How to see a TCM doctor in China as a foreigner?
Other than needing a translator, there are a few things you should plan for.
China is truly the land foe Traditional Chinese Medicine wisdom. You can find the best doctors and hospitals here. As a foreigner, you can get seen at an affordable price, no problem. However, you need to follow the following suggestion. We are also here to help!
Figure out what you are looking for.
TCM is a big umbrella and the treatments are offered in different settings. If you have a particular concern that’s more than just physical pain, you should go to a TCM hospital. They are large hospitals that offer both western and TCM modalidies. A doctor will check your pulse, tongue, ask you questions, and prescribe you herbs and lifestyle changes. See below for details on booking an appointment.
If you are looking to receive acupuncture, moxibustion, cupping, and tui na (massage), you can go to smaller clinics that specialize in these services. These are easier to book and more pleasant to visit. But they often don’t treat illnesses (except for some acupuncture clinics) or prescribe anything for you to take. Go for relaxation, wellness, disease prevention, and beauty.
Book an appointment for TCM hospitals.
No matter which chinese city you are in, you will most likely be able to find a TCM hospital. Now, you need a local friend’s help to find the best doctor for your condition. Every city has different systems to find doctors. You will need to do a little research on that. Once you find the doctor, you will also see where they are on what days. For example, you will find Dr. Li is at ABC Hospital on Wednesdays mornings. So then, you will contact the hospital (call or wechat) to book your slot. Most of the times, the system that helps you to find doctors also offer bookings.
Book an appointment for specialty clinics (acu/moxa/cupping etc.).
This is a little easier. Ask a local friend to help you find a place on a Chinese app called Dianping 大众点评 (unfortunately, no english version). They can then help you to call them to book an appointment and also buy coupons for you, so you can save moeny!
The day of your appointment.
For TCM hospitals, go 30 minutes before your appointment time, ideally. DEFINITELY bring a Chinese-speaker withn you. Doctors will not be able to talk TCM to you in English. With your reservation, you still need to fill out a hospital card, check in at the “gua hao” counter, pay for the fee (usually under $10 USD, and then go to the respective floor to wait for your number to be called. Do not go alone if you don’t speak Chinese. It can be very overwhelming. Trust us on that. After you get seen (about 10-15 mins with th doctor), you can get prescribed herbs at the hospital for usually $100 for 1-2 weeks’ worth. You can choose to get whole herbs and brew yourself (most potent but annoying to do daily), or get brewed ones in vaccum bags, or just keep the formula sheet and get when you go back to your country.
For other treatments at clincis/spas, you can potentially go alone with the help of google translate. Make sure you have the treatment voucher from Dian Ping (QR Code) that your friend got for you (see above point 3). You won’t be able to go in and say “I want gua sha” because all clinics offer many different kinds of gua sha, and it will be difficult to communicate exactly what you are looking for if not prepared! What about clinics that speak English? Usually these are tourist traps that offer high-price, less-effective treatment.
Translator is highly recommended.
To really get the best out of everything, we recommend strongly that you seek TCM treatments with the help of a local friend or translator. We also offer itinerary planning service that includes booking TCM treatments + necessary translations. Book a free chat below with us to learn more!
