P.E.I. doctor giving free clinics offering Chinese medicine

A doctor in Charlottetown wants people on P.E.I. to know the benefits of Chinese medicine so much, he is offering free services once a month.

Dr. Freedman Zhao came to P.E.I. to retire, but soon saw a need for a clinic that combined the knowledge of Chinese and Western medicine.

"I come to Canada, I'm Canadian, I must help a lot of Canadian people, even if they have no money or they are poor, I love them, I will give them a hand." he said.

Practised in Germany and Toronto

Zhao comes from a long line of healers, training in Chinese medicine with his mother and grandfather and then in Germany.He practised in Toronto for around 20 years.

He feels the difference is philosophy. Western medicine, he said, mostly focuses on the symptoms as they happen and may prescribe the same thing for the same problem. Chinese medicine, on the other hand, focuses on wellness, and treats each case differently while trying to find the root of the problem.

"Western medicine [is] mostly treatment for parts, like you have headache, we treat the head. But Chinese medicine [is] treatment of the whole body." he said

But given his training in both, he believes they can work together to find ways to work together.

"They come from a different way to help a patient," he said. "I feel if Western medicine and Chinese medicine combine, we can treat disease [well]," he said.

Acupuncture, massage and herbs

Zhao is now semi-retired, and in his clinic he uses several treatments such as acupuncture, massage and herbal remedies. In the past, he said he had great success, even with patients with chronic conditions like MS and cancer. He's also helped many couples with infertility.

"I have one patient, around 30, 34, 36she only had a one per cent [chance] that she can have a baby," he said

"I treated her for around six months, inside I used herbal tea, outside I used acupuncture needle. Then they have a baby. I feel really happy for her."

Open for a few weeks

He's only been open for a few weeks on P.E.I. But so far patients like Susan Go are impressed.

"First time coming here, I feel very, very bad now I'm strong I think, just four times, so I'm sure I can be better and better," she said.

The free clinic will be offered in the afternoon of the first Monday of every month.

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