential part of your life. It is not only a form of rest, but a physiological function that helps your body to recharge and perform at its best the next day.

In TCM, sleep is part of the natural rhythm of Yin and Yang in the body. In the concept of Yin-Yang, Yin represents passive forces while Yang represents active forces. TCM classic The Spiritual Axis (Lingshu, 灵枢) uses the Yin-Yang concept to explain sleep in chapter 28. It is said that “when Yang is depleting and Yin is abundant, one’s eyes are closed. When Yin is depleting and Yang is predominant, one is awake.”

Sleep is also believed to be regulated by the cycle of Protective Qi (Wei Qi) and Nutritive Qi (Ying Qi). Protective Qi flows along Yang meridians for 25 rounds during the daytime and circulates through the Yin meridians for another 25 rounds at night. The cycle in the day enables the body to be active and awake, while the cycle at night enables the body to rest and recharge.

Sleep is a part of the Shen activities which function in the day and cease during the night to allow the Heart, Liver, Spleen, Lung and Kidney meridians to rest and recharge. You will be able to sleep well when the Shen is rooted and rested, but your sleep will be affected if the Shen is disturbed.

Ideal Time to Sleep

In TCM, Qi flows through 12 principal meridians within the body in a 24-hour cycle. When Qi flows through a specific principal meridian, it takes around 2 hours to vitalise and strengthen the organ system associated to that particular meridian before continuing to subsequent meridians.

The ideal time to sleep in accordance to the meridian clock is by 11pm. If your sleep is disturbed at a certain hour repeatedly, it is an indication that the paired organ system may require your attention.

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