Gardenvale Traditional Chinese Medicine

28/11/2025

WHAT I’M FEELING WHEN I TAKE YOUR PULSE 💓

If you’ve ever wondered why I sit quietly holding your wrist for a while in consult… this one’s for you 👀

In Chinese medicine, your pulse tells a whole story about how your body is functioning.

When I feel your pulse, I’m not counting beats per minute – I’m noticing things like:
• Depth – is it sitting more on the surface (often stress, acute stuff) or deeper (more chronic or deficiency)?
• Speed – is it fast (heat, agitation, overdrive) or slower (cold, depletion, low energy)?
• Strength & quality – full, thin, slippery, wiry, choppy… each has a different meaning for digestion, hormones, stress, sleep and more.
• Right vs left side – different sides and positions relate to different organ systems, so I’m often correlating your pulse with your symptoms as we talk.

All of this helps me:
• Understand why you’re feeling the way you are (not just what the symptom is)
• Choose acupuncture points and herbs that match your pattern, not a one-size-fits-all protocol
• Track progress over time – your pulse often changes before your symptoms fully do

It’s one of my favourite parts of treatment because the pulse doesn’t lie and can explain what is going on – even the stuff you might not have words for yet.

Zoe 💭✨

21/11/2025

You’re menstrual hormones broken down✨

You have probably heard of Oestrogen, Progesterone, Testosterone, LH and FSH, because these are your menstrual hormones. And, you’ve probably realised that they are really important.

But.. wondering what each of them actually do?

Swipe across for a summary of your menstrual hormones…

☄️ Why do they matter?

Well, when one of these is too high, too low or out of sync with the others, that’s when we often see things like:
– Irregular or missing periods
– Heavy, painful bleeds
– PMS, anxiety or low mood
– Acne, hair changes or low libido

In a women’s health consult, I’m not only looking at your blood results – I’m matching them with your cycle pattern, symptoms, sleep, digestion and stress to understand the whole picture.

If your cycle doesn’t feel predictable or “right” for you, it’s absolutely worth investigating.

- Zoe 🌻

10/11/2025

Modern research is now confirming what Traditional Chinese Medicine has known for centuries - acupuncture can reduce pain by influencing the nervous system, calming inflammation, and retraining how the brain perceives discomfort.

We use an evidence-based, personalised approach to help patients find lasting relief and restore balance.

To read the full article, click the link below

- Adriana

https://gardenvaletcm.com.au/recipes/acupuncture-for-pain-relief/

31/10/2025

My key luteal phase survival tips 😇

Luteal phase = the two weeks after ovulation. For many, progesterone shifts can slow the gut, change fluid balance, and make blood sugar more “spiky” (hello bloating, energy dips, and cravings). 

Here are a few simple things you can try this cycle… swipe across!

If symptoms are severe (suspected PMDD, heavy pain, new changes), book a consult—your plan should be personal.

Melbourne-based and need support? I blend Chinese medicine with practical lifestyle care.

You can book in via the link in the bio!

Zoe 💫

29/10/2025

Don’t get hung up on the data😳.
Your smartwatch might be tracking something called HRV — heart rate variability — but what does that actually mean? 🤔

HRV reflects how well your nervous system adapts to stress and recovery. A higher HRV usually means better balance between “fight or flight” and “rest and digest.”

Smartwatches use light sensors to estimate HRV, which is fine for spotting trends — like how sleep, stress or training affect you — but it’s not the same as medical-grade ECG data.

✅ Use it to notice patterns
❌ Don’t use it to diagnose yourself

Remember — this info is a broad guide only. Your body often tells you more than your watch does.

Hashtags:

24/10/2025

PCOS isn’t one condition with one solution. There are different presentations and symptoms which can indicate what is happening hormonally for each person.

In clinic I look at your cycle story, labs, and TCM pattern. Then we build a plan you can actually live with and maintain - food, movement, stress support, herbs and acupuncture ✨

Ready for a tailored approach?

Zoe 🌻

22/10/2025

Gardenvale Acupuncture team busy in the herbal dispensary.

17/10/2025

What can your period pain tell us? 🤔

Period pain isn’t normal and isn’t something that you need to just “deal with”. It’s your body talking.

Here’s what it might be saying from a TCM lens:
• Crampy, tight, worse with stress → Liver Qi stagnation (think tension + PMS).
• Heavy, dark clots, stabbing pain → Blood stasis (things aren’t moving).
• Dull, dragging ache, better with warmth → Cold in the uterus / Yang deficiency.
• Puffy, bloated, achy back/legs → Damp accumulation (often gut-related).
• Hot, throbbing pain, irritability, acne → Heat/inflammation.
• Low, tired ache before/during, light flow → Qi & Blood deficiency.

In Chinese medicine, there’s a reason for everything… which means there’s a solution for everything! You don’t need to just live through your pain, let’s get it sorted.

- Zoe 🌻

17/10/2025

13/10/2025

Is your smoothie secretly weakening your digestion?

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, your Spleen and Stomach are like a gentle cooking pot - they need warmth to transform food into energy (Qi).
But when you pour in icy smoothies, frozen fruit or cold salads, you cool that inner fire

Over time, this can lead to bloating, fatigue after meals, sugar cravings, and sluggish digestion, what TCM calls Spleen Qi Deficiency.

The good news? You don’t have to ditch your smoothie, just warm it up a little.
✨ Let ingredients come to room temp
✨ Add ginger, cinnamon or cardamom
✨ Swap frozen fruit for stewed apples or pears
✨ Sip slowly instead of on the go

It’s a small shift that keeps your digestion strong and your Qi flowing.

Read the full blog post via the link in our bio for the TCM view on cold foods and how to balance your gut naturally.

- Adriana

https://gardenvaletcm.com.au/recipes/wh

10/10/2025

Hi everyone! Zoe here 👋

Today was day 1 of 3 at a 3-day Chinese medicine fertility conference and I thought I’d share some of my thoughts from day 1 🤔

1. Acupuncture and Chinese medicine is such a powerful tool that has HUGE success rates - this might not be written in all the research papers but it couldn’t be more evident in the years and years of real life experiences in clinical practice.

2. There’s no such thing as “unexplained infertility” in Chinese medicine - in TCM if there is a symptom there is always a reason for it. In a the world of fertility there are often so many questions and so little hope, Chinese medicine is often one ray of hope in these moments.

3. You need to be willing to commit 3 months of consistent treatment - 3 months is the magic number and a starting point for hormonal balancing. We always happily welcome results in less time, but if we are working against a long-term pattern, we need at least 3 months to have a strong influence and a reset.

Zoe 🪻

08/10/2025

Do Chinese herbs work like a prebiotic.

Ever thought your herbs might be feeding more than just you?
Some research suggests certain Chinese herbs may act a bit like prebiotics — giving your gut bacteria something to thrive on. 🦠

Think of it like cooking: one spice is nice, but the magic happens in the mix. 🌿
These combinations can help calm bloating, ease gas, regulate bowels, and generally make your digestion a happier place.

It’s early days for the science, but the traditional results have been clear for centuries — your gut loves a good herbal recipe. Read a little more👇

https://gardenvaletcm.com.au/recipes/chinese-herbs-and-the-gut-probiotic-prebiotic/