An Expat’s Guide To Traditional Chinese Medicine in Hong Kong
Living in Hong Kong gives you access to both Western Medical Care and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Expats may find TCM strange due to the use of herbs and needles, but it is an effective and natural way to treat illness.
In this Pacific Prime Hong Kong guide, we will go through the different types of TCM in Hong Kong, the health benefits they provide, how you can get TCM treatments in Hong Kong and explore how TCM is covered by health insurance.
Is TCM a Recognized Form of Medicine?
TCM is a recognized form of medicine and has made various global milestones in the past decades – from being the basis for malaria treatments to aiding in cancer treatments. Some Western doctors will often use some practices in their care, and this is especially true for physiotherapists and naturopaths.
Further Reading: Where To Buy Medicine In Hong Kong
Four Key Principles of TCM
While various treatments in TCM have made their way into western medical practices, there are four key principles that separate TCM’s philosophy from its western counterpart. These principles are:
- Your body is an integrated whole: TCM practitioners believe the different parts of your body, along with your mental state and emotions, are fundamentally interconnected, forming a complex and intricate system.
- You are completely connected to nature: At heart, this principle is a little less spooky than it sounds. It states that your environment, such as your geographical location, the weather, the time of the day, as well as your age and genetics, are all conditions that affect your body.
- You were born with a natural self-healing ability: Self-healing is at the core of TCM treatments. TCM treatments are meant to unlock your body’s ability to self-heal instead of targeting and suppressing certain symptoms.
- Prevention is the best cure: Various TCM treatments are meant to protect your body from health complications and treat it before the symptoms arise. From this principle, TCM practitioners often develop skills that allow them to interpret the signs your body is telling you before illness symptoms appear.
Five Common Types of TCM
Acupuncture, bone setting, cupping therapy, qigong, and herbal medicine are some of the common types of TCM. While there are many different practices in TCM, these are the common ones found in Hong Kong.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture has long been a key component of Chinese medicine and involves inserting hair-thin needles into the body in strategic locations based on different ailments or medical concerns being experienced by the patient.
According to the Mayo Clinic, “Traditional Chinese medicine explains acupuncture as a technique for balancing the flow of energy or life force — known as qi or chi (CHEE) — believed to flow through pathways (meridians) in your body. By inserting needles into specific points along these meridians, acupuncture practitioners believe that your energy flow will re-balance.”
In Hong Kong, practitioners will often use acupuncture to alleviate symptoms, including:
- Vomiting caused by chemotherapy or postoperative recovery
- Pain in the mouth and teeth
- Fibromyalgia
- Headaches
- Pain from labour
- Lower back pain
- Osteoarthritis
- Cramps
Many physiotherapists will use acupuncture to help promote muscle recovery or pain relief.
Bone setting
Bone setting is the manipulation of joints, tendons, and ligaments to rectify the misaligned parts of the skeletal system. It forms the basis for the development of modern chiropractic and osteopathy.
Through manipulating fractured bones, ruptured sinew, and muscles, bonesetters are able to treat bone fractures, concussions, sprains, soft tissue problems, and even joint dislocations.
The treatment can also be used to treat other symptoms that modern chiropractic or osteopathy do not primarily target, such as stomach ache, dizziness, and menstrual pain.
Keep in mind that some bone setting manipulations are not as gentle as western physiotherapy and can be very painful, especially if it’s your first time!
Cupping therapy
As with other forms of TCM, Cupping is not a “new” practice, in fact, it has been around in some form or another since at least 1,550 BC where it was described in a medical text from Egypt. These days, the practice has evolved into two major methods used by most practitioners:
- Dry cupping: Placing cups (usually made from glass) onto the skin and heating them with a flame until a vacuum is created, pulling the skin up.
- Wet cupping: Using the above method combined with controlled bleeding.
Regardless of which type you receive, you will usually be left with large red circles where the cups were placed. What type you get will be determined by the practitioner and your current symptoms. Some of the most common symptoms cupping is used to treat include:
- Blood disorders
- Arthritis
- Fibromyalgia
- Eczema and acne
- High blood pressure (hypertension)
- Migraine
- Anxiety and depression
- Bronchial congestion caused by allergies and asthma
While Western medicine practitioners generally believe that cupping will not usually cure ailments by itself, it is often used in conjunction with other forms of TCM to alleviate symptoms or even promote healing.
