About us

RENXIN is a chinese medicine practice where we offer mainly acupuncture and chinese herbs and other additional techniques such as cupping, tuina, moxa, lifestyle adaptation. Our goal is to offer each patient an individual treatment approach and modify at each consultation where needed.

Contact / Agenda

Annelies Espeel

tcm.renxin@gmail.com

+32 470 847 280 (sms ou whatsapp)

Avenue Louis Lepoutre 70 2nd Floor, 1050 Ixelles

  • ANNELIES ESPEEL
    The story of my passion for tcm started in 2002 during my sabbatical. I was in Laos and became ill for 3 days. After having eaten only 3 cookies and one bottle of water every day in my room, I decided to drag myself out of my room and seek help. I stumbled upon a buddhist temple where I sat down in the cooling shade. A monk had seen me and waved at some women, who then took me by the hand. We went to a place behind the temple where I got a 2 hour long massage with tiger balm and it was like I was reborn. No painful limbs, a clear mind and full of energy. How was this possible? How was it possible to communicate with hands and observation and make my mind and body better again? I was so impressed.
    As thus began my search and I found my way to Chinese Medicine. First I studied foot reflexology, tuina massage and aromatherapy. But it wasn’t enough. After a tcm hospital training course in Kunming, China I realised that without knowledge of Mandarin, one never gets to actually understand tcm in depth, so I decided to study this first and then start my tcm bachelor. I learned so much about herbal medicine, acupuncture, lifestyle habits, ancient chinese medical textbooks… A world opened up and I keep learning with passion, it never stops. A world where you learn to listen, observe and feel the body in order to help people. A kind of medicine which defines itself as complementary with other kinds of medicine because it is holistic in its approach.
    Annelies Espeel has been studying Chinese medicine since 2005. She started with a focus in tuina (chinese massage) which she was taught in Brussels, Belgium by a private teacher and at Institute Chuzhen, in Paris, France. In July 2007 she did a 3 week training course at the Yunnan TCM Hospital, Kunming, Yunnan province, China. She then studied Mandarin in Kunming, Yunnan province, China from 2008-2010. From 2010-2015 she did a five year bachelor in Chinese medicine at the Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu province, China. Since October 2015, Annelies is residing in Belgium working as a Chinese medicine consultant.
    Annelies Espeel is an accredited member of the Belgian Acupuncture Federation (BAF): member nr 1.16.002.3

Thi Thanh Nhan Phan

nhan@acuclinic-brussels.be

+32 485 956 286

Avenue Louis Lepoutre 70 2nd Floor , 1050 Ixelles

  • NHAN PHAN THI THANH

    My passion for acupuncture is the result of a long personal and professional path. Growing up in Belgium, as well as Vietnamese and Buddhist culture, the practice of Traditional Chinese Medicine is self-evident to me. I first studied Western medicine and with specialisation anaesthesia, a discipline in which pain relief and patient well-being are very important. After working as an anaesthetist for several years, I realised that I needed to take a complementary approach. The right moment arrived when I myself was successfully treated with acupuncture and Chinese herbs. My passion, eagerness to learn and constant search for solutions to my patients' ailments eventually made me decide to complete my skills and study this ancient healing method, based on observation and feeling, on deep listening to the patient, their symptoms and a detailed understanding of how the human body works. The healing mechanisms and processes activated by acupuncture are extremely fascinating. I would like to offer its beneficial effects, reconciling the Western view of healing and traditional Chinese medicine.
    Nhan Phan Thi Thanh has studied at Shenzhou Open University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Amsterdam, 2018-2019, 2020-2022) and has been able to enjoy the teaching of Chinese professors and one of the most comprehensive Traditional Chinese Medicine study programmes in Europe. Since 2018, Nhan has been able to take internships with three acupuncturists in Brussels. In 2019, she also travelled to China and completed a week-long practical training in Shanghai, Longhua Hospital of TCM. She also completed Dr Nadia Volf's training (Diplôme Interuniversitaire d'Acupuncture Scientifique, Université de Paris-Saclay, 2019-2020). There, she learned auricular acupuncture , a quick and efficient technique from once the causative diagnosis is made.
    Nhan Phan Thi Thanh is an accredited member of the Belgian Acupucture Federation : membership number 1.20.023.2. She is a Doctor of Medicine, and Specialist in Anaesthesia Resuscitation : RIZIV no 1-19994-92-100.

FAQ

What symptoms can chinese medicine treat?

Providing effective treatment for a wide range of health disorders, Chinese medicine may also be used to assist with general health maintenance and disease prevention. By strengthening and enhancing normal body functions, the immune system is boosted and a general sense of well-being promoted.

