News

The Year of the Metal Tiger begins on February 14, 2010.

According to Chinese astrology the year a person is born in influences his or her personality. People born in the year of the Tiger are said to be courageous, intelligent and impulsive.  

The Chinese New Year Festival hosted by the City of Sydney looks to be fantastic this year, with plenty of events, performances, a parade and markets that give us the chance to connect with and learn more about the richness of Chinese culture. Check out  http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/cny/Default.aspx and head down to Chinatown from 12-28 February to experience some of the celebrations.

Happy New Year to all - clients, friends and online Chinese medicine aficionados!

I hope you managed to get through the Christmas celebrations relatively unscathed and that you are ready to move into a healthy and happy 2010. 

I plan to make more regular posts on the blog this year, so please drop by often if you are interested in the classical Chinese worldview and medicine and how this can benefit your life.

Don't forget to sign up for my free newsletter in the box to the right for more in depth articles delivered to your inbox. 

All the best and hope to see you soon,

Tom 

I'll be taking off for a week's holiday from the 13th - 20th of January. I'm heading up to Bellingen for my sister's wedding. It should be fantastic! 

My first day back in clinic is Friday 22nd at The Living Room, Coogee. I'll be on the email while I'm away, so please feel free to contact me if you'd like to book an appointment.

Cheers,

Tom 

An exciting new way of practising acupuncture is emerging in Western settings - something called 'Community Acupuncture'. It is a style of treatment that has always been practised in China, but has not often been seen in Australia in many clinics. The same high quality treatment is given to clients, but a slightly shortened treatment time and shared treatment space allows for more people to receive treatment at once. This results in a significant reduction in cost, making regular treatment far more accessible for many people. 

Acupuncture treatment is offered on a sliding scale of between $30-$50, with a $10 administrative fee for the first session. You pay what you are able and comfortable paying, each session. Treatments last around 45 minutes.

I am running a Community Acupuncture now(!) on Wednesdays and Fridays at The Living Room Yoga Studio on Coogee Beach. If you have any questions, or would like to book in, please contact me by email or phone (listed at the bottom of the page.) I look forward to seeing you there!

At the end of October I will be moving on from Therapeutic Axis in Glebe. I am very grateful to the clinic and everyone I have worked alongside, for creating a communicative and friendly environment. I'll miss the place!

I have taken an exciting opportunity to work in a way that is more in line with my longer-term aspirations for my practice of Chinese medicine, in a style of practice known as 'Community Acupuncture'. It is happening now, at The Living Room in Coogee and it is a style of practice that makes regular acupuncture treatment accessible to many more people. Please see a separate blog post for details of what this means. 

The schedule of days at The Living Room is as follows:

Wednesday: Community Acupuncture Clinic
Friday: Community Acupuncture Clinic
Saturday: Regular Clinic

I look forward to helping you with your health there! 

What better way to detox and clean out the excesses of Winter than a course of acupuncture or shiatsu? Read on for my special offer.

In the traditional Chinese world view, inner and outer worlds are interrelated. The change in season affects the functioning of our organs, which can impact on our health and wellbeing. A change in season also offers the chance to find an increased level of harmony with our external environment. Acupuncture and shiatsu (and herbs!) during Spring is a great way of doing this.

With this in mind, I am offering a 10% discount on acupuncture and shiatsu during the month of October - to encourage you to find a greater level of health and internal/external harmony. Just mention the blog at your appointment.

Please contact me at tom@thomascrooks.com.au or 0401 322 061 to book in or if you have any queries.

Tom 

   With the change in season and a rapid drop in temperature, people are already starting to catch colds and the flu. One of the underlying reasons for this is that we often have under-functioning immune systems.

Traditional Chinese Medicine has a well developed understanding of the immune system. Over thousands of years of astute observation of human functioning, the Chinese recognized that there was a complex interaction between the varying aspects of our basic energy, (known as Qi). One specific componentof Qi was called Zheng Qi, or Upright Qi. In modern times Upright Qi has direct correlations with the immune system. This aspect of Qi is that which prevents external pathogenic invasions, or bacteria and viruses, from entering the body and taking hold. These pathogens are responsible for causing the myriad common colds that are passed around each Winter. Bymaintaining a healthy Upright Qi there is no opening or weakness that can be exploited for such pathogens to enter our bodies and cause illness.

Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs can be specifically targeted at rectifying deficient Upright Qi in order to prevent these attacks from occurring. Along with dietary and lifestyle adjustments, our immunity and general wellbeing can be enhanced so that we don’t get sick in the first place – and never have to play catch up. Truly preventative medicine!

