Home Page - PRTCM

The PRTCM is an Irish-based professional body founded in 1983 to promote and protect the professional interests and medical standards of fully qualified practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine throughout Ireland and in the UK, thereby to foster the highest quality of TCM health-care for the public.

It was the first such professional body in Ireland whose members are recognised, for the provision of Acupuncture treatments, by VHI Healthcare, Laya Healthcare, Irish Life Health and the other principal health insurance providers.

This site is designed to provide members of the public with the information they require to select a fully qualified and fully insured practitioner of Acupuncture TCM or, indeed, one of the other TCM therapy options such as Chinese Herbal Medicine or Medical Qigong.

Details about each of the main TCM therapies is provided, as well as information about finding a practitioner, making an appointment, and attending for treatment.

TCM News and Research

Is Acupuncture Chinese Medicine?

Traditional Chinese Medicine Acupuncture is one modality of TCM, not the whole thing. Like moxibustion or herbs, it forms one tool in the TCM toolkit, like surgery is one part of modern medicine but not the whole thing. Ancient Chinese Medicine Acupuncture is based on the solid roots of a sophisticated theoretical structure that predates… Continue reading Is Acupuncture Chinese Medicine?

Winter - the season of rest

Winter, in TCM theory is a time of deep rest and recuperation, of stillness and reflection. Just as nature hibernates and enjoys a stillness after a year of productive activity. As Winter time is now approaching, with its colder temperatures and damp weather, old aches and pains can raise their head. Joint problems (often called… Continue reading Winter - the season of rest

How to make an appointment

If you would like to make an appointment with a well qualified, insured and professional TCM Acupuncturist or Chinese Medical practitioner go to our list of practitioners.Find the one who you are looking for, or the nearest person to you, and check their contact details. Most members of the PRTCM like to speak to prospective… Continue reading How to make an appointment

World Health Organisation (WHO) and Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has, over the years, provided information about some aspects of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Acupuncture in its numerous publications.
Last year one of our members gave us some advance notice that the WHO was planning to include traditional medicines in its International Classification of Diseases in 2019.

Irish President Michael D Higgins receiving the PRTCM founder in June 2016

On 3 June 2016, the Founder of the Professional Register of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Prof Tom Shanahan, was honoured to meet the Irish President at the Presidential palace. Tom Shanahan founded the PRTCM in 1983, and since then has been promoting Traditional Chinese Medicine in all its forms, in Ireland, Europe and beyond. During the… Continue reading Irish President Michael D Higgins receiving the PRTCM founder in June 2016

What is Acupuncture TCM?

Acupuncture is part of an ancient and sophisticated form of medical treatment called Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) which originated in China but has increasingly spread throughout the world.

It is important to realise that acupuncture is only a part of Chinese medicine - to imagine that Acupuncture is TCM is as mistaken as to imagine that, say, surgery is western medicine.

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