“a better way to good health - naturally”
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CONTACT INFORMATION
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| Contact Name |
Michael Overall |
| Address |
Shp 20 Glenferrie Centre (enter from Wakefield St)
674-680 Glenferrie Road
Hawthorn
Victoria 3122
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| Mobile | 0408 358 277 |
| Email |
Make an Enquiry
Request an Appointment
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SERVICES
Michael Overall, registered practitioner of Chinese Medicine, is located at Beijing Chinese Medicine Specialist Centre in Hawthorn and Fitzroy North. Michael is able to offer you a whole range of treatment options including:
• Acupuncture – both laser and traditional
• Herbs
• Cupping
• Chinese remedial massage
• Diet therapy
• Exercise therapy
Private Health Insurance rebates are also available. Please check with your insurance fund for eligibility and details
Why Chinese Medicine?
Chinese Medicine is a form of traditional healthcare that has been used both in China and throughout the world by many people for thousands of years
Treatment is based on a core philosophy of the connection between mind and body and the importance of maintaining that connection both in times of health and illness
Health and illness are seen less as concrete entities but rather more as functional relationships (or dysfunctional, depending on how you’re feeling!) that need to be balanced and harmonized in order to maintain health and wellbeing
So, how does all that relate to me? I’m not even sick!
Successful management of your health shouldn’t begin only when you are sick – this is like a person waiting until they’re thirsty before digging a well
Preventative healthcare management is all about enhancing your body’s natural strengths and your mind’s greater potentials in order to avoid or minimize the chances of getting sick in the first place
You don’t have to be unwell in order to benefit from Chinese Medicine! One of the key strengths of Chinese Medicine is its ability to help you maintain your constitutional wellbeing, adapting to suit your changing health needs
No two people are ever quite the same, and neither is my approach to treatment. There is a saying in Chinese Medicine: “We treat the person, not the disease”. What this means is that my treatments are specifically tailored to suit your health requirements, as distinct from a one-size-fits-all approach
Having said that, however, here is a list of some conditions for which Chinese Medicine may offer some benefit:
• Muscular and joint pain
• Digestive disorders and irregularities
• Allergies and hay fever
• Migraines and headaches
• Arthritis and chronic pain
• Sleep disorders
• Stress and anxiety
• Weight management
• Chronic fatigue
• Gynaecological irregularities (eg. PMT, endometriosis)
• Colds and flu
But don’t just stop there! Think carefully about your own health situation, and if your health situation doesn’t “fit the list” above, don’t worry. Come in for a consultation so I can tailor a treatment option for you
What can I expect during a consultation?
Allow yourself time for about 60 minutes with your initial consultation as I will take a detailed medical history that takes into account not only medical factors, but also lifestyle factors as well. Treatment is included in this time
If you have any medical records or test results that you would like to bring in, please do so! As a complementary form of healthcare, I encourage you to maintain whatever existing healthcare programme you may have with your regular doctor or specialist. My goal is to work together in partnership with other healthcare providers – which means you get the best of both worlds!
During the consultation your radial pulse (the blood vessel on your wrist, near your thumb) will be felt, and your tongue will be examined in order to assess your state of health from a Chinese Medicine perspective. This may seem a little strange at first, but it is simply the Chinese Medicine “way” of using the pulse and tongue as a window of insight and a gateway for action, to see what is happening within you
After a diagnosis has been made, treatment options will be discussed in order to find a treatment approach that best fits your needs and a wellness plan will be prepared accordingly
Subsequent consultations as part of a course or series of treatments will take between 30-45 minutes
What is Acupuncture?
Present day acupuncture typically uses disposable filiform needles not much thicker than a human hair to gently penetrate the skin in order to alleviate pain, stimulate the body’s immune system, calm and relax the mind and treat a whole range of conditions both internal and external
I have a headache – why are you stimulating points in my hands and feet?
Good question! I could mention about meridians and channel pathways but basically, what it all means is that everything is interconnected with everything else, the basic principle of holistic medicine
Sometimes, applying stimulation close to where the pain is, is too much stimulation (pretty obvious, huh?) – therefore acupoints located away from the area but still affecting the same spot are used instead – a much gentler option
What if I’m scared of needles?
That’s perfectly fine, because there’s more to acupuncture than just needles! There is also laser acupuncture which uses infrared light to stimulate the area where a needle would otherwise be used in order to achieve a similar effect that is quick and pain-free
There is also Chinese remedial massage which uses hand pressure upon acupoints in order to stimulate the circulation of energy and blood throughout the body, alleviating pain and making you feel better
Cupping can also be used in conjunction with, or as an alternative to traditional and needle-free acupuncture
What are those strange marks on my back?!
Made almost fashionable (I did say almost!) by both Hollywood celebrities and Australian elite athletes, those strange marks on your back may be the result of cupping therapy
Cupping therapy employs the use of round glass cups placed on the skin with the air sucked out of them in order to create a vacuum-like effect. This helps to improve the circulation of energy and blood and can provide great relief for muscular aches and pains. Of course, the more “stuck” the energy is, the darker the suction marks become
This is a perfectly natural response to the therapy and usually clears up within a week. Be sure to let your life partner or spouse know about this, in case they get worried!
