TCM Therapies & Modalities
Traditional Chinese Medicine includes far more than needles. Here's an honest, licensed-practitioner look at the therapies you'll often find alongside acupuncture â what each one is, what it feels like, and what the research actually shows.
Gua Sha
A smooth-edged tool is stroked along the skin to release muscle tension â the treatment behind those red, streaky marks.
Cupping
Suction cups lift the skin and superficial tissue upward â massage in reverse, and the source of those round marks on athletes.
Moxibustion
Gentle, penetrating warmth from burning mugwort near acupuncture points â TCM's companion therapy to needling.
Tui Na
Chinese medical massage â hands-on bodywork guided by the same points and channels used in acupuncture.
Qigong
Slow, flowing movement and steady breathing â a practice you learn to do for yourself, at home.