TCM clinic opens in Nadi, offering new hope for stroke and chronic pain patients

A Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) clinic has opened in Nadi, aiming to improve stroke rehabilitation and chronic pain treatment in Fiji.

The clinic, based at Zens Medical Centre in Nadi Town, expands access to structured stroke rehabilitation and neurological recovery services for patients facing long-term health challenges.

Run by director Maitri He and her husband, senior TCM physician Dr Pai Changhsin, the clinic brings internationally guided, lineage-based Traditional Chinese Medicine into Fiji’s mainstream healthcare sector.

“Our mission is to help Fijians live healthier, more independent lives through proven traditional medicines,” TMC director Maitri He said.

The first clinic was established in Lautoka in 2021.

Ms He said the clinic focuses on using traditional medicine to support local patients, particularly those recovering from stroke and neurological conditions.

“Our focus is stroke rehabilitation and neurological recovery, two of the biggest long-term public health challenges in Fiji and the Pacific.”

“We aim to provide patient-specific, structured rehabilitation rather than informal treatment,” she said.

The Nadi clinic operates in collaboration with the Guangzhou TCM University, which provides academic guidance and clinical oversight.

It has established a dedicated stroke and neuropathic pain specialty department, led locally by Dr Pai.

Ms He said Fiji faced a growing burden of diabetes, high blood pressure, and chronic pain.

“People cannot depend on medication forever. Traditional medicine supports healing naturally and helps protect organs like the liver and kidneys,” she said.

Dr Pai, a fifth-generation Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner, has more than 25 years of clinical experience and is licensed in both China and Fiji.

His medical lineage spans more than a century, with formal recognition across multiple generations in Taiwan and China.

“Many stroke patients are told recovery is limited, but with structured traditional rehabilitation, we see patients standing up, walking again, and returning to normal life,” Dr Pai said.

The clinic uses non-invasive therapies including acupuncture, chiropractic care, osteopathic techniques, meridian therapy, and Qi Gong-based functional rehabilitation.

Treatments target chronic pain, nerve disorders, musculoskeletal injuries, and post-stroke recovery, without long-term reliance on medication.

The clinic currently employs and trains three local staff, with plans to expand local capacity in traditional rehabilitation care.