Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Milada Traditional Chinese Medicine Clinic is a licensed medical facility centrally situated in Chiang Mai's Chang Phueak district (near Photaram Road). Led by Dr. Sarudha (Dr. Fan), who graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine from a premier Chinese medical university in China and holds official licensing from the Thai Ministry of Public Health (License No. พจ.1714), our clinic delivers authentic acupuncture, individualized herbal medicine compounding, cupping, and specialized care in fertility and women's health.

Our clinical team provides fluent trilingual consultations in English, Mandarin Chinese, and Thai. You will never need a third-party translator or feel misunderstood when communicating subtle symptoms, complex medical histories, or reviewing your customized therapeutic plans with Dr. Sarudha.

No complicated preparation is necessary. We encourage you to bring any recent hospital records, laboratory blood work, hormone panels, or ultrasound imaging reports if available. For patients seeking fertility or menstrual support, having records or app logs of your menstrual cycle over the past three months is exceptionally helpful. Initial consultations generally take 20 to 30 minutes, allowing ample time for comprehensive pulse diagnosis, tongue inspection, and in-depth history taking.

Milada TCM Clinic is open Monday through Saturday from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM (closed on Sundays). We are located at 98/15 Moo 2 Photaram Road, Chang Phueak, Mueang Chiang Mai 50300. You can easily find turn-by-turn directions by searching 'Milada TCM Clinic' in Google Maps. Grab and local taxis provide direct drop-off at our entrance, and on-site parking is available for patients traveling by car or scooter.

Treatment fees depend on the clinical complexity of your condition, the required needle retention protocol, and whether adjunct therapies (such as electro-acupuncture, moxibustion, or herbal medicine) are indicated. Your first visit includes a comprehensive constitutional pattern diagnosis. You are welcome to message us via WhatsApp or LINE for transparent pricing estimates based on your specific health goals.

Acupuncture performed by an experienced practitioner is generally very gentle and painless. We exclusively utilize ultra-fine, single-use surgical stainless steel needles (approximately the thickness of a human hair). While you may feel a tiny tap upon insertion, the primary sensation experienced is 'Deqi'—a transient feeling of heaviness, mild distension, warmth, or tingling along the meridian pathway. Most patients find the treatment deeply calming and frequently drift off to sleep during their 30-minute session.

The required frequency corresponds directly to the chronicity and severity of your condition. Acute presentations, such as sudden neck stiffness (wry neck) or acute muscular spasm, frequently resolve within 1 to 3 treatments. Chronic conditions, including office syndrome, migraine patterns, and insomnia, typically benefit from a consolidated course of 6 to 10 weekly sessions. For fertility optimization, we strongly advocate a 3 to 6 month protocol to align with the physiological 90-day cycle of folliculogenesis and spermatogenesis.

Modern biomedical research demonstrates that needle stimulation activates sensory nerve fibers in the skin and muscle tissues, sending signals to the spinal cord, midbrain, and pituitary-hypothalamic complex. This cascade triggers the release of endogenous opioid peptides (such as beta-endorphins), alters pain-modulating neurotransmitters (serotonin, dopamine), downregulates systemic pro-inflammatory cytokines, and calms the sympathetic nervous system to restore autonomic equilibrium.

We advise patients to refrain from cold showers, swimming, or vigorous high-intensity exercise for at least 2 hours post-treatment. Hydrating adequately with warm water or herbal tea assists the body's natural metabolic clearance. It is best to avoid alcohol, cold drinks, and overly spicy or greasy foods on the day of treatment so that your nervous system can fully integrate the therapeutic stimulus.

Traditional Chinese Medicine addresses reproductive challenges from a foundational, systemic perspective. By nourishing Kidney Jing (vital reproductive essence), harmonizing the endocrine feedback loop, and increasing vascular perfusion to the pelvic organs, TCM fosters optimal egg quality and promotes a receptive, trilaminar endometrial lining. These mechanisms provide substantial clinical benefits for both natural conception and couples preparing for IUI, IVF, or ICSI cycles.

