S I X P E G S

My treatment with Eu Yan Sang has finally come to an end.
Physician Zhou has given me enough medicine to last me for another two weeks after my last visit to the clinic.
I now do not have to take the medicine daily anymore, but more on a when-I-need-it basis –
so I just need to make a hot mug of drink whenever I am having ‘stiffy’ neck aches.

At my last treatment at Eu Yan Sang, Physician Zhou gave me a combination of treatment of acupuncture and cupping.
I had a really stiff neck that day, probably because of my bad sleeping posture,
and the pain was alleviated immediately after the two treatments!
The acupuncture and cupping was also, as usual, done after a verbal consultation with
the Physician to understand my current state of health.
Physician Zhou also introduced me to a new technique for cupping where it will leave no marks on the body at all!
She heated up the air in the cups, but this time round, instead of leaving the cups on my body,
she dragged them across my problem areas swiftly.
So, no marks at all! It was really understanding and accommodating of her
because I was wearing a singlet that day and had a dinner later that night. :p

For those who have no idea what I’m talking about, this is how cupping looks like:

I was also really glad to hear from Physician Zhou that she thinks I’m looking healthier and less tired than before.
The little tips from her (like wearing more warm clothes that covers my neck area,
and preventing direct exposure to cold air from a fan or air con on my neck) really works. 🙂
Personally, I also felt a change in my general health and the vast improvement in my aches especially on days
when I received treatments and follow the Physicians recommendations on how to improve my daily life or change certain habits.

It has been a good couple of months since I first stepped into Eu Yan Sang and tried Traditional Chinese Medicine for the first time.

I am also proud to be one of the patrons of a network of clinic that gives back to society through various ways!

For those of you who haven’t heard, Eu Yan Sang TCM Clinic’s adopted charity is Thye Hua Kwan Moral Society (THK).
There are donation boxes at all Eu Yan Sang clinics to collect donations from people
who would like to contribute to help the needy too.
To celebrate their 10th anniversary, Eu Yan Sang Clinics is raising funds through various fundraising activities.
Besides the donation boxes, you can also get a special red commemorative THK-EYS umbrella for S$10,
from which proceeds will go to THK.

Eu Yan Sang sure have come a long way since the opening of their first clinic in Singapore in 2002.
Over the 10 years, they have opened many clinics in various parts of Singapore
and now also have a clinic in Khoo Teck Puat Hospital (and I’m happy because that’s super near my house haha)!
There is a Child-Friendly Clinic in Sembawang too! So cute right. :p

I was also featured in one of the episodes of 纵横中医 (that has already started airing by the way!) on Channel 8
to showcase my experience with TCM and how it has took care of my persistent neck aches and other sub-health ailments.
It was really fun working with the crew too!
First time in my life I have people coming to my house to film me in my bedroom. Haha! Cheap thrill.
The show will be screening every Sat, 930pm on channel 8 all the way until 27th October
and some of the topics discussed are menopausal symptoms, sub-fertility, TCM weight management,
pain management, high blood pressure and more.
So do remember to catch it if you know if anyone who might need help from TCM.
The episode featuring me will air tomorrow (!!), 29 Sep.
Do tune in and watch me share my story with TCM if you’re in the mood for TV!
It would be like a summary for all my blog posts so far! :p
I’ll be happy to answer any of your questions about my TCM experience too.

There is also a weekly contest going on at the microsite that you can check out!
They are giving away Eu Yan Sang goodie packs worth more than $32!
All you need to do is to answer a really, really simple question based on this post.

That’s all from me! Let me know or leave a comment if you have any thoughts about TCM to share too! 🙂

After my visits to Eu Yan Sang for regular checks and acupuncture sessions,
I have had many friends asking me whether TCM works and how the whole acupuncture experience is like.
I guess it is still common how a lot of young people still have misconceptions when it comes to traditional Chinese medicine,
so I’ve decided to do a little report on my progress so far!

So far, I have tried traditional Chinese medicine that comes in powder form and had two acupuncture sessions!
Immediate results were obvious.
I drift into sleep much faster these days and it is exceptionally evident on days I received acupuncture treatments.
Although neck aches did not disappear immediately, the intensity of the pain has decreased.
The little health tips from Physician Zhou on how to relax my neck and shoulders have
helped me improve my general health condition too!

Apart from that, I also made some changes to my lifestyle to speed up the recovery process.
I try to cut down on wearing clothes that expose my neck and shoulders, especially in air-conditioned rooms.
Getting adequate sleep is also very crucial because according to TCM,
11pm to 1am is the time when the Yin and Yang energy transition in our body takes place,
so it’s the best time for the Yin and Yang energy to regain self-balance.
That was really interesting too because I always thought as long as we get 8 hours of sleep daily,
it doesn’t matter what time we get to bed. Myth busted! Heh.