…Why are you covering me with a cloth?! I thought massage used oils…
Typically most forms of massage therapy use oil on bare skin, and oil-based massage also has its place within Chinese Medicine. A distinction of Chinese remedial massage (known as “twee na” in Chinese), however, is that a light cloth is used to cover your body, so that various massage techniques can be done without damaging your skin
Imagine – no messy oil clogging up your skin pores or sticking to your clothes, massage that allows you to keep your clothes on or at least be covered up so you don’t feel exposed, massage that leaves you feeling lightly invigorated, refreshed and relaxed…
When I get sick I buy stuff from the chemist – what’s so good about herbs?
Medicines purchased from the chemist or supermarket can be obtained for a reasonable price and for many people, these products seem to work fine – so why take herbs? The problem is, as much as regular medications can alleviate symptoms, they do not necessarily address the root cause that is causing your health condition – a bandaid approach if you will. The great thing about prescribed herbal medications is that they can address both your symptoms and the causes that made you unwell in the first place. They may take a little longer to work than some pharmaceutical medications, but the benefits that result from herbal treatment are often longer lasting, are generally safer with little to no side-effects, and, if need be, can be taken over a longer period of time in order to help maintain health and wellbeing
Another issue is the suitability of “one-size-fits-all”-type medications. It’s a little bit like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole – great if you’re a round peg, but too bad if you’re a square! The advantage of prescribed herbal formulas is that they are individually customized to fit your health requirements
As you take your next herbal mixture, think of this - in ancient China, there was no such thing as Chinese Medicine; only medicine that either worked or didn’t. For the Chinese people, there were no ambulances or hospital emergency wards – people lived or died on the basis of herbal medicine and acupuncture’s ability to treat and heal and their physician’s skill at using either or both. For physicians who attended to China’s emperors, failure was not an option! – their job was to keep the emperors healthy rather than treating them when sick…
Herbs…. YUCK!
Yes, there’s no getting around it – herbs can sometimes taste “colourful”! In light of this, and the fact that most people are too time-poor to spend hours cooking up medicinal soups, we use granulated herbs and patent pills instead of raw herbs so there’s no cooking required, no strange smells coming from your kitchen and less likelihood of bitter after-tastes (no promises on that one, unfortunately!)
Granulated herbs are easy to take – 3 measured spoons (which we provide), taken 3 times a day with warm water is typically all that needs to be done – it’s that easy!
 
Exercise therapy – what’s that all about?
Chinese Medicine as a therapy is more than just passively receiving treatment – it’s about how you participate in your life, empowering you to take control of your life one step at a time and one breath at a time. Part of this process may include gentle, nourishing yet invigorating exercises (known in Chinese as “chi-kung” or energy cultivation) that can enhance your health, strengthen your body and de-stress your mind
Would you like to know more? Come in for a consultation and ask me about tailoring an exercise plan that’s suited just for you
Diet therapy – does that mean I have to start eating rice soup and lotus roots?
Yes, right away! Only joking… I recognize that we are all creatures of habit and some of these habits are good for us and some… not so good. Rather than trying to radically alter your diet in such a way that seems too strange and impossible to maintain, I prefer to work with what you are already doing well and go from there in small, realistic steps
Rome wasn’t built in a day and old habits are hard to break, but a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step… OK, enough clichés!
As you can see, Chinese Medicine is more than just a bag of tools and techniques used to treat all manner of illnesses – more to the point, it’s an attitude to health and life, and a way of living that reconnects us to ourselves, our loved ones, our society and our environment
I invite you to come and try us and see for yourself whether the healing approach of Chinese Medicine is right for you. Whether it’s for treating an old sports injury, a hard-to-define chronic ailment, or simply a constitutional wellness tune-up, Chinese Medicine is a fusion of ancient wisdom and techniques with modern-day healthcare management practices that is well-suited for our times
If you have any questions, print out this webpage and write them on the back so you can ask them when you come in to visit. I look forward to seeing you soon and am privileged to be a part of your ongoing plan for health and wellbeing
Located at: Beijing Chinese Medicine Centre
Hawthorn - Shop 20, Glenferrie Centre
674-680 Glenferrie Rd (enter from Wakefield St)
Hawthorn, Vic 3122
p: (03) 9815 2068
Fitzroy North -
698 Nicholson St
Fitzroy North, Vic 3068
p: (03) 9486 8998
Times and Availability
Mon - Fri evenings by appointment only (Hawthorn / Fitzroy North)
Saturdays 2 - 5pm (Hawthorn only)
***GIFT VOUCHERS ALSO AVAILABLE***
QUALIFICATION DETAILS
Bachelor of Health Science – Chinese Medicine, majoring in both Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine
Certified Practitioner of Chinese Remedial Massage
Registered with the Chinese Medicine Registration Board of Victoria – AH/1419
Accredited member of the Australian Traditional Medicine Society – 20787
About Dr. Michael Overall
Michael Overall is a registered practitioner of Chinese Medicine, registered in both Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine (AH/1419).
Michael brings to his practice years of clinical experience and has a special interest in providing safe, effective, pain-free, and non-invasive forms of therapy for his clients’ general health, better recovery from acute and chronic conditions, and wellbeing. Michael says: “build yourself a well before you get thirsty - take good care of yourself before you get sick”.
Acupressure, Acupuncture, Chinese Massage, Cupping, Herbalists, Traditional Chinese Medicine
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