Lately, there are many Chinese Medicine doctors offering sports therapy in Hong Kong. Many Chinese Medicine doctors even do chiropracting to alleviate tension on spine and other body parts. We decided to go undercover and try it out after my first competition.
Did we need a physiotherapist?
Greg deadlifted with poor form which resulted in his hips being tender and sore. He repeatedly tested his PR during times where he should have lifted lighter. With a semi-physically-demanding day job, he soon developed chronic back and hip pain. So, he definitely needed some sort of therapy.
How to Choose a Chinese Medicine Sports Doctor?
We did not go for a doctor that is purely trained in Chinese medicine. We went to King Cross Medical Group (not sponsored) where doctors are trained in both physiotherapy and Chinese Medicine. It is important to check that the doctor earned their license through a reputable institution such as Baptist University in Hong Kong. Having a doctor that had a physiotherapist license also made us feel safer as it was our first time trying out Chinese Medicine as sports therapy.
Green flags in a Chinese Medicine Sports Doctor:
- Trained in a reputable institution
- Does not sell you long-term packages
- Bonus point for being a licensed physiotherapist as well
- Open about treatment and pricing
Procedure #1: Fire Cupping
Cupping therapy is used to increase blood flow in certain regions. Some believe the deeper the color, the more toxins you have in your body. It is non-invasive and it did not feel like anything when our doctor performed it. The doctor warned us that we would feel more tired after cupping, and he was right. The marks also faded within 1-2 weeks.
Procedure #2: Acupuncture with Electrical Stimulation
The doctor proceeded to use very tiny needles on Greg. He did not feel anything as they needles penetrated him. When the doctor connected the needles to the electrical stimulation machine, Greg’s muscles started to twitch. However, once again, he did not feel anything. He did not even know that he was twitching until I notified him. As the doctor left us for over 10 minutes, Greg started to fall asleep.
Procedure #3: Chiropracting
The final block of the treatment was chiropracting. It is a common practice in Chinese Medicine. We were skeptical at first because Greg weighed about 113kg at the time and the doctor looked very tiny in comparison. However, he successfully proved us wrong and cracked the stubborn bones in Greg’s body professionally. We could not help smiling throughout as he kept the session light-hearted.
Our thoughts on King Cross Medical Group
As we were paying, they did not sell us packages. Even the doctor told us we do not need a lot of sessions to feel better. This helped us build trust with the doctor and as some Chinese Medicine doctors are known to be scams. The doctor suggested Greg to take a break from squatting as his lower back was fatigued. We also adopted his suggestion to drink at least 3L of water and lose weight for our skin condition to get better.
After the session, Greg felt 10 pounds lighter and a lot better than before the session. However, he did feel slightly tired from the electric stimulation and fire cupping. So we do not recommend going for a session before a long day! It resolved his back pain like a miracle and we were genuinely surprised at the results.
Final Thoughts on Chinese Medicine Sports Therapy
Our doctor did mention that many people in the industry were underqualified, and we were lucky to have found him. I think what he mentioned was true and it is important for clients to do their research before committing to a session. We did our due diligence and felt safe with a medical center that had a doctor that specialize in physiotherapy as well. As we read more articles about Chinese Medicine scams, we realized the importance of finding a certified doctor from a recognized institution and googling the company before attending.
In the end, we only paid $650 as it was a trial fee. We left feeling very excited for our recovery and the workout after that. As Greg overcame his aches and learnt to deadlift properly, he is also breaking PRs! Chinese Medicine is something worth trying!