Stephanie Fsadni pays a visit to the Mediterranean Regional Centre for Traditional Chinese Medicine and finds out about some alternatives to Western treatments.
The origins of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) can be traced back to the 17th century BC during the Shang Dynasty era. It evolved over thousands of years but its benefits became increasingly recognised in the West only in the last century.
Since our treatments are based on herbs, they do not have many side effects like pills
“TCM improves patients’ overall health and well-being,” claims Ma Runglian, the director of the Mediterranean Regional Centre for Traditional Chinese Medicine in Kordin, Paola.
“Sometimes it is difficult to remove pain with Western medicine. And since our treatments are based on herbs, they do not have many side effects like pills.”
The centre, a Sino-Maltese cooperative project set up in 1993, is currently serving about 400 clients a month, with the large majority (over 98 per cent) being Maltese. As a result of this cooperation between the two countries, there is also a TCM clinic at Mater Dei Hospital and a weekly service is provided at Gozo’s General Hospital.
TCM includes a range of medical practices, featuring herbal medicine, acupuncture and medical massage, that developed over thousands of years. According to TCM theory, processes of the human body are interrelated and interact with the environment. So TCM looks for signs of disharmony in the external and internal ‘environment’ of a person to understand, treat and prevent illnesses.
A number of philosophical frameworks, including the theory of Yin-Yang, and the human body Meridian system, form the basis for this theory.
TCM is used for various ailments, from migraines to toothache to back pain to irregular menstruation, insomnia, eczema and acne.
Dr Ma says the most common ailments among the Maltese are neck, low-back, foot and knee pain and migraine.
Some people with cancer find TCM helps relieve the side effects of chemotherapy such as dizziness and nausea. Studies also show that acupuncture helps improve pregnancy rates in women undergoing in-vitro fertilisation (IVF).
The most common treatment at the centre, which was refurbished last year, is acupuncture, an ancient treatment that involves the stimulation of points on the body using a variety of techniques, including penetrating the skin with needles that are then manipulated manually or by electrical stimulation.
Dr Ma says this treatment may hurt a bit, “but no pain, no gain, right?” he quips. Also, people have different pain thresholds, so everyone may have a different reaction.
Patient Belinda Cutajar, who suffers from a slip disc, wants to avoid undergoing surgery at all costs.
“The treatment helped a lot. I could barely get out of bed and walk before I came here,” says Belinda, who visits the clinic once a week. “I also suffer from sciatica and acupuncture alleviated some of the inflammation.”
She has had seven sessions of acupuncture so far. The number of treatments vary according to one’s malady, with chronic problems needing successive sessions.
Belinda admits she found acupuncture very painful the first time round, but now “it is more bearable”.
Other common treatments at the centre are cupping therapy and moxa treatment, or moxibustion. In cupping, a local suction is created using heat, or mechanical devices, on the skin to mobilise blood flow which is believed to help healing. My first impression is that this technique is a bit similar to an old Maltese practice called fentusi, which was used by our forefathers to cure colds, among others.
Moxibustion is performed by burning small cones of mugwort on certain points of the body and is sometimes used in combination with acupuncture.
Dr Ma emphasises that if you decide to try TCM, it is important that you visit a qualified and registered acupuncturist. Besides the centre and the clinic at Mater Dei, he says there are only two licensed acupuncture doctors in Malta.
Patient David Borg says he walked into the clinic at Kordin very much in pain and with a numb arm. He had visited several professors and physiotherapists before they ultimately suggested he tries TCM.
After six treatments, the numbness is gone.
“I can feel my fingers again. Yes, TCM was very effective and I would definitely recommend it.”