r/ChineseMedicine

I practice Chinese medicine — specifically, health restoration through a diagnostic framework that's been treating digestive disorders for 2,000 years.

The framework starts from one insight: the stomach is called "the foundation of postnatal life." Every cell in your body is built from what your stomach absorbs. If digestion is broken, nothing downstream works. So you address the stomach first. Before the skin issues. Before the fatigue. Before the brain fog. Fix the root, the branches recover.

Western medicine tends to separate treatment and daily care. Chinese medicine doesn't. Diagnosis flows into treatment, treatment flows into daily habits, and the daily habits are the medicine. Food is medicine. Timing is medicine.

I took this diagnostic framework and built a free online tool.

3-minute assessment. 12 questions about how your stomach actually behaves. It maps your symptoms to one of 9 positioning patterns, identifies which upstream system is driving them, and gives you 3 specific actions — using ingredients already in your kitchen. Warm lemon water. Ginger tea. A point on your foot you press with your thumb. When to eat matters as much as what to eat.

It's at: https://vegolu965-ops.github.io/gutsignal/

No account needed. No email to see your results. Happy to answer questions.

Well! I tried the popular TCM advice/protocol of switching to hot water instead of cold.

And I am not the same after that .!!

I cant feel hydrated unless it's hot now

I can feel tired/unwell if water was cold

I can notice how my body can easily get out mucus pretty easily (mouth and nose)

I feel more energetic with hot water

Tell another tcm daily protocol I can add that's simple and effective.?

I saw a post which said that she wakes up unusually early every day, no matter whether she goes to bed at 23:00 pm or 2:00 am, she always wakes up at 4:00 am.

Based on TCM principles and real cases, many depression people experience this in early stages. Upon waking early in the morning, some people’s mind tend to feel more negative, and thoughts lean towards the darker side of things. In Chinese it’s 沉重暮轻.

Cause’ depression develops gradually rather than suddenly, many people are not able to realize they have fallen into it. So if waking up unusually early, I suggest seeing a doctor soon. If not depression, that’s great. If it is, can receive treatment in time.

People who learn TCM must be know what I am saying. Hope I make myself understood 🫰🏻☘️

I’ve always been a very light sleeper and naturally wake up earlier than most, but recently I haven’t been able to wake up past 4:40am. I could go to sleep 7:00 pm and I would wake up 4:40 am, I could go to sleep at 1am and still only wake up 4:40am no matter how tired I am. Sometimes it’s worse and I wake up 2-3am.

I’ve tried things like exercise, foods meant to help sleep, magnesium supplements before bed etc but nothing has been able to keep me asleep. I really don’t want to start taking prescription medication for this, is there anything I can do?

Hi ! I was prescribed Herbs for Poor blood circulation, liver and kidney deficiency and I never took the teas. It’s been 9 months but I’m still experiencing the same symptoms. Does anyone know if it’s still safe to take? The herbs were packaged and sealed properly. Thank you

Hello everyone,

I'm a licensed TCM practitioner from China, currently researching how to adapt traditional wellness routines (like simple food therapy, warm foot baths, and basic acupressure) to better fit modern Western lifestyles.

I want to test if my English educational explanations are clear and practical. I am looking for 10 volunteers to try out my wellness lifestyle questionnaire and give me feedback on the content.

What we will do:

1. You comment below if you are interested. (To keep things organized and avoid spam, please do not DM me first).
2. I will send a Reddit DM to the first 10 eligible comments with a link to a simple lifestyle questionnaire.
3. Once completed, I will reply directly in your Reddit DMs with a customized educational breakdown in plain English. I'll share general TCM concepts that match your profile, gentle food therapy ideas, and safe acupressure points for daily relaxation. (No email or file downloads required!)
4. In return, you just give me your honest feedback on whether the breakdown was easy to understand!

Strict Boundaries:

• This is strictly for general wellness education, routine testing, and cultural exchange.
• There will be NO medical diagnosis, NO prescriptions (herbs/supplements), and NO treatment claims.
• If you have active health symptoms or chronic conditions, please consult your local primary care doctor.

