The six core methods of Traditional Chinese Medicine: what they are, how they work, and where needles, herbs and cups fit in. Honestly — where TCM genuinely helps, and where it does not replace Western medicine.
Strip away everything else and Traditional Chinese Medicine rests on a single thought: the body is one connected system, not a collection of separate organs. When the system is in balance, a person is well. When the balance shifts, a symptom appears. So a TCM physician does not treat "the disease" in the abstract — they treat a particular person, and may prescribe differently for two patients with the same diagnosis.
Western medicine works the other way, and does its job brilliantly — it locates the precise fault (a virus, a tumour, a fracture) and removes it. TCM comes from the other side: it asks why the balance shifted in this specific person and tries to restore it. This is not a contradiction, but two views of one body.
At FFCH the two approaches do not compete — they work together under one roof. That, more than anything, is what separates TCM inside a state hospital rated Grade III Class A from "Chinese medicine" at a private practice down the street.
Very fine sterile needles are placed at specific points on the body. The aim is to relieve pain, release spasm, clear stagnation and help the nervous system re-settle. The sensation is minimal — mild warmth or tingling.
Not "one herb for one illness", but an individual formula of several components, assembled for a specific patient and revised as the condition changes. This is the most physician-driven and subtle of the TCM methods.
Points on the body are gently warmed with smouldering mugwort — without touching the skin. This method is about warmth and "cold" states, when the body seems to lack energy. It often pairs with acupuncture.
A therapeutic manual technique: pressing, kneading and working points along the body's lines. Closest to the massage we know, but more targeted — it addresses a specific area and task rather than simply relaxing you.
Those round marks many have seen on athletes. Cups create suction and boost local blood flow, releasing muscular tension. The method is simple, quick and familiar even to sceptics.
Food as part of treatment. The physician selects foods and a regimen for your condition — what to add, what to set aside for now. Not a weight-loss diet, but a way to support recovery and keep the other methods working.
Beyond this six there are more specialised techniques — for example Tianjiu therapy (point applications) and qigong (breathing-and-movement practice). But if you want to understand TCM "in broad strokes", these six methods are enough to see the whole picture.
Where TCM does not work — and says so honestly. Acute conditions, heart attacks and strokes in the moment, fractures, cancer itself — these belong to Western medicine and surgery. A sound TCM physician will never offer to "treat cancer with herbs instead of surgery". The strength of TCM is not instead of, but alongside: easing side effects, speeding recovery, supporting the body where Western medicine has already done its part. At FFCH every decision is made by a medical board.
FFCH is a national demonstration unit for TCM. This is not a single "healer" but a school, with inheritance studios and masters recognised at provincial and national level.
Before a TCM course is prescribed, you are examined with the tools of Western medicine — laboratory, imaging, specialist physicians. East and West work toward one result, never blind.
She is known as the "Goddess of Fertility" — for her results in treating infertility with TCM combined with Western gynaecology. She is the clearest example of how the six methods above work not in isolation, but in the hands of a master and under a precise diagnosis.
More on the TCM masters and booking →Western medicine looks for a specific fault and fixes it directly. TCM sees the body as one connected system and asks not only what hurts, but why the balance shifted in this particular person. That is why the same diagnosis can lead to different prescriptions. At FFCH this is not a rivalry but a combination: Western medicine gives the precise diagnosis and treats the acute, TCM restores resources and works with the chronic.
It is a clinical system operating inside China's state hospitals alongside Western medicine. Some methods have a solid evidence base — for instance acupuncture for several pain syndromes and nausea. TCM does not replace oncology, surgery or intensive care. At FFCH it is used as a complement, not a substitute, and every decision is made by a medical board.
You do not pick a method from a menu — a physician selects it after an examination, based on your case. For pain and recovery, treatment often begins with acupuncture and moxibustion; for internal and hormonal issues, with individual herbal formulas. The first step is simply to describe your situation so you can be directed to the right FFCH specialist.
The initial consultation and case review can be done remotely. The treatment itself — acupuncture, moxibustion, herbal formulas, a recovery course — takes place in person at FFCH under the masters' supervision. Meridélite handles the logistics, translation and support, and a personal protocol is prepared within 48 hours of your enquiry.
Describe your situation — Ekaterina will tell you honestly where TCM can help, and match you with the right FFCH specialist
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