Indigo Chinese Medicine

The Clinic

The clinic houses a comprehensive raw herbal medicine dispensary with over 180 individual herbs along with a wide variety of herbal pills and capsules catering to a large array of presentations.

Located just a stone's throw from Sunrise beach.

Therapies

Acupuncture

Acupuncture treatment involves the insertion of fine, sterile needles into specific points on the body to relieve pain and/or to help stimulate the proper flow of the body’s normal regulation.
Acupuncture consults involve a thorough case-taking, diagnosis and treatment with acupuncture. In some instances cupping, moxibustion, tui na, and/or diet and self help advice are provided.

Constitutional Facial Acupuncture
Constitutional facial acupuncture aims to reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles on the face and improve skin tone and quality. This is achieved by working on the internal system – emotional, energetic and physical – to release whatever it is we’re hanging onto and causing repeated facial expressions that lead to lines and markings on the face. It is a complete internal-external overhaul. Treatments take 90 minutes and include acupuncture at specific points on the body and face, and topical facial treatment. Best results are achieved over 10-12 weekly visits. It’s a commitment but worth the long term-long lasting effects.

Herbal Medicine

Herbal medicine involves the prescription of a blend of plant and mineral therapeutic substances. We only use the highest grade herbs, and striving for a predominantly organic where available. We have a comprehensive (and impressive!) herbal dispensary in Beechworth and also stock patent pills for convenience, cost and ease.

Ancillary Techniques

Fire Cupping
Fire cupping is a form of treatment where suction is created on target areas of the skin with a specialised glass cup and lit ethanol-soaked cotton ball. Fire cupping usually occurs on the back at key areas relating to internal organs and on areas of physical pain. Cupping can either be stationary, sliding along skin, or “flashing” – a quick succession of suction and removal along affected areas. Cupping separates soft tissue and breaks up painful adhesions. Cupping also promotes blood and qi flow, stimulates lymphatic circulation, has a therapeutic effect on internal organs, and expels cold and flu symptoms. This often leaves round marks that are painless and transient.

Gua Sha
Gua Sha involves scraping a ceramic soup spoon along certain areas of the skin to bring up “sha” to promote healing and alleviate pain.

Moxibustion
Moxibustion is the technique of burning dried mugwort stick/s over certain acupuncture points or areas of pain. The benefits of moxibustion are to alleviate pain, and to warm acupuncture points and internal organs. There is evidence of Moxibustion being used in turning a breech baby.

Diet Therapy

He that takes medicine and neglects diet wastes the skills of the physician. – Chinese Proverb

Chinese medicine has always understood that diet is fundamental to health and longevity and is even viewed as a branch of medicine in its own right – with specific and individualised dietary changes recommend to clients as part of their treatment.

Diet Therapy involves prescription of foods based on their energetic properties, thematic temperature, actions and indications to promote healing and restoration of balance in accordance with your Chinese medicine diagnosis and the seasons.

Eating behaviours – the how to eat – forms a large part of diet therapy and it is likely included with your prescription. Most importantly, it is paramount that a healthful diet is enjoyable and delicious.

It is not lost on us that the decisions we have to make around something so seemingly simple as eating has never been more complex. The question most of us face these days is how to feed ourselves and our families for health, affordability, fairness and sustainability amongst the myriad of conflicting and confusing diet advice available today.

Lifestyle Advice

If I knew I was going to live this long, I’d have taken better care of myself. – Mickey Mantle, baseball player 1931 – 1995

Throughout your treatment you will receive advice based on the teaching from the Chinese nourishment of life traditions. The aim is not just physical health, but aspiring for harmony and the seamless integration of mind and body, physical and mental balance, serenity, detachment from excessive emotions, health and fitness into old age, wisdom.

There are broadly three main ways to cultivate health and longevity:

- Avoidance of behaviours that cause harm, for example drinking to excess, smoking, allowing damaging emotions to wreak havoc on our physical and mental health, eating poor quality food, and being physically inactive.

- Behaving in ways which actively promote health and wellbeing. These include trying to tame our more harmful emotions and cultivate positive ones, eating well, taking appropriate exercise, sleeping sufficiently and regularly, and spending time in nature and with family and friends.

- Within Chinese and other Asian traditions there are activities which are thought to more deliberately ‘nourish life’ for example meditating, breathing slowly and deeply, practicing Qi-gong and the internal physical arts (eg. tai chi or yoga) and reducing the quantity of food eaten.

Qi Gong
Qi Gong is an ancient exercises system that integrates physical postures, breathing techniques and focused intention. Qi Gong exercises are commonly prescribed to treat a wide variety of conditions by stimulating the body’s self healing mechanisms. Qi Gong can be practiced for recreation, exercise, relaxation, preventative medicine, meditation and training for martial arts.

Advice
The kind of advice you receive will vary depending on your presentation. Along with the above, you can expect to receive guidance on best lifestyle practices to aid your treatment including: sleep practices, management of stimulants consumed, post-partum care, emotional and mental care, detoxing (the Chinese medicine way), nature bathing, dance and play.

Sources:
Live Well, Live Long by Peter Deadman