Acupuncture

Acupuncture uses the ancient tradition of Chinese medicine and the belief that organ systems are connected through out the body in pathways called energy meridians. Acupuncturists work with fine needles to stimulate a healing response from your body. These energy pathways may be stagnated or blocked which give rise to pain, discomfort, disease, and emotional and spiritual instability. Specific points along the body, when stimulated by needle insertion can open up these meridians to allow for more blood flow and circulation to relieve pain and bring your body back into balance.

Your acupuncture treatments are personalized and can include a gentle or more a vigorous treatment.

Techniques used during your treatment can include acupuncture, cupping therapy, Gua Sha, Infra Red Moxibuxtion, Tuina Massage to achieve deeper relaxation and healing.

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Does Acupuncture Hurt?

The needles used for acupuncture vary in length and diameter, and insertion does sometimes temporarily hurt. In particular, if an acupuncture point on the body is energy deficient or overstimulated, there may be some pain associated with the needle insertion. With a slightly deeper insertion, a sensation of “de chi” or “grabbing the energy” can be felt, which can be perceived as an achy pain radiating along the length of the acupuncture meridian

What to Expect?

Each person who performs acupuncture has a unique style, often blending aspects of Eastern and Western approaches to medicine. To determine the type of acupuncture treatment that will help you the most, your practitioner may ask you about your symptoms, behaviors and lifestyle. He or she may also closely examine:

The parts of your body that are painful
The shape, coating and color of your tongue
The color of your face
The strength, rhythm and quality of the pulse in your wrist

An acupuncture session may take up to 60 minutes, although some appointments may be much shorter. A common treatment plan for a single complaint would typically involve one or two treatments a week. The number of treatments will depend on the condition being treated and its severity. In general, it's common to receive 6 to 8 treatments.

During the Procedure

Acupuncture points are situated in all areas of the body. Sometimes the appropriate points are far removed from the area of your pain. Your acupuncture practitioner will tell you the general site of the planned treatment and whether you need to remove any clothing. A gown, towel or sheet will be provided. You lie on a padded table for the treatment, which involves:

Needle insertion. Acupuncture needles are inserted to various depths at strategic points on your body. The needles are very thin, so insertion usually causes little discomfort. People often don't feel them inserted at all. A typical treatment uses 5 to 20 needles. You may feel a mild aching sensation when a needle reaches the correct depth.
Needle manipulation. Your practitioner may gently move or twirl the needles after placement or apply heat or mild electrical pulses to the needles.
Needle removal. In most cases, the needles remain in place for 10 to 15 minutes while you lie still and relax. There is usually no discomfort when the needles are removed.

After the Procedure

Some people feel relaxed and others feel energized after an acupuncture treatment. But not everyone responds to acupuncture. If your symptoms don't begin to improve within a few weeks, acupuncture may not be right for you.

What Is Tuina Massage?

Similar to acupuncture, tuina massage uses the same energetic meridians and acupoints to balance the qi and blood in your body, leading to better health. Qi that’s flowing incorrectly can cause blockages, such as poor blood circulation in the affected area.

The main therapeutic goal of tuina massage is to remove the energetic blocks that are causing qi stagnation.

What to expect?

During a session, practitioners use oscillating and pressure techniques that differ in force and speed. Tuina massage can be done as a stronger deep-tissue massage or a more gentle, energetic treatment.

Some techniques are more yin, which is more gentle, passive, and meditative. The yang approach is more active, dynamic, and physical, creating more intense sensations by stimulating deep blockages and knots.

The practitioner massages the muscles and tendons and uses manipulation techniques to realign the body. Passive joint movements are used to restore function to muscles and joints.

Depending on your practitioner as well as your specific needs, various techniques will be used in a session. To enhance the effects of the treatment, herbal poultices or compresses, lotions, and salves are used.

Tuina massage uses massage techniques such as acupressure, myofascial release, and reflexology. Sometimes, techniques that are common to osteopathy and chiropractic, such as stretching and joint mobilizations, are also used.

There are eight basic techniques used in tuina massage:

palpating (mo)
rejoining (jie)
opposing (duan)
lifting (ti)
pressing (an)
kneading (mo)
pushing (tui)
holding (na)

Other techniques include:

Rolling. This is used for injuries such as sprains and strains.
One-finger technique. This is one-finger stimulation of acupressure points.
Nei gung. This is a full-body manipulation technique.

What is Ear Seeding (articular acupuncture)?

Ear seeding is a traditional therapy rooted in TCM, and falls under the modality of auriculotherapy, a form of complementary and alternative medicine, which is based on the belief that the entire body and its systems (reproductive, nervous, digestive, respiratory, et cetera) can be reflected in the map of the ear (called a microsystem), which has various pressure points that correspond to various organs and systems.

Ear seeding is the process of placing tiny metallic beads [or actual seeds, ceramic beads, or magnetic beads] attached to a small piece of adhesive material, like tape, in strategic locations on the surface of the ear.

You leave the session wearing these beads for a duration determined by your acupuncturist.

Conditions Ear Acupuncture can treat:

chronic pain, especially low back pain
migraine
anxiety
insomnia
cancer pain and chemotherapy side effects
weight loss
substance use disorder
depression
digestive issues
allergies

Is Laser Therapy Risky?

LASERs are used almost everywhere today - from laser pointers to grocery store scanners to advanced medical apparatus. It's not hazardous if it is used by trained professionals who know how to use it. Before beginning treatment, we will make sure that it is suitable for you and discuss any associated risks.

Interesting Fact:

Laser stands for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. In other words, a special type of focused light energy is used to invigorate the cells in our body. This light is all aligned, in a precise line, so that its energy can be effectively taken in by the body.

So, what does Laser Therapy do?

It's like the Energizer Bunny - it provides your cells with more energy through a process called photobiomodulation.

Helps stimulate the growth of collagen to heal skin, muscles, ligaments, tendons, and bones (by stimulating fibroblastic activity)
Helps heal wounds and increase blood flow to the region
Decreases pain

What does Laser Therapy it feel like?

There is no sensation of tingling, buzzing, or