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Chinalife’s new premises in Camden High Street |
Chinese oasis of calm offers a new take on old medicine
World-renowned clinic to tackle lifestyle-related illnesses with alternative approach
CHINESE medicine provokes strong reactions from even the most taciturn.
Take acupuncture, for example, heralded as a riposte to the scientific haughtiness of western medicine by its champions and dismissed with fervour by its critics as little more than witchdoctory.
A new medical centre is endeavouring to break this impasse and reconcile the two poles.
Operating from its high street headquarters, Chinalife is an oasis of calm in hectic surroundings of Camden Town.
Offering everything from acupuncture to de-stressing soft-tissue massages, herbal remedies to aromatic oils, Chinalife takes a holistic approach to healthcare – nothing is thought too insignificant.
“Medicine shouldn’t be just about curing people, it should be about preventing illness and boosting health,” says Chinalife director, Don Mei.
“We are all about simple solutions for everyday life. We are trying to push a different image of Chinese medicine from the one of ‘us and them’ that has dominated perceptions.
“Things are changing slowly but we’re in a much better place than 30 years ago.”
As Europe’s largest and longest established Chinese medical clinic, Chinalife has scoured the globe to recruit leading authorities on traditional medicine.
The centre’s credentials are impressive. There is Dr Lily Hua Yu – a former consultant to Princess Diana – who has garnered a first-class reputation for performing fertility miracles.
And then there is the founder and Don’s father, Professor Man Fong Mei, who is a pioneer of Chinese medicine in the UK. He is a member of the Department of Health steering group on Chinese medicine.
It is Dr Fong Mei’s vision to oversee an integrative approach to medicine – a healthcare system without frontiers for a globalised world. Chinalife is just a small part of this vision.
“Now we have the backing of politicians, scientists, local GPs and the World Health Organisation we can make strides forward,” said Mr Mei.
“I would scrap the ‘traditional’ from Chinese medicine, because its never been more relevant than today. It might be over 5,000 years old but that doesn’t mean it stands still.
“Lifestyle related diseases like obesity and stress are a modern phenomenon and you can’t just treat them with a pill. Chinese medicine can offer solutions.”
Chinalife has thrown up what appear to be several success stories.
Sibylla Wood suffered from premature menopause and was told by her GP she had a 5 per cent chance of conceiving.
She tried Chinalife out of pure desperation and received bimonthly acupuncture to boost her fertility hormones. In a matter of weeks she was pregnant.
Then there is the story of Dal Bamford, who after 11 years taking the pill could no longer ovulate. She was treated for amenorrhea with a course of relexology and acupuncture.
Six weeks later she too was pregnant.
For those just looking to avoid the seasonal flurry of coughs and colds, there is a Shanghai-style teahouse to reinvigorate.
Take your pick from the finest leaf and floral teas sourced from the forests of China. |
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