The time to start this type of treatment is right now! If you find that you come down with colds or the flu every Winter, consider acting pre-emptively this year, to ensure it does not happen! See below for my Autumn immunity enhancing treatment offer.

Often we are not able to take the preventative approach and an external pernicious invasion (bacteria or flu virus), breaks through our defences and we become sick. We are all well aware of the symptoms and how much they impede our day to day lives.

There is much that Chinese Medicine can do to help deal with these types of complaints, once the pathogens have taken hold. Treatment can take various forms, adjusted to the needs of the individual; however the following interventions are commonly used:

Cupping – draws out external pathogens through the skin at the upper back, shoulders and nape of the neck, as well as taking pressure off the lungs in order to re-establish proper lung function.

Herbal Medicine – utilises specific ingredients aimed at addressing particular sets of signs and symptoms, to resolve them internally. In these cases, herbs act to stop cough, ease sore throat, reduce head and body aches and resolve phlegm production.

Acupuncture – rectifies the affected meridian channels and their related organs. These are commonly the Lung meridian; however the Spleen,Bladder & Gall Bladder channels are also often affected.

Dietary & Lifestyle recommendations – provide the conditions that enable the most rapid healing and resolution of the illness.

The key factors to be aware of are:

• Recognition that you are becoming sick
• Seeking treatment promptly to ensure that the pathogen is not allowed to fully take hold.

Chinese Medicine is particularly effective in treating colds and flu when it is received as quickly as possible after you become aware that you are not well. Treatment delivered in this way will generally ensure rapid resolution of the ailment so that you can get on with your life! If a pathogen has become entrenched, more sessions may be required.

   In keeping with the theme of this season’s newsletter, I am offering a package treatment if you are interested in becoming proactive about your health. By lifting your immunity you will be more able to keep colds and flu at bay this Autumn and Winter. The package includes 6 acupuncture treatments (one/week),based on enhancing immunity and strengthening the Lung and Spleen Qi. A 15% discount will be offered on the entire course of treatment (excluding herbal medicine). This offer is available if commenced in May or June 2009.  

Friday Clinic at Coogee Beach!

I continue to be blessed by amazing places in which to practice! I have started a Friday clinic, right on Coogee Beach.  The clinic is located at The Living Room, a yoga studio and natural therapies clinic, situated right above Barzura Cafe, at 62 Carr St, Coogee. The space is amazing and the view is truly breathtaking – it has to be seen to be believed. I’m looking forward to a wonderful time in clinic at The Living Room. It is the perfect location for acupuncture or shiatsu if you live in the Eastern suburbs and can be a fantastic change of scenery if you usually come to see me in the Inner West. I also welcome any referrals if you know of anyone in the Eastern suburbs in need of treatment.

Change of clinic days

In order to make things a little easier to remember, I have changed the days that I will be working at each clinic. The new schedule is as follows:

Monday:              3-9pm, The Buddha Bar in Newtown

Tuesday:             3-9pm, The Buddha Bar in Newtown

Wednesday:        11-7pm, Therapeutic Axis in Glebe

Friday:                9-6pm, The Living Room in Coogee

Saturday:           9-6pm, Therapeutic Axis in Glebe

The Sosuishiryu Australia Newtown Dojo has found new premises, at Coronation Hall, 95 Lennox St, Newtown (cnr Probert St).

Classes are Wednesday and Friday evenings, in Judo, Jujutsu and Karate.

Go to:
http://maps.google.com.au/maps?utm_campaign=en_AU&utm_medium=ha&utm_source=en_AU-ha-apac-au-sk-gm&utm_term=sydney%20maps

for location details. The dojo is a 5 minute walk from Newtown Train Station.

For any queries, call Tom on 0401 322 061.

I am starting a Friday clinic at Coogee Beach. The clinic is located at:

The Living Room Yoga Studio
62 Carr St (above Barzura Cafe)
Coogee Beach
M: 0401322061

This location is absolutely beautiful; the yoga studio has stunning views of Coogee Bay - it's the perfect location for acupuncture & shiatsu.

There is a studio open weekend on Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th of February, with talks, courses and treatments being given by practitioners and therapists. Come down on Sunday for a mini treatment with either me or one of the other practitioners. 

Go to: http://www.findyoga.com.au/aboutus.asp?SchoolID=1873 for more info.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

The very first eNewsletter is now available.

Sign up to read in this issue about how Chinese medicine is used to manage Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

The newsletter contains useful information on common health complaints and their treatment with Chinese medicine, as well as information about my practice. Special offers will also be made periodically. You can join from the website to have it delivered seasonally straight to your inbox.

Alternatively, the first edition is available here: http://www.thomascrooks.com.au/tc/newsletter/issue01summer2009/index.html

I hope you find it beneficial and I welcome any feedback.