Qigong
One of the main differences between TCM and Western medicine is that it doesn’t just focus on healing what ails you, but also on the mind and spirit. Qigong (Chee-Gong), meaning cultivating energy, is a perfect embodiment of this idea. According to the NQA, “Qigong practices can be classified as martial, medical, or spiritual” and can be used for health maintenance, healing, and increasing vitality.
When practicing Qigong, you will notice that there are three key elements you focus on: posture, breathing, and mental focus. Together, each movement revolves around your Qi or life force, and can help bring a more holistic element to your healing.
In Hong Kong, many people practice Qigong to achieve the following benefits:
- Increased self-confidence
- Reduced anxiety
- Improved balance
- Boosted immune system
- Decreased blood pressure
- Reduced bone density loss ratio
Herbal Medicine
For most people in Hong Kong, the herbal store is the first place to go when one is feeling sick, especially with a cold or similar maladies.
These stores sell a wide variety of herbs for an equally wide variety of illnesses and are usually staffed by knowledgeable and accredited Chinese Herbal Medicine professionals.
Being in line with TCM principles, herbal medicines are often not used to treat particular symptoms. Instead, they are used to treat the whole body by improving body-wide functions, such as blood circulation and the immune system.
How to Choose a Chinese Medicine Practitioner in Hong Kong
Currently, there are over 8,000 TCM practitioners in Hong Kong. You can find an updated list of all registered Chinese medicine practitioners in Hong Kong on the Chinese Medicine Council’s website.
For public Chinese Medicine clinics, you can search through the list of Chinese Medicine Clinics cum Training and Research Centres, which provide quota-based Government subsidized services to eligible persons.
For private Chinese Medicine practitioners, you can refer to the list of registered Chinese medicine practitioners, or go to private hospitals with TCM services, such as Gleneagles Hospital, St. Teresa’s Hospital, and Hong Kong Baptist Hospital.
As TCM is a governed industry in Hong Kong, all TCM practitioners must be approved by the government and meet set standards as defined and governed by the Chinese Medicine Ordinance.
How Much Does TCM Treatment Cost?
While a one-off consultation generally costs between HKD $120 and HKD $300 in most areas of Hong Kong, an all-inclusive Chinese medicine program (for example, consultation + acupuncture treatment + herbs prescriptions) in a high-end clinic can set you back anywhere from HKD $1,100 to HKD $2,000.
Chinese Medicine Clinics cum Training and Research Centres is another option for more affordable TCM treatment. For general consultation (including prescribed Chinese Medicine products for no more than 5 days), treatment-related acupuncture, bone setting, and Tui Na, each item costs only HKD $120 for every attendance.
Does Health Insurance Cover TCM?
Due to its increasing popularity in the city, many health insurance providers have started to implement insurance coverage benefits for traditional Chinese medicine in some plans.
The key thing to be aware of is that plans that do cover TCM may not cover all forms of TCM. For example, one plan will cover acupuncture and herbal medicine, but won’t cover visits to Qigong practitioners, while another plan may only cover acupuncture.
Beyond that, plans often have a limit to the number of visits they will cover or the cost for each treatment. It would be beneficial to read the coverage documentation that came with your plan before you seek out any care from a Chinese medicine practitioner.
Need Help In Finding The Right Insurance Plan? Let Pacific Prime Help You!
If you are looking for a new health insurance plan and will be visiting a TCM practitioner this year, visit our plans page to learn more about our plans and book a meeting.
With our health insurance experts here in Hong Kong, we can help you find a plan that meets your coverage needs. You can visit our site for free plan comparisons or a free quote today.
Serena earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from the University of British Columbia, Canada. As such, she is an avid advocate of mental health and is fascinated by all things psychology (especially if it’s cognitive psychology!).
Her previous work experience includes teaching toddlers to read, writing for a travel/wellness online magazine, and then a business news blog. These combined experiences give her the skills and insights she needs to explain complex ideas in a succinct way. Being the daughter of an immigrant and a traveler herself, she is passionate about educating expats and digital nomads on travel and international health insurance.
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