One of the main reasons international patients choose China for rehabilitation is genuine integration — not a spa service bolted onto a hospital, but TCM physicians working inside the multidisciplinary team.
What “integrative” actually means here
In our programs, TCM syndrome differentiation and holistic assessment run alongside Western functional assessment. Both feed the same treatment plan, reviewed in the same daily multidisciplinary rounds. The TCM department has its own outpatient clinic, pharmacy and specialized treatment rooms.
The main TCM methods used
- Acupuncture — used for pain, spasticity management and neurological recovery support.
- Moxibustion — warming therapy applied at specific points, commonly for cold-type pain and circulation.
- Cupping — used for muscle tension and local circulation.
- Herbal patches and internal herbal medicine — prescribed individually after syndrome differentiation.
- Tuina massage — manual therapy for muscle tone, pain and joint mobility.
- Acupoint injection — targeted injection at acupuncture points where indicated.
Where it fits in a rehabilitation program
TCM is used most often for stroke sequelae, cervical spondylosis, lumbar disc herniation, frozen shoulder, insomnia and headache, and for systemic complaints across respiratory, digestive, neurological, urinary, endocrine and dermatological domains. In practical terms, a stroke patient may do robotic gait training in the morning and receive acupuncture and tuina in the afternoon — coordinated, not competing.
What international patients should know
- Everything is prescribed and documented like any other medical treatment — with records you can take home.
- Herbal medicine is dispensed by the hospital pharmacy with clear instructions; tell the team about any medication you already take, to avoid interactions.
- TCM complements — it does not replace — essential Western rehabilitation therapy.