Thank you so much for helping with my research!

Long post-appreciate any guidance. Hello, I am new to Chinese Medicine and acupuncture after developing daily migraines. I have longstanding issues with insomnia, fatigue, fibromyalgia, anxiety, and depression. I have tried many different things to treat my symptoms over the years. I’ve had some limited success with supplements and functional medicine. I had a bad reaction to Zoloft end of May where I developed daily headaches that turned into a 6 week migraine disorder nightmare. I stopped Zoloft 2 weeks into the headaches and have tried Tylenol, ibuprofen, excedrin, Toradol, amitriptyline, sumatriptan, and nurtec, none of which provided any lasting real relief. I had a normal CT scan and am waiting to get an MRI, hopefully next week.

I started with acupuncture this week and have gone twice. She wants me to take Jia Wei Xiao Yao San, 4 capsules 3x per day. That’s about 720 mg of each herb in JWXYS (240 mg per serving of 4 capsules). At the same time I had a doctor appointment with my PCP and she wants me to do a steroid taper of prednisone for 10 days. I decided to start the prednisone first to hopefully break the migraine and get some relief.

My question is should I mix eastern and western medicine and take the Jia Wei Xiao Yao San while I do the steroid taper for 10 days, or wait until the steroid taper is done? It’s Friday and I don’t see my acupuncturist until Monday. My intuition is telling me to wait a few more days before introducing the herbs and give the prednisone a chance to work. I am on day two and this is often when long migraines break on prednisone. I’m also already taking trazodone for insomnia.

I have had a lot of medication changes recently to support my insomnia and anxiety. It’s been a roller coaster. Out of desperation I have a tendency to throw multiple supplements/treatments at my health problems all at once hoping something will stick. I know it could be making things more complicated though which is why I made this post in the first place.

I’m just looking for some advice and guidance and wondering if anyone has gone through anything similar. Please be kind, as mentioned I am new to TCM and acupuncture and learning as I go. Thank you for reading and for any advice.

Hello, I already have a few small tattoos and I plan to get more soon.

I’ve heard that piercings (I have some, too) apparently affect acupuncture points.

I’d like to know if this also applies to tattoos, in some way, whether in terms of energy or meridians, depending on their location.

I really really hope in the future... all herb-healing systems of the world become 1.

Because I have tried many European and Indian nervous system herbs.

An none have really compared to Chrysanthemum for me.

Shankhpushpi was the closest but it's hard to find high quality vs Chrys is more available.

I do... have a head ache disorder that comes with heat. It's a result of multiple head injuries.

But surprise surprise herbs have anti-inflammatory chemicals.

I have tried a lot and have decided to slowly walk into Chinese herbs through trial and error.

I started googling what makes CHRYSANTHEMUM SO UNIQUE???

Google barely provides an answer.

They're like uhhh it's similar ISH??? to chamomile. But it is not. I feel it's coolingness in my mind for hooours. It does not put me to sleep.

Idk the best Chrys even out there, I'm using some $15 organic bag from amazon grown Thailand not even China but regardless...

I began reading TCM has like so many solutions for headaches.

BTW here in America... european and indian herbs are sold in grocery stores.

Yet when I wanted to buy some Chinese herb formulas I noticed... outside of popular ones like ginseng... you often need a TCM doctor's approval/pharmacy approval. Can't always just buy it over the counter.

Especially if want a high quality brand.

These other culture's herbs are not guarded at all!

An that is honestly respectable! The Chinese really respect these herbs unlike other cultures.

There is something really fascinating happening here.

If anyone has any recommendations about books/documentaries about the brain/headaches/nervous system/stress and Chinese herbal medicine I'll take!

Idk anything about China. I know herbs are not respected worldwide. That's okay... I'm one of the fortunate people who respond well to some of them.

Here in western science the solutions are take feverfew which will never cure, just take away pain temporarily.

Ginger, which is too HOT for some of us.... An cannabis. Which hurts my brain even when I got the highest quality I can find with mostly cbd.