We recommend initiating integrative TCM care at least 3 months (approximately 90 to 120 days) prior to active attempts or scheduled IVF cycles. Biological research confirms that developing oocytes (eggs) and spermatozoa undergo a roughly 90-day maturation window. Pre-conception preparation during this pivotal phase allows acupuncture and tailored botanicals to profoundly influence cellular mitochondrial quality and sperm motility.

Yes, and published clinical trials strongly recommend concurrent acupuncture as a supportive modality. We precisely align our protocols with your reproductive endocrinologist's clinical schedule—focusing on ovarian response during stimulation, pre-retrieval relaxation, and customized acupuncture protocols administered before and after embryo transfer to minimize uterine contractility and promote implantation. In cycles utilizing high-dose synthetic hormones, internal herbal medicine is safely paused to prevent pharmacological interactions.

Yes. Male factor issues contribute to nearly half of all fertility challenges. In Chinese medicine, male reproductive vitality is governed by the Kidney and Liver meridian networks. Clinical acupuncture paired with targeted herbal prescriptions helps improve overall sperm concentration, progressive motility, and normal morphology while reducing seminal oxidative stress. We consistently encourage couples to undertake consultation together for optimal outcomes.

Regulating the menstrual rhythm is one of Chinese medicine's greatest strengths. For women with PCOS or ovulatory dysfunction, TCM views the pathology as a combination of Kidney/Spleen deficiency with phlegm-dampness obstruction. Through metabolic regulation, dampness-clearing herbs, and neuromodulatory acupuncture, we help re-establish spontaneous, regular ovulatory cycles and healthy basal body temperature curves.

While no medical therapy can create new primordial follicles once depleted, TCM excels at optimizing the quality, cellular energy, and microcirculation surrounding the remaining egg pool. Concurrently, it prepares the uterine vascular bed to maximize receptivity. Commencing treatment early offers the highest statistical probability of maximizing your reproductive potential.

Many international patients engage in an intensive clinical course of 3 to 5 acupuncture sessions while staying in Chiang Mai. Following your in-depth assessment, Dr. Sarudha can compound and dispense customized granular herbal formulas for you to travel home with, accompanied by ongoing remote guidance to maintain therapeutic continuity.

Yes. Menstrual health serves as a primary barometer of overall internal balance in TCM. Whether you suffer from delayed periods, frequent cycles, spotting, or secondary amenorrhea, Dr. Sarudha determines whether your presentation stems from Blood deficiency, Blood stasis, Liver Qi stagnation, or cold invasion, crafting custom therapies to restore hormonal predictability.

Following an uncomplicated vaginal delivery, gentle postpartum acupuncture and restorative herbal broths may commence after 1 to 2 weeks. For Caesarean deliveries, we recommend allowing 4 to 6 weeks for incision healing before deeper abdominal therapies. Postpartum TCM focuses on replenishing depleted Qi and Blood, assisting lochia discharge, accelerating uterine involution, and supporting healthy lactation without pharmaceutical burden.

Yes. Severe menstrual pain is typically characterized in TCM as 'Cold Uterus' and pelvic Blood stasis, causing spasmodic ischemia in uterine myometrium. Combining warming moxibustion with acupuncture points that stimulate pelvic vasodilation effectively dissipates internal cold and relaxes myometrial contractions, allowing most patients to significantly reduce or eliminate dependence on NSAIDs within 2 to 3 cycles.

For benign, small-to-moderate fibroids or simple cysts (under 5 cm) that are clinically managed via watchful waiting, TCM offers supportive protocols aimed at softening masses, invigorating pelvic blood stagnation, and mitigating heavy bleeding or pelvic fullness. We always recommend regular pelvic ultrasound follow-ups with your gynecologist alongside TCM care.

In TCM, menopausal transition represents a natural decline in Kidney Yin, causing relative Yang hyperactivity. By nourishing Yin fluids, clearing deficient heat, and anchoring ascending Yang, acupuncture and cooling herbal tonics successfully alleviate hot flashes, night sweats, sleep disturbances, and irritability without the cardiovascular and oncological risks linked to synthetic hormone replacement.

