Acupuncture-led external therapies integrated with whole-body herbal care.

What it feels likeInsertion feels like a brief pinprick; then a dull ache, heaviness or warmth as the point is reached — not pain. During the 30–40 minutes that follow, most people relax deeply, and many fall asleep.

• Sterile, single-use needles about 0.2 mm thick — far finer than a blood-draw needle. Points are chosen from your pattern, not a fixed protocol. Needles are used once and discarded, and the skin is cleaned first.
• A typical session runs 30–40 minutes lying quietly. Acute pain may be treated every other day; ongoing care is usually once or twice weekly, reviewed at four weeks.
• Please tell us at the first visit if you take blood thinners, have a pacemaker (relevant to electroacupuncture) or are pregnant — we adapt the plan or avoid certain areas.
• Commonly used for chronic pain, migraine and tension headache, neck, shoulder and low-back pain, insomnia and anxiety, and chemotherapy-related nausea. It can run alongside your other medical care.

What it feels likeA mild, slowly spreading warmth, more like sunlight than heat. Aged moxa burns gently rather than sharply. We hold the stick at a controlled distance and check in with you as it goes.

• We use high-purity moxa made from mugwort aged five years or more: less stalk and impurity, lighter smoke, and a warmth that penetrates rather than stings. Two forms are used — plain moxa (pure aged mugwort, for general warming) and medicated moxa (herbs added to suit your pattern), chosen by the practitioner. Applied as moxa sticks, indirect moxibustion and warm-needle technique, plus seasonal moxibustion at the solstices.
• Typically 20–40 minutes, usually in the same visit as acupuncture, so it does not mean an extra trip.
• Smoke-free moxa is available if smoke bothers you. Please tell us if you have diabetes or reduced skin sensation — heat over an area with impaired sensation carries a burn risk, so we shorten the time and increase the distance.
• Commonly used for cold sensitivity, cold-type chronic loose stools and digestive weakness, period pain, cold aching joints, recurrent infections, and allergic rhinitis (seasonal moxibustion).

What it feels likeWarm vapour, then a herbal bath around the affected area — usually pleasant. Temperature is tested and adjusted before you start.

• Your decoction is first used as steam, then, once cooled to a safe range, as a soak. Heat carries the herbs into skin, muscle, sinew and joint — most often for the limbs.
• Typically 15–30 minutes, often alongside acupuncture or tuina, and usually for a local problem rather than whole-body treatment.
• We control and test the temperature. It is not suitable if you have broken or infected skin, acute phlebitis, severe varicose veins, a diabetic foot or reduced sensation — please tell us first.
• Commonly used for cold, stiff joints, cold or numb hands and feet, chronic overuse strain, swelling after exertion, and cold exposure after childbirth or during menstruation.

What it feels likeThe herbal aromatics are light and clean; the oils are pre-diluted and gentle on the skin. Most people notice a clearer head or a calmer mood. A blend applied to the skin usually feels warm or cool — not irritating.

• Two routes. Herbal aromatics — mint, angelica dahurica, chuanxiong, chrysanthemum — are decocted or made into a sachet and inhaled through the nose, acting on the head and on mood. Separately, single essential oils are blended and diluted in a carrier oil for inhalation or for application to specific points (temples, nape of the neck, inner wrist).
• Inhalation typically 10–20 minutes. A sachet or a rollerball blend can be continued at home, and it is often combined with acupuncture in the same visit.
• Essential oils are always diluted in a carrier oil — lower concentrations for the face and for children. We never apply neat oil to the skin and never take oils by mouth. A 24-hour patch test is done first. Citrus and other photosensitising oils require avoiding sun for 12–24 hours. Please tell us about pregnancy, breastfeeding, asthma, epilepsy, young children at home or G6PD deficiency before we blend — some oils are not suitable.
• Commonly used for a blocked nose and allergic rhinitis, heavy-headedness, tension headache, anxiety and difficulty falling asleep, chemotherapy-related nausea, and low mood.

What it feels likeFirm hands. Pressure on a tight spot feels like a satisfying ache, and the area is noticeably looser afterwards. Alignment work may produce a light “click” — that is gas releasing within the joint, not a bone moving back into place, and it is not a measure of success. Nothing is forced, and the depth is adjusted to you — we will not ask you to endure pain.

• Hands-on work — pressing, kneading, rolling, deep stroking and trigger-point release — to unload tight muscle and restore range; anqiao is the classical name recorded in the Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon. Joint alignment is then applied to the spine and limb joints through slow, low-amplitude, controlled mobilisation rather than high-velocity thrusts.
• Typically 20–40 minutes, often in the same visit as acupuncture. In the acute stage we work lightly; for chronic strain, more deeply.
• We assess your range of movement and tender points before and after. Please tell us about osteoporosis, a recent fracture, acute swelling after injury, thrombosis, cancer that has spread to bone, vertebral artery insufficiency, or pregnancy affecting the lower back and abdomen — alignment is not used in these cases.
• Commonly used for neck, shoulder and low-back pain, wry neck and acute lumbar strain, frozen shoulder, chronic strain, myofascial pain, restricted movement, and pain from minor spinal joint dysfunction.

What it feels likeGenerally bitter; we adjust the formula to make it as drinkable as we can. There is usually no immediate sensation — changes tend to appear gradually over one to two weeks.

• Your physician writes a formula based on your pattern, usually a classical prescription modified to you. Herbs are dispensed by our pharmacy and can be decocted at home or prepared for you. Acupuncture addresses the current problem; the decoction works on the underlying terrain.
• Usually one dose a day, taken warm in two parts, morning and evening. Formulas are reviewed every one to two weeks; a course is counted in months.
• Herbs come from fixed suppliers with batch records. Please give us a full list of your medicines and supplements at the first visit, and tell us about any liver or kidney condition — some herbs interact with blood thinners, immunosuppressants and blood-pressure drugs.
• Commonly used for internal and constitutional problems: insomnia, fatigue, menstrual irregularity, chronic digestive discomfort, recovery after illness, and chronic conditions where the benefit of acupuncture needs consolidating.