  • Pain : headache, backache, shoulder and arm pain, leg pain, knee pain, ankle pain, neck pain, abdominal pain, menstrual and gynaecological pain, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid artritis pain, osteoarthritis pain, facial pain, pain between the ribs, chest pain, the pain breasts, tailbone pain, pains in the vertebrae ...

    Gynecological problems : menstrual problems, fertility counseling processes (IVF, IUI, ICSI), premenstrual syndrome, chest problems, loss of libido, leucorrhea, menopausal symptoms …

    Joints : stiffness, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, restricted movement, inflammatory, bursitis, tennis and golf elbow, loss of strength, step problems, cramps, neck and back pain, sports injuries, sprains, recovery after surgery …

    Limbs : heaviness, fluid retention.

    Chest : hyperventilation, heart palpitations, tension, fullness.

    Digestive system : loss of appetite, constipation, diarrhoea, bloating, excessive appetite, abdominal pain, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), nausea, heartburn, obesity ...

    Allergy : hay fever, sensitive to dust mites, pets, pollen, food ...

    Head : vertigo, Meniere's Disease, migraine, not thinking clearly, tension headaches, tense numbness …

    Neurology : hernia, trigeminal neuralgia, pains between the ribs, zona pains, sequelae of cerebral bleeding or cerebral infarction, prevention of cerebral hemorrage and infarction, MS, ALS, half-sided paralysis, paralysis …

    Respiratory : shortness of breath, cough, chronic bronchitis, common colds, asthma …

    Ear nose throat (ENT) : sinusitis, tinnitus, mouth sores, dry mouth, strange tastes, foul breath, problems with teeth, gum problems …

    Dermatology : dry skin, eczema, psoriasis, acne, shingles, post zona pain, sweating problems …

    Eye : blurred vision, eye inflammation, burning, dryness, spots …

    Addictions : alcohol, sugar, drugs, smoking …

    Internal : chilly, too hot, blood pressure, thyroid, diabetes …

    Sleep : insomnia, sleeping too much, a lot of dreams, restless night …

    Clarity of mind : forgetful, confused, chaotic, restless …

    Urology : bladder infections, prostate, loss of libido, impotence, infertility

    Pediatrics : bedwetting, digestive problems, common colds, earaches, ADHD, sleep disorders …

Which kind of treatments are used in chinese medecine?

  • Literally means "needle prick". It's about paper-thin needles pricked into the acupuncture points. The acupuncturist manipulates the needle to stimulate the flow of energy in the meridians. This gives a radiating sensation. At that time, important things happen: unlocking blockages, reduces pain, lack of energy can be increased, organs function better, the mind becomes clearer ...

  • A massage based on the meridians, meridian points and the body itself. This also includes reflexology, head and shoulder massage, ear and hand reflexology.

  • Moxa or mugwort or artemisia vulgaris. Moxibution is the combustion of this herb. This can be in the form of a compressed stick (similar to a cigar), or loose leaves, as well as small cone shapes. With moxa, we can increase the heat (yang) through major acupuncture points.

  • Cups are glass / bamboo/ silicone/ plastic spheres where the acupuncturist creates a vacuum. The cups are placed on body parts and suck firmly. Below the cup there is a reddish reaction: the blood flow is stronger, blockages and penetrating cold are removed ... Guasha is scraping on the surface of the skin with a comb, it has similar reactions as cupping.

  • Chinese herbs are described in detail in the bencao gangmu/materia medica. The herbs work best when put together into a formula. Their dosage and modifications are of importance. this is to be taken internally or sometimes on the skin as a plaster.

  • Food advice is important and often has great effect making adequate changes in food habits to help the symptoms.

  • Chinese martial arts include both internal and external practices. Chinese medecine will mainly focus on the internal practices which include taichi, bagua, yijinjing, baduanqi, bringing more awareness to movement, breathing and mindfulness.

How does acupuncture work?

Single - use needles, between 10 and 20 per session ( less than 10 for children and pregnant ladies), are put in the skin on certain acupuncture points that give information to the brain through the fascia (the connective tissue that binds the whole body and generates a microcurrent flow through it) and the brain reacts by activating pain release and relaxation.

How many sessions does it take?

It depends of the person and the symptoms. Usually a minimum of 3 sessions is required. In China acupuncture can be done once every two days, elsewhere it could be twice a week or once every week or with more time in between, depending on the symptoms and other treatments being done in the meantime. When it is for pain management it is advised to come in once every 6-8 weeks to make sure the pain doesn’t surge.

What can I feel during the acupuncture?

The obtaining of qi or deqi can be felt on certain point as warming, red skin around the needle or a feeling of a line going from that point outwards. When after a few seconds you still feel the needle as if it was just pricked into the skin, you need to let your acupuncturist know and they will readapt the needle slightly.