What is Chinese medicine?

For centuries, the ancient healing techniques of Chinese medicine have been used to help in the healing process of breast masses and cancers.  Chinese medicine practitioners use many different modalities such as acupuncture, Chinese herbal therapy, qigong and massage techniques to help your body return to a state of balance.  By asking you about your body temperature, diet, digestion, thirst, appetite, body pain, energy, etc., taking your pulse, looking at your tongue and/or feeling your abdomen, a Chinese medicine practitioner can determine what underlying imbalance or pattern led to the development of the cancer. Although you and a friend may both have had breast cancer, you both likely have very different pattern diagnoses and would receive different herbs and acupuncture at different points.  Chinese philosophy agrees that it takes years to develop cancer and that environment, diet, lifestyle, depression, anxiety, and worry can all play a role in the formation of the mass. Practitioners use Chinese medicine techniques to peel away the layers of imbalance and bring your body gradually toward health.

 Chinese practitioners carry different licenses based on the state in which they work.  In Oregon they are called licensed acupuncturists (L.Ac.s) and are specialists in Chinese medicine. In other states they may be called Oriental Medical Doctors (OMDs), and are licensed as primary care physicians.  In China, most traditional or classical Chinese medicine is studied in medical schools; others may learn from a relative who passes down the tradition from generation to generation. It is common in China for women and men with breast cancer to receive conventional medical treatments, such as surgery and chemotherapy, and also be treated with acupuncture and herbal medicine in the hospital.

 How can it help?

Chinese medicine can be used acutely to help with the side effects and efficacy of conventional treatment.  In the larger context of cancer care, Chinese medicine addresses the reason the cancer developed in the first place by treating systems that were out of balance long before the cancer appeared.

 What happens in an appointment?

The doctor may ask you a series of questions and take a history of your health, as well as feel your pulse, diagnose your tongue, and possibly prescribe acupuncture, qigong, tai chi, or herbal formulas.