I am very impressed with Physician Zhou’s knowledge about our body too.
Before I visited a Chinese physician, I always thought it’s good to drink herbal tea.
If we feel a little under the weather, we are probably “heaty” and should go get some herbal tea.
(Well, that’s what my Mom has been telling me since young)
But according to Physician Zhou, my body is considered “cool”, so too much herbal tea would not be good for me.
I told my Mom about what I learnt after my clinic visit and she went “Ohhh.” Hahaha!

After 2 months of trying TCM, my conditions seem to be getting better.
The aches would normally be aggravated if I keep late nights or bend my neck to do my work for prolonged periods of time.
She has advised me to try to do some simple neck exercises or put a warm towel over my neck to relax the muscles
if I have to work on my computer for a longer period of time.
I have been trying to keep a more balanced lifestyle and not be in front of the computer for too long a period of time,
but I guess I still have to try harder! 😡

Apart from neck aches, a couple other friends had also asked for my experiences and
went ahead to try TCM to solve their own sub-health ailments.
One of them had migraine, and I hope TCM has also helped her with her problem.
Just so you know, some of the many other conditions that can be treated by TCM include pain management, arthritis,
asthma, mild depression, sub-fertility, jet lag relief, stroke, weight management and many other pediatric diseases.
I never knew TCM could help treat so many conditions!
Most importantly, I think trying TCM out is really more of a lifestyle change rather than a treatment.

Like some of you might already know, I have been visiting the Eu Yan Sang clinic at Camden Medical Centre for the last two months.
And after my treatment, I have became extra sensitive to spotting other Eu Yan Sang branches in Singapore.
There are SO many! Here is a list of the clinics.
It’s funny how I never really noticed them before in the past!

Now for something more exciting – as part an upcoming health program “纵横中医”,
I will be appearing on the show to talk more about my sub-health conditions and
hopefully it can help others with the similar problem. We are done with the shooting and my episode will be coming up in September.

I hope my Mandarin is OK in the interview.
My episode will be airing on 29th September on Channel 8 from 9.30pm to 10pm.
This series will start airing from 25th August onwards until 27th October.
Don’t forget to catch fellow blogger Jessica on the show too!

Heh! It is the 10th anniversary for Eu Yan Sang Clinics!
It’s really cool when I went to Google their website and see their major milestones.
One that caught my attention was how they started home delivery service in 2009
where they deliver herbal prescriptions for existing patients all over Singapore! Which other clinic does that!
I didn’t know there is a premier clinic in Paragon that was started in September 2008
which treats referred patients from KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital too!

New update! I also tried cupping yesterday! It was a really interesting feeling and I’m surprised how painless it is.
It just feels very tight and warm – quite a nice sensation if you ask me.

The physician recommended cupping.
It applies acupressure by creating a vacuum in the cups,
which is why there are round marks on my body after the cups are removed.
Cupping is a way of treating ailments caused by local congestions;
these cups are placed along the meridian points so that they can help boost immunity and other modalities!

If you haven’t heard of cupping before, this is how it’s done.
The physician will heat up the air inside of the cup with a small flame.
After placing the cup over your skin, the air inside the cup cools down and contracts, drawing skin slightly inside the cup.
I didn’t feel any heat at all, just in case you’re wondering.
So not to worry! The red marks left behind are just slight bruising of the skin, and it goes away after two to three days.

At first, I was a little worried about the red marks on my back too because I was afraid that they would look unsightly
when I wear clothes that reveal my back.
But fortunately, the marks are not too red and they fade away within a couple of days.

After the cupping, I feel that my body has “loosen up” – almost like the cups has sucked all my stress away.
Amazingly, I didn’t feel any pain or aches in my neck and shoulders area for the rest of the day!
That’s really rare for me!

This is how my back looks like immediately after the cups are removed.

During my visit, I also saw the donation box for Thye Hua Kwan Moral Society! I also made a small donation.
I’m sure the money will go to do good things for the less fortunate!
Eu Yan Sang Clinics also will top up an additional 10% of the total sum collected. Isn’t it great?

Thye Hua Kwan Moral Society is adopted by Eu Yan Sang Clinics as part of their 10th anniversary celebrations.
So these donation boxes are just part of the plans to raise funds for Thye Hua Kwan Moral Society.
These boxes will be in all clinics islandwide until the end of the year.
If you want to know where are these clinics located,
here is a link for you to check out their addresses!

The next time you drop by a Eu Yan Sang Clinic and see one of these donation boxes,
don’t forget to do your part and give back to society! 🙂