East Asian Wilderness Medicine

Acupuncture & Classical Chinese Herbal Medicine in Austere Environments

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About

East Asian Wilderness Medicine aims to make a difference, no matter how small or large, in the areas of global health, humanitarian relief and wilderness medicine by providing medical care where it is most needed, through Chinese medicine services and collaborative healthcare.

Ambassadors:

Polly Ambermoon (BHSc Acu; MAppSc CHM; FAWM; BSc Psych; DCCM)

Polly Ambermoon, founder and director of EAWM, is a Chinese Medicine physician with a clinical Masters degree in Chinese Herbal Medicine and Bachelor of Science degrees in Acupuncture and Psychology, and a Fellow of the Academy of Wilderness Medicine (FAWM) through the Wilderness Medical Society. She runs a Classical Chinese Medicine private practice in Reykjavik, Iceland and has a special interest donating her time and expertise to providing healthcare for indigenous communities, humanitarian causes and in austere environments. 

Polly has engaged in extensive Chinese medicine training in Australia, USA, and China including the study and clinical usage of specific Classical Chinese herbal formulas from the ancient medical text Shang Han Za Bing Lun ('Treatise on Cold Damage & Miscellaneous Diseases'). This particular Chinese Medical system is highly relevant for treating conditions related to environmental influences and in remote regions that have a paucity of infrastructure and medical care. 

Photo credit: Dr. Autumn Conde

Polly was a member of the 2016 Tsum Valley Medical Mission in Nepal, where the medical team provided healthcare to over 600 patients in the Lower and Upper Tsum villages. The Tsumbas have very limited access to medical care and most have never seen a physician. For more information please visit our Projects page.