Map the Path of Your Health with A5elements!
Traditional Chinese Medicine Centre
Welcome!
Here at A5elements Traditional Chinese Medicine Centre, we strive to provide you with personalized and effective Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) services!
What Do We Offer?
Overview of our services!
- Conventional TCM consultations
- Acupressure, Acupuncture
- Phytotherapy (herbal medicine)
- Tuina massage
- TCM Health Practices and Meditation
- TCM Diet
- Various other therapeutic approaches
We strive to provide personalized and effective TCM services to our patients.
Methods of Payment: Cash, e-Transfer, Check, Bank Card,
We offer invoices for reimbursement related to the following four associations:
1. invoices for naturopathy from Association Des Naturothérapeutes Du Québec (ANQ, https://www.anqnaturo.ca/).
2. invoices for massages from the Regroupement des Massothérapeutes du Québec (RMQ, https://www.rmqmasso.ca/).
We hope that the above two associations' insurance reimbursement invoices will make your reimbursement easier.
A Record of TCM Emergency Rescue at 10,000 Meters
By Cindy Lu
A Record of TCM Emergency Rescue at 10,000 Meters
-- A Memorable Clinical Experience and Reflection
The Incident:
On February 18, 2025, while on Air China Flight CA992, I encountered an unprecedented challenge—an experience that became a battle against time and life itself.
The incident was indirectly triggered by a snowstorm in eastern Canada the night before, which caused multiple flight delays. Many passengers had extremely tight layover schedules, leading to both physical and emotional stress. (This was a physical triggering factor for the patient’s condition.)
I had taken off from Montreal the night before and had barely rested. After landing in Vancouver, I rushed to make my connecting flight to Beijing. As soon as the flight took off, I fell asleep due to exhaustion. I briefly woke up when the in-flight meal was served but did not eat and continued resting.
Just as most passengers had finished their meals, a sudden announcement came over the cabin speaker:
“A passenger has suffered a sudden cardiac episode. Any medical professionals onboard, please assist immediately.”
Later, a flight attendant informed me that this was the second announcement; the first call for help had gone out five minutes earlier, but I had not heard it.
Upon hearing the announcement, I immediately got up and opened the overhead compartment to retrieve my acupuncture kit. Only to realize that, due to switching bags the night before, I had forgotten to bring it. Without even closing the compartment, I rushed to a flight attendant to ask about the patient’s location. She quickly led me to the scene.
When I arrived in the economy class section, I found a group of people gathered around the patient, including flight attendants and concerned passengers.
The patient was a Chinese woman in her 70s, her face deathly pale, sitting in a semi-conscious state in the middle seat of a three-seat row. Her son, a middle-aged man, quickly briefed me on her condition:
• She had a history of heart disease and was returning to Dalian, China, for a cardiac examination.
• The night before departure, she had been feeling anxious.
• She had experienced chest tightness that morning and had taken “Suxiao Jiuxin Pills/速效救心丸” (a common Chinese heart medication), but her symptoms did not improve.
• After takeoff, she developed stomach pain that persisted despite drinking water and eating (later analyzed in my reflections).
• After eating her in-flight meal, she suddenly broke out in a cold sweat, struggled to breathe, felt nauseous, and gradually lost vision and hearing—eventually losing consciousness.
While checking her pulse, I noticed her forehead was covered in cold, sticky sweat (cold sweat like oil). I leaned in and spoke into her ear three times:
“Can you hear me? Can you hear me? Can you hear me?”
She did not respond. Her breathing was faint, with long, coarse exhalations and weak, short inhalations (later analyzed in my reflections).
All these observations were completed within 30 seconds. The situation was critical, and I immediately began emergency intervention!
Emergency Treatment Process：
1. I instructed Flight Attendant A to notify the captain to increase cabin air circulation and turn on full cabin lighting to assist with the response.
2. I removed all jewelry from my hands and handed them to Flight Attendant B for safekeeping to ensure an unrestricted range of motion for emergency procedures.
3. I kept the patient in a semi-reclined position and asked her son to roll up her both sleeves.
4. I immediately located the Neiguan (PC6) acupoints on both wrists and instructed her son and Flight Attendant C to firmly press and hold the points.
5. I grabbed her right arm and began tapping the elbow area, especially at Quze (PC3) acupoint. Initially, using my fingers, I did not see a reaction. I switched to forceful percussive strikes using my palm and heel of the hand, applying significant strength at a rate of approximately 100–120 beats per minute.
• After a few minutes, her right elbow developed large, dark purple hematomas (bruises).
• I repeated the same process on her left arm until both elbows displayed the same hematomas.
• This entire process took approximately 10 minutes, during which her son and the flight attendant continued pressing Neiguan (PC6).
6. Her complexion slightly improved, transitioning from ashen white to a faint pink.
7. I switched to pressing Jiquan (HT1) acupoint in both armpits, alternating between sides.
8. After stimulating Jiquan (HT1), I reapplied tapping and acupressure along the Heart and Pericardium meridians for several more minutes.
• Her breathing became smoother, and I felt a pulse return upon checking.
• Slowly, she regained consciousness!
As soon as she opened her eyes, the surrounding passengers burst into applause!
Only at that moment did I realize I was drenched in sweat. (For days after, my arms were sore from the forceful percussive technique—far more exhausting than a gym workout!)
After she fully regained consciousness, I continued monitoring her condition every two hours for the remainder of the flight. I also advised her to seek immediate cardiac examination upon arrival in Dalian.
Before deplaning, the patient and her son requested photos with me as a token of gratitude. By that time, her bruises had changed from deep purple to red.
Reflections and Lessons:
1. Accurate Diagnosis is Critical
• The patient mistook her heart pain for stomach pain, reinforcing the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theory that the stomach and heart are interconnected.
• 23% of heart attacks present as gastric symptoms, leading to misdiagnosis.
• Key symptoms of heart-related “pseudo-stomach pain”:
• Pain radiating to the back and ribs
• Cold, sticky sweat (as opposed to ordinary sweat, which is clear and watery)
• Limb coldness, pale complexion, weak pulse, and fainting
2. Effectiveness of Meridian-Based Emergency Treatment
• Without medication or medical devices, stimulating the Pericardium and Heart meridians can buy crucial time.
• Intensive tapping at Quze (PC3) acupoint seemed to be a turning point in the rescue.
Meridian Acupoint Technique Effect
Pericardium Neiguan (PC6) Deep pressing Strengthens heart rhythm
Heart Jiquan (HT1) Pinching the armpit fascia Improves coronary circulation
Pericardium Quze (PC3) Rapid tapping (100–120 bpm) Clears blood stasis
3. Maintaining Composure
• Stay calm and follow a structured approach in emergencies.
• Complete focus is required for effective execution.
This experience reinforced my dedication to TCM and its real-world impact. I am proud to be a TCM practitioner—one who can save lives when it matters most!
March 26, 2025 – Montreal!
