Chloé Tissot-Daguette
Ficus Médecine Chinoise
Acupuncture and herbal medicine according to Traditional Chinese Medecine
Techniques used
Needles are the main « tools » of the acupuncture practitionist. But there are other methods that can be used during treatments. Here is a glimpse at the different techniques available to the acupuncture practionist.
Needles
After insertion, the needles are left in place for the necessary length of time, typically about 20 minutes.
If needed, a very weak electric current can be applied on some of the needles to apply a constant stimulation during treatment. This method can be used as part of the acupuncture treatment to quit smoking, amongst other applications..
Moxibustion
This technique has also been used for several thousands of years.
It allows to warm acupuncture points or larger areas of the body up by the means of heated up moxa. This is based on mugwort which has been dried, ground, and sometimes mixed with other herbs to reach certain properties..
Herbal prescriptions
Over 500 herbs are listed in the official herbal medecine register of the Chinese State, and more than 6000 medicinal remedies exist, of herbal, mineral and animal origins.
In Switzerland, these products are submitted to the approval criteria defined by Swissmedic, and these criteria regarding their safety and purety are therefore tested in the same way as conventionnal medical substances.
They can be used as dried herbs to cook in boiling water, or as powders to which hot water is added, or mixed with honey and pressed into squares.
These remedies can be prescribed as a complement to acupuncture treatments.
Cups
They have been used for thousands of years, commonly for treating certain pains, colds etc.
They can be made of glass, plastic or bamboo. They may be applied and left in place for a given time, or be moved along a specific area of the body for a short period of time.
Ear acupuncture
It is based on the principles that the whole body is represented on the ear : organs, viscera, tissues, joints etc... Many acupuncture points are located on the ear and can be needled during a treatment. Small needles or grains can also be applied to these points and will remain there for a few days, and will be stimulated by the patient several times a day during that time.
The N.A.D.A protocole is based on ear acupuncture and is used as part of substances detoxification, as well as for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
