Singapore Thong Chai Medical Institution

Acupuncture for stroke and pain management

1) Brief History

Acupuncture has more than 2000 years of history, and constitutes an important part of the medical field. Acupuncture is currently practiced in 183 countries worldwide. According to the World Health Organization, acupuncture is one of the most widely used traditional medical methods in the world.

The reason for high acceptance of acupuncture worldwide is its safety and efficacy. In particular, it is widely used in pain management, and can be applied to a wide variety of diseases.

The acupuncture for post-stroke and pain management special clinic was established in 1987. In the recent years, with funding support from Ministry of Health, the special clinic has had the opportunity to collaborate with Rheumatology specialists of the Singapore General Hospital in clinical research projects. These research opportunities serve as a good foundation for improving the quality of acupuncture related clinical research and to have a systematic evaluation of the clinical efficacy of acupuncture.

2) Scope of services:
a) Post-Stroke
b) Soft tissue injury (musculoskeletal trauma) – mainly pain related conditions caused by acute or chronic soft tissue damage.

3) TCM management Approach

Acupuncture is effective in post-stroke and pain management. In addition to providing pain relief, it also has minimal side effects, making it well received by patients.
TCM theory believes that pain and illness are due to obstructions of the meridians in the body. Acupuncture uses specific acupoints to promote blood circulation and regulate qi flow through the affected organs and tissues, hence relieving pain.

4) Pre-requisite to be registered under special clinic:

a) Post-stroke clinic:
b) Pre-requisite: Provide relevant medical reports.

5) Pain management clinic:
1. Pre-requisite: Undergo assessment and fulfil diagnostic criteria set by lead physician. Best to provide relevant imaging results or diagnostic reports, such as X-ray, MRI and CT scans.
2. Types of diseases: cervical spondylosis, knee osteoarthritis, plantar fasciitis, back muscle strain, carpal tunnel syndrome, hand joint tenosynovitis, tennis elbow, sciatica, shoulder capsulitis.

Medical Services