TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) is the most common form of Acupuncture used in America. It is a system based around yin and yang and the many ways that they interact. Through the intake, the practitioner determines which organ, fluid, energy channel, or other part of the body is in disharmony. From there, specific acupoints are used to balance those disharmonies. There can be a connection between specific areas of the body that constantly become tight, weak, or injured and the organ or energy channel that pertains to that body. If a patient has a body part that always reinjures or never fully heals, it may help to work on a different area of the body.
A common TCM practice is the use of electro-stim. In this modality, leads are hooked up to specific needles and a small amount of electricity is applied. This electricity is very low level and is always tolerable. The electricity can be used to reduce pain, muscular tightness, joint pain and restricted motion, swelling, and more. It helps return the area from an acid to alkaline pH and works similarly to many other Western electrical modalities. The difference with e-stim is that the needles conduct the electricity deep into the muscle or joint, bypassing the skin and allowing for a more effective treatment.
Many TCM practitioners use herbal formulas to help treat patients with their diagnoses. Under the nutrition section, you will see a system of nutrition and supplements that I use to treat disharmonies in the body which can have similar effects as classic Chinese formulas.