TCM internal medicine addresses systemic functional imbalances across multiple bodily networks. Frequent presentations include gastrointestinal conditions (acid reflux/GERD, chronic bloating, IBS, constipation), persistent insomnia, chronic fatigue syndrome, recurring tension headaches, metabolic fatigue, and immune dysregulation. Treatment targets root constitutional causes rather than merely suppressing superficial symptoms.

Yes. Dermatology is an established specialty within Chinese medicine. Skin disorders are understood as external manifestations of internal disharmony—most commonly 'Damp-Heat' and 'Blood Heat' affecting the protective Wei Qi layer. Tailored internal herbs clear systemic heat, purge dampness, and nourish dry skin, offering durable relief and reducing recurring flare-ups.

Rather than relying on antibiotics or harsh topical retinoids, Dr. Sarudha diagnoses whether acne stems from excess heat in the Lung/Stomach channels, Liver Qi constraint impacting androgen balance, or sluggish lymphatic drainage. Combining gentle acupuncture with individualized purifying herbs detoxifies internal organ systems and balances sebum production from within.

Facial acupuncture is a gentle, chemical-free anti-aging therapy. Inserting micro-needles into specialized motor and meridian points across the face creates microscopic positive microtraumas. This stimulates local fibroblasts to generate fresh collagen and elastin fibers, increases microvascular perfusion, relaxes tense facial muscles, and tones lax tissues—all without synthetic fillers, neurotoxins, or surgical downtime.

Neurotoxins temporarily paralyze facial musculature to prevent wrinkling, whereas cosmetic acupuncture stimulates natural cellular repair, restores genuine facial muscle tone, and improves overall epidermal hydration and glow. Furthermore, acupuncture addresses underlying systemic imbalances (such as poor sleep or digestive stress) that directly affect skin vitality, creating natural, radiant, and lasting results.

A standard course typically consists of 8 to 12 weekly or bi-weekly sessions. Most patients observe noticeable improvements in skin radiance, hydration, and reduction of facial puffiness after 3 to 4 sessions. Deeper structural enhancements—such as softened nasolabial folds and enhanced jawline firmness—develop progressively after 5 or more sessions as neo-collagenesis matures.

Both are therapeutic external modalities that stimulate meridian circulation and relieve soft tissue pathology. Cupping employs negative suction pressure (traditional fire cupping) to decompress deep fascial planes, lift adhered muscle fibers, and draw out stagnant damp-cold. Gua Sha utilizes a smooth-edged jade or horn instrument to stroke the superficial fascia, stimulating microvascular perfusion and expelling pathogenic exterior heat. They are frequently combined for comprehensive myofascial release.

The marks are completely safe, non-painful, and are not true traumatic bruises. In Chinese medicine, they represent 'Sha'—cellular metabolic debris, stagnant blood, and dead hemoglobin drawn to the subcutaneous level where your lymphatic system can efficiently eliminate them. Darker coloration indicates greater localized ischemia or stagnation. The marks fade naturally within 3 to 7 days without scarring.

Because cupping and Gua Sha open cutaneous pores and dilate local blood vessels, avoid showering, swimming, or cold drafts for at least 4 to 6 hours after treatment to prevent external cold and wind invasion. Drink ample warm water to assist lymphatic drainage, and refrain from strenuous athletic training on the day of your session.

Scheduling is simple and convenient. You can contact us directly by telephone at +66 65 589 1545, or message our clinic via WhatsApp, LINE, or Facebook Messenger. To secure your preferred time and ensure sufficient consultation availability, we recommend reserving your appointment 1 to 2 days in advance.

We gladly accept Thai Baht cash, all domestic Thai mobile banking QR code transfers (PromptPay), as well as WeChat Pay and Alipay for international visitors. Detailed medical receipts are provided upon request for international health insurance reimbursement.