Jill Forse Traditional Chinese Medicine

Years ago when I was in China, we stopped to see a traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner. Nervously, we each sat at a table with him where he looked us up and down, felt our pulse and looked at our tongues. Within 5 minutes, he told us in broken English our diagnosis.

He said to me, “You have joint problems.”

He was bang on. He was exactly right, as he was with the diagnoses he gave my friends.

I was utterly amazed with what he could tell by paying close attention to the signs our bodies were sending out.

Fast forward 20 years to a time when I have been really feeling the toll of my age on my body.
Recently, I wrote a post called, Help! I’m Old and Falling Apart!

This summer I was suffering a lot from a severely sprained foot along with Achilles tendonitis.

One morning at swimming lessons, I was lamenting to my friend Jill Forse, the fact that I was falling apart and that my foot was in constant pain.

“Come see me!” said Jill in her gentle, non-confrontational way.

That’s when I realized, that although we had been friends for years, I really didn’t know what she did.

Jill Forse Traditional Chinese Medicine

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is an ancient, holistic medicine that views the body as an interconnected whole. With a thorough intake we come up with a treatment plan to tackle the root (why) and branch (the symptoms) of each individual case.

Jill’s treatments vary from acupuncture, Chinese herbal remedies, Tui Na Massage, Moxibustion/TDP Heat Lamp, and cupping.

The number of treatments required depends on the condition and how long the condition has been present. The longer the illness has been present, the longer it may take to see treatment results.

My Experience

In my first appointment at Jill Forse Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jill did a full assessment. She asked questions about my health, but much like the practitioner I visited in China, Jill took my pulse and looked at my tongue. Based on all of this information, she came up with a treatment plan.

The first step was acupuncture on my foot.
This was not my first acupuncture experience. So, I somewhat knew what to expect.

According to Jill, everyone experiences acupuncture differently. Feelings may include heaviness, pressure, a dull ache or an energized feeling at and around the insertion point.

For me, I was aware that the needles were there, and I honestly couldn’t feel anything. I’m not sure I would have liked to have seen it, but it wasn’t painful.

After just one treatment of acupuncture, heat and massage, the pain running up the back of my leg from the Achilles tendonitis had been reduced to half its length.

I had her squeeze the back of my leg to double check! I couldn’t believe it.

After three treatments of 30 minutes each, the pain is now completely gone in my foot! After living with the pain for 4 months, it was gone with three treatments! And, the pain has not returned!

I love this quote from Jill’s testimonial page as it sums up my experience:

“I wasn’t a believer in Acupuncture when I started seeing Jill in 2009. Today, I am convinced that it is because of the Acupuncture treatments that enables me to continue to walk. Acupuncture clears my head and keeps my body moving. I don’t know how or why it works, I just know that it does.” ~ happy client

Next Appointments

Now, I have tennis elbow from stacking wood and typing too much. I told you I was old and falling apart!
Once quick call to Jill, and she told me she could definitely do a treatment for me!

For treating tennis elbow, Jill did acupuncture followed by the most amazing treatment – cupping.
She literally lit a cotton ball on fire, put it in a glass cup and immediately placed the cup on my arm where it instantly stuck!

Fire cupping is an ancient technique using glass cups and a flame to attach cups to the body. It draws out stagnation, promotes Qi and blood flow to the area and acts as a reverse massage to stimulate the body to heal itself and get rid of toxins.

This felt like a really deep massage.
Combined with a more traditional massage, after just 30 minutes, I had so much more mobility in my arm and far less pain.

I know where I am heading when my next set of aches and pains come on!