Five Branches University Health Centers have provided Traditional Chinese Medicine and integrative healthcare to Bay Area and Santa Cruz families since 1984.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a comprehensive natural healthcare system that has been used successfully in Asia for centuries. TCM practitioners use acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, therapeutic massage, medical qigong, and nutrition to treat the root cause of symptoms, prevent illness, and preserve health.
TCM primary healthcare practitioners use a sophisticated and complex system of diagnostic
methods to discern patterns of imbalance and treat the underlying cause of your illness. Our objective goes beyond alleviating your symptoms; our goal is to improve and extend your quality of life. Our health centers in Santa Cruz and San Jose, California offer the following TCM services:
Acupuncture is one of the oldest healing practices in the world. It involves the stimulation of points on the body using very fine needles to correct imbalances in the flow of vital energy (qi) through channels in the body called meridians. It is used to treat a wide variety of conditions to reduce pain, treat disease, provide immune enhancement and promote overall good health. Acupuncture is accepted and recognized as part of mainstream medicine, and is currently one of America’s fastest growing choices for primary healthcare.
Our herbal dispensary contains over 500 high quality medicinal herbs. Herbal specialists provide
personalized herbal prescriptions for your specific health condition.
Based on the same principles as acupuncture, Tuina massage provides the benefits of Traditional Chinese Medicine to patients without the use of needles. Tuina is also the primary means of treating childhood illness in Chinese medicine, offering a gentle, nurturing method to positively influence the health and development of children.
Our licensed massage therapists are professionally trained in a variety of bodywork therapies. Please contact the clinic nearest you to determine availability of services.
Using gentle movement, breath, and focused intent, Medical Qigong practitioners correct the
energetic imbalances and blockages of qi in the body. Medical Qigong provides numerous benefits, can be used to address specific ailments, and is highly effective in treating disease.
Our TCM practitioners understand the vital connection between food and health. Nutritional
balanced diets are prescribed to facilitate weight loss and detoxification, and to improve your overall health and well-being.