According to ayurveda cannabis is heating so makes sense. I need head cooling :).

Almost no one knows anything about herbs. It's wild. Im in my 20s so I wish I could be responsible for finding new medicinal herbs. But alas the demand ain't huge. I've read many herb healers struggle with a living.

Anyway ty for reading. Happy vibes to everyone!

I went to TCM practitioner and got some herbs today. she said I would need to come back in a week to see how it’s going and then come every week for six months atleast?

am I being ripped off? I can’t afford it every week anyway and hoped to see someone once a fortnight for herbs or even less often than that for perhaps a few months as I’m pretty sure that’s what I did in the past

l Would appreciate a tcm praccie answering so I know if this is usual or not

Obviously I want to follow the treatment plan and so what is best to get better

My grandfather has a PSA level of 265. His doctors told us that there is about a 95% chance that he has prostate cancer, with a very high possibility that it has already spread to his bones. They believe this may be the reason why he has persistent pain starting from his lower back and radiating down to his legs.

The problem is that he does not want to undergo a biopsy. As his family, we want to respect his wishes because, at the end of the day, it is his body and his decision. What he wants is to take herbal medicine instead. If he ultimately decides not to have a biopsy or pursue conventional cancer treatment, we will respect that choice and allow things to take their natural course.

My question is: can a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) doctor help in a situation like this? Specifically, can they prescribe herbal medicine that may help treat or slow down possible bone metastasis, or at least help relieve his body aches and improve his quality of life? We understand that herbal medicine may not be a cure, but we would like to know if TCM could provide any meaningful benefit while honoring his wishes.

Hello, I'm wondering how I should go about looking deeper into my symptoms for undiagnosed ADHD and hormone imbalances (suspected hypothyroidism). I brought it up to my acupuncturist and she referred me to get blood labs done with a TCM Dr. A week later, I spoke with a friend who said that their TCM dr said they have hypothyroidism just from feeling her pulse and checking her tongue.

- I'm wondering how/if it can be worth it to get Western blood labs and evaluation completed if the treatment/monitoring may be the same.

-Should a TCM dr be able to diagnose me without Western labs? I don't have insurance so paying out of pocket.

Symptoms/History:

ADHD (mainly seem intattentive, distracted easily, struggle focusing on one task, hyperfixate on tv/screens/puzzles, dopamine seeking, interrupting during convos, daydream/space out, forgetful)

Thyroid/hormone imbalance (skip my period every few months or sometimes months in a row, low energy, cold feet/hands and get tingly easily, constipation, depression, memory issues).

I am not diagnosed with either but have symptoms of each and a history of thyroid issues in my family (sister had thyroid cancer and 2 aunts had hypothyroidism).

Last lab in 2024 showed: low TSH (0.257), "normal" T4, and low B12. I started taking B12 supplement and then it was too high so I stopped but take it randomly

Ebb and flow between weeks of decent (7-8 hrs of sleep) to unable to 5-6 hrs, I try to be mindful of what I eat but am still working on it, start day with water and something warm

Thank you!

did a couple days of classes on Chinese external medicine (外治法) while in Guangzhou, taught by an actual licensed TCM doctor. honestly the useful part wasn't the treatments, it was just getting a straight answer on which one's for what and when you shouldn't do it. dumping my notes. not medical advice obviously.

first, myth bust: the red/purple marks from gua sha and cupping are NOT "toxins leaving your body." it's just blood pulled up near the surface, fades in a few days. (fun bit tho — they actually read the color. bright red = heat, dark purple = cold sitting deeper. )

quick rundown:

gua sha (scraping) — shallow, fast, good for neck/shoulder tension. there's even a small study where it beat a heat pad for neck pain short term. the facial gua sha all over your feed is a way gentler thing, the lifting/lymph drainage claims are pretty thin. skip it if you bruise easy, take blood thinners, or on broken skin.

cupping — deeper, the suction grabs the knots further down. alright evidence for low back pain. skip on fever/inflammation/blood thinners.

