Integrated Chinese-Western Medicine Care: Relieving Pain and Restoring Mobility

To meet patients’ demands and to leverage the clinical advantages of Chinese Medicine (CM), The Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong introduces the “Low Back Pain Care Programme” (the Programme). Driven by a CM-led integrated Chinese-Western medicine service model, the Programme offers both Government-subsidised and market-oriented services through two schemes:  “Scheme 1: Acute Low Back Pain Care” and “Scheme 2: Subacute and Chronic Low Back Pain Care”.

By leveraging the strengths of both CM and Western medicine (WM) across distinct clinical stages, the Programme aims to alleviate acute pain, improve lower limb symptoms, mitigate recurrence rates and restore lumbar mobility, thereby empowering patients to return to their normal daily routines.

Programme Highlights

1. Comprehensive Chinese Medicine Treatments

• Chinese medicine practitioners (CMPs) will conduct systematic pattern identification and assessment. Based on the diagnostic outcomes, they will prescribe a comprehensive range of treatment modalities including prescribing Chinese medicines, acupuncture, moxibustion, tui-na and Chinese medicines fumigation.
• The clinical efficacy of CM in the treatment of low back pain is supported by evidence-based medical literature.

2. Integrated Chinese-Western Medicine and Multidisciplinary Collaboration

• CMPs and WM doctors will conduct joint consultations, integrating clinical perspectives from both disciplines to provide patients with comprehensive assessments.
• Under the multidisciplinary team model, CM treatments and allied health services will complement each other’s strengths to enhance overall treatment outcomes. Concurrently, a dedicated nurse will act as the case manager to coordinate the entire care pathway to ensure a seamless continuity across all stages.

3. Continuity of Treatments and Care

• Full-course treatment scheduling will be arranged for patients to ensure an uninterrupted therapeutic process. Referrals between day-patient and outpatient services will maintain treatment flexibility.
• A comprehensive assessment of the patient's medical history will be conducted. A summary report will be provided upon completion of the programme to facilitate handover to the healthcare professional who will be following up on the case subsequently.

4. Evidence-Based Approach to Optimise Integrative Strengths

• Clinical protocols are designed based on evidence-based medicine to integrate the distinct advantages of CM and WM for achieving optimal clinical outcomes.
• The multidisciplinary team will conduct periodic evaluations on the clinical progress to allow flexible adjustments to the treatment plan.

Programme Details

Multidisciplinary Treatment Items May Include

Fees and Charges

Fees of the Programme will be charged in accordance with the published fees and charges for Government-subsidised services or market-oriented services of The Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong. For details, please refer to the Fees and Charges.

Appointment Booking

1. Appointments can be made by calling or sending WhatsApp text messages to (852) 5799 3233. This hotline also accepts patient referrals and appointments made by other healthcare providers.
2. Screening shall be conducted by designated staff in accordance with the inclusion and exclusion criteria of the Programme, and appointments shall be arranged for eligible patients. Where necessary, direct liaison with other healthcare providers regarding patient referral arrangements shall be undertaken by the on-duty CMP.