Haase said TCM is his "go-to treatment" for everything, as he can treat himself, or go to his classmates or teachers for help if necessary.

He is also working actively to bridge the connections between Canada and China through TCM and martial arts. He has finished translating several TCM-related books from Chinese to English.

A lot of people abroad are interested in and curious about TCM and often ask what it is, and how and why it works, he said.

"When we talk about traditional Chinese medicine, actually what we're often talking about is how to treat, benefit and strengthen the body. One of the things that I love about TCM is that we concentrate on the patient's health and healing, not just on the disease," he said.

"What's wonderful about TCM is that there are different tools to treat the problem, whether they are external such as acupuncture, cupping and massage, or internal treatment methods such as using herbal medicine, diet therapy or guiding patients on a healthy lifestyle," he added.

Canada was one of the first countries to standardize TCM, and there are three public universities where it is taught, in addition to private colleges.

Chinese medicine in Canada is more standardized than in many other countries, and acupuncture can be covered by medical insurance, which means it's recognized by the Canadian medical system, he said. He intends to finish his master's degree by the end of this year and potentially do a PhD in TCM.

Zhang Li, 44, from Changsha, is one of Haase's patients and has been getting acupuncture treatment to treat lower back pain.

"It is novel to be getting TCM treatment from a foreigner, and I think foreigners who want to learn TCM have a genuine interest in it and put a lot of effort into their research, so I trust him."

Craig Johnson from the United States is a friend of Haase in Changsha and is also one of his patients.

Johnson has known him for a long time and sees Haase's passion when he talks about TCM and treating patients in the hospital, so he trusts him as his doctor.

He has received acupuncture and massage for exercise-induced muscular pain, which has worked well and has helped relieve muscle tension, he added.

zoushuo@chinadaily.com.cn