Thomas has just joined the wonderful Buddha Bar Healing Clinic, which is located at 434 King St, Newtown. The Buddha Bar is fast becoming recognised as one of the premiere clinics in the Inner West, if not all of Sydney.

Blessed by the Gyuto Monks of Tibet, the clinic is an oasis of tranquility where a passionate group of health care practitioners do their work. If you would like to be pampered while receiving your acupuncture and shiatsu, come and see Thomas at the Buddha Bar. This is definitely the place for you.

Thomas is available Mondays, 3pm-9pm and Thursdays 11am-3pm. Phone 0401 322 061 or 9517 9725, or email tom@thomascrooks.com.au.

As one of the 'transitional' seasons, Spring is a fantastic time to bring positive change to your life.

Chinese medicine recognizes the impact that the seasons have on our wellbeing and its forms of intervention can be adjusted to best make use of this.

Spring relates to the element of Wood, which in the traditional Chinese view, corresponds internally with our Liver and Gall Bladder. Depending on how we manage our health and lives in this time of year, we can 'flush out' internal stagnation, ensuring the healthy function of the Liver and Gall Bladder. Not only will this have an effect on the healthy functioning of our other organs and the production of 'Qi' and Blood, but it can also have an interrelated effect in our external environments, as shown by healthier relationships, cleaner living & working spaces and reduced stress.

If you would like to take the 'seasonal advantage' this Spring, to increase your health, vitality and immunity, contact Thomas on tom@thomascrooks.com.au or 0401 322 061 to book your consultation. 

Approved cover with most health funds.

In a recent article in the Sydney Morning Herald, it was reported that there has been an increase of over 50% of Australians turning to complementary forms of medicine, including acupuncture. For the full article go to:

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/07/23/1216492537384.html

Acupuncture is recognised by the World Health Organisation as an effective form of medical intervention. It looks at your health complaints as part of a broader picture - taking into account many aspects of your life and then treating you as a whole person.

Book in with Thomas and join this ever growing trend.

Email: tom@thomascrooks.com.au

Phone: 0401 322 061

Did you know that Chinese medicine can be used in the treatment of colds & flu?

At his clinic in Glebe, Thomas works with his clients using Acupuncture and Herbal medicine, in combination with cupping and moxibustion, to boost immunity as well as address the common symptoms associated with viral infections of the respiratory system. These include:

• Cough
• Sore throat
• Runny nose/congested sinus
• Headache & body ache
• Chills & fever
• Phlegm production

A short course of treatment can help to either prevent the onset or manage the symptoms of this regular disturbance to a busy person's life.

Best of all, treatment is completely natural!

Contact Thomas now on tom@thomascrooks.com.au or on 0401 322 061 if you have any questions or to book your appointment.

Thomas Crooks and Grant Cole have recently opened the doors of the Sosuishiryu Australia Newtown Dojo. They are both teaching a system of Japanese Martial Art that includes Judo, Jujutsu and Karate.

The dojo is located at Reiby Hall, 37 Station St Newtown, just behind the RSL Club. Classes are on Wednesday and Friday nights from 6.30-9.30pm.

Training in a martial art is a wonderful way of staying healthy and managing stress while at the same time learning self-protection skills. All people over 15 are welcome.

Please go to www.newtowndojo.org or call Thomas on 0401322061 for more information.

The Living Meridian Chart is a high quality poster series that shows in detail the acupoints and meridian pathways of all the external channels, as used in both TCM and Zen Shiatsu.

Beautifully presented, these charts are an invaluable reference for the TCM student and practitioner.

Thomas was heavily involved in the initial stages of chart development and now rejoins the team as an adjunct to his clinical work.

Go to http://store.thefifthelement.com.au for more information about the Living Meridian charts and how they may enhance your learning and practice of TCM.

Did you know that anxiety can be significantly reduced and even overcome with acupuncture and Chinese herbs?

In TCM terms, there are 6 diagnostic patterns that when present, can manifest in anxiety.

1. Qi and Blood Deficiency

2. Kidney Yin Deficiency

3. Kidney Yang Deficiency

4. Liver Blood Deficiency

5. Gall-Bladder Deficiency

6. Liver Qi Deficiency

Depending on the severity of the anxiety, as well as other signs and symptoms present, one of these diagnoses will generally be given. The treatment given is then based upon the diagnosis, as well as the manifestations of the pattern that are specific to the individual. Also taken into account is what modality (or combination of modalities) is most effective for both the pattern and the patient. This is how treatment is tailored to each unique person.

If you or one of your loved ones are suffering from anxiety, understand that it does not need to be so. Please call or email Thomas to discuss in further detail how Chinese Medicine can be of benefit.