moxibustion (burning mugwort over a point) — it's heat, so it's for cold/tired/"damp" type stuff. the rule that stuck with me: heat treats cold, so you do NOT use it on a fever or anything hot/red/inflamed.

ear seeds — this was my fav actually. lil seeds taped onto points on your ear and you press them yourself for a few days. the whole ear is mapped like an upside down baby apparently, each spot = a body part. used for sleep/stress/cravings. evidence is mixed but i liked that you take it home with you.

the thing that actually reframed it for me: someone in the class said she thought she was totally healthy, gym every day, all her western bloodwork fine — and the doctor takes her pulse and goes yeah you're quite 虚 (xū), basically depleted/running on empty. like TCM treats the person not the lab sheet. also why two good practitioners will treat the same stiff neck completely differently — "TCM" only got standardized into one system last century, before that it was all family lineages doing their own thing.

also apparently quality matters way more than i thought?? aged moxa vs a cheap stick = not the same treatment at all. same as good vs bad herbs. the technique is simple, the hand and the materials aren't.

tl;dr fine as everyday tools for minor stuff, not a doctor replacement, just go see someone trained instead of youtubing it on yourself lol.

Hi everyone,

I am a licensed Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioner originally from China. In my practice, I’ve helped many patients manage insomnia and sleep disruptions through holistic approaches like acupressure, specific herbal tea rituals, and circadian alignment.

Lately, I’ve been researching how to adapt these traditional routines to better fit the hectic, high-stress lifestyles of busy Western women. However, I know that cultural habits and daily schedules can vary significantly, and what works in China might need adjustment to be truly practical for you.

If you are a woman with a busy schedule who struggles with sleep (or has tried holistic wellness methods), I would be incredibly grateful for your honest insights:

1. What are the biggest barriers keeping you from getting quality sleep? (e.g., racing mind at bedtime, hormonal changes, waking up at 3 AM, or just a lack of time to unwind?)
2. Have you ever tried any Eastern wellness practices? (Like acupressure, herbal remedies, or specific nighttime rituals?) If yes, did they help? If no, what made you hesitant?
3. If a TCM practitioner were to design a simple, step-by-step evening routine for you, how many minutes could you realistically dedicate to it each night? (5 mins? 15 mins?)

I’m genuinely trying to bridge the gap between ancient Eastern wisdom and modern Western life to create a truly practical, no-nonsense resource. Your feedback will be invaluable to my research.

Thank you so much for your time and help!

Hi, I’m a woman in my mid 30s and I’ve been experiencing overheating frequently. Not just when it’s hot out and/or I’m in the sun but seemingly randomly. Cool breezes, fans, ice packs, staying cool and in the shade all help to reduce my chances of overheating but it happens. My thyroid works great, my hormones are in check, my mri came back clear, I’m not in peri/menopause. I don’t take meds that typically cause overheating and yet it’s happening. GPs, obgyns, and an endocrinologist aren’t sure how to “fix” my issue. Has anyone had experience with tcm working on this issue? Thanks!

In this conversation, Heiner Fruehauf traces his path from a German family of nature-cure physicians to founding the College of Classical Chinese Medicine and coining the term "classical Chinese medicine" . His lifelong effort has been to recover the immaterial, spiritual dimension he argues was filtered out as the medicine passed through a materialist lens. That conviction runs through everything he discusses: why he built the herb company Classical Pearls to protect sourcing and quality, his vision for a new classical Chinese medicine clinical center that proves the medicine in practice rather than in theory, and three decades of scholarship mapping acupuncture points to stars and sacred geography. The episode's centerpiece is a remarkable account from his recent China trip where he finds himself standing at the source of the Ji River on Mount Wangwu and finding the landscape itself mirror the name and nature of the acupuncture point Heart-1.

