By Celine Lim

SHE turned to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) when western medicine failed to ease her neck and back aches.

Madam Chan Wai Ping, 55, whose pain was caused by the degeneration of her cervical spine, is now a believer in TCM.

So her interest was piqued when she spotted SIM University's (UniSIM) new six-week course, Basic Principles and Practice of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

The English-language course, which will start in July, is part of UniSIM's General Studies Programme for adult learners.

The university approached Professor Hong Hai, an associate lecturer with UniSIM and a certified TCM practitioner, to develop the English-language course.

Prof Hong, who was formerly enrolled in UniSIM, obtained his bachelor's and masters in Chinese language and literature from Beijing Normal University.

He said course participants will not acquire the skills to treat others or themselves for illnesses.

But it will help students to 'understand their TCM physicians better should they or their families seek treatment...and also help them to live healthier lives'.

That is what Madam Chan, a part-time typist in a hospital, is looking for.

She turned to TCM in 2006 when her chronic neck and back aches became so bad that painkillers did not help.

She recalled: 'It hurt when I walked, and even when I was sitting down at work, I had to stretch my neck and back very often. The nagging pain affected my sleep as well.'

X-rays taken at a polyclinic showed the pain was due to the wear and tear of her cervical spine.

Madam Chan said she was told 'nothing much' could be done, and was sent for weekly physiotherapy sessions instead.

But after a month, the pain persisted.

She then found out that a friend with a similar condition was effectively treated at the TCM clinic in Tan Tock Seng Hospital.

Madam Chan said she felt better after six sessions of TCM and was 'less reliant' on painkillers.

During the treatment, a therapist would insert accupuncture needles into various points of her body and run a low-voltage electric current through the needles for stimulation.

She also underwent cupping, which involves creating a partial vacuum within an inverted cup placed on the patient's body, to produce a suction effect.

Prof Hong said the undergraduate-standard course will include a brief history of Chinese medicine, the theory of yin-yang and common Chinese herbs and their medical uses, among others.

To find out more about the course, e-mail shds@unisim.edu.sg for more information.

This article was first published in The New Paper.