Main topics

Coining "classical Chinese medicine": the immaterial dimension and the critique of TCM's materialist filter
Herbal integrity — sourcing, contamination, fillers, and why Classical Pearls exists
Crude herbs vs. granules, and freeing new practitioners from ideological rigidity
The vision for a classical Chinese medicine clinical center: demonstrating and documenting outcomes
China trip, part one: Da Tong's healing mineral waters and the barefoot-doctor-turned-benefactor Guo Runli
China trip, part two: Mount Wangwu, the source of the Ji River, and its resonance with Heart-1 (Ji Chuan)
Mapping acupuncture points to stars, rivers, and the macrocosm — 30 years of research
The state of the profession: education, licensure, and the case for clinical centers

00:00 — Introduction to Heiner Fruehauf
02:00 — From a German nature-cure family to Chinese literature, cancer, and Chinese medicine
04:30 — Coining "classical Chinese medicine": the immaterial dimension vs. the TCM materialist filter
07:00 — Practicing classical medicine in a modern, materialist context
09:15 — Herbal integrity: sourcing, contamination, and the case for Classical Pearls
12:00 — Herbs, classical formulas, and manufacturing standards
15:30 — The new clinical center: vision, design, and scope
17:45 — Retreat protocols, treatment durations, and documenting outcomes
20:10 — Healthcare funding, insurance, and banking obstacles
24:00 — Why high-quality herbs and sustainable sourcing matter
28:00 — The global herb market and quality control
31:30 — Education, licensure, and the case for clinical centers
34:00 — China trip, part one: Da Tong's healing mineral waters and benefactor Guo Runli
44:00 — China trip, part two: Mount Wangwu, the source of the Ji River, and Heart-1 (Ji Chuan)
52:00 — Macrocosm and microcosm: acupuncture points mapped to stars and sacred geography
62:00 — Practical advice for practitioners: herbs, formulas, and classical integration
72:00 — The future of Chinese medicine: clinical centers, research, and education
82:00 — Closing thoughts and a possible return conversation

The views and claims expressed in this episode are those of the guest and are shared for educational and informational purposes only. They reflect the perspectives of a classical Chinese medicine tradition and are not medical advice, nor a substitute for diagnosis or treatment by a qualified healthcare provider. Statements about herbs, formulas, mineral waters, pharmaceuticals, and specific health conditions have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Always consult your physician before making changes to your care, and never stop a prescribed medication without professional guidance.

For people raised in the West, we mainly know biomedicine, which is separated from spirituality.

There is psychotherapy, but it's also separated from spirituality.

Can spirituality and/or psychotherapy complement TCM?

So the TCM doctor I saw two years ago for Long Covid told me to eat raw ginger and make ginger tea with powder everyday. Looking back, I was not diagnosed with Excess Heat then.

(It was: Spleen-qi deficiency, dampness and phlegm accumulation, liver heat/qi stagnation, blood and Yin deficiency, blood stasis**)**

Two months ago, went to a different TCM doctor and they told me I have:

Excess heat, dampness, water stagnation, qi deficiency, Qi stagnation, blood deficiency, blood stasis

I like ginger so put it in my overnight oats well as in cooked mixed veggie mash I eat everyday. I chop them up for easier digestion so the total amount I consume per day is not that much, maybe a few slices.

Do you think it's bad to eat ginger when I have excess heat? My body tends to get warm (low grade fever) whenever I am unwell.

Yes I could ask my current doctor about it but I don't like them personally and communication with them is stressful so wanted to ask here. TIA

Hi everyone,

I'm a second-year acupuncture student with one year left before I graduate, and I'm looking for an opportunity to learn from experienced practitioners who focus on orthopedics and pain management.

I'm located in Austin, TX, but I'm happy to travel to the surrounding areas for the right opportunity.

I'm hoping to find someone who would be open to:

• Shadowing in the clinic
• Mentorship
• An apprenticeship or internship
• Any hands-on learning opportunities (within the scope of what a student is allowed to do)

My goal is to build strong clinical skills in treating musculoskeletal conditions, sports injuries, and chronic pain. I'm eager to learn, reliable, and willing to help however I can around the clinic while gaining experience.

If you know of a practitioner who enjoys teaching or if you're open to taking on a dedicated student, I'd love to connect. Even recommendations or advice on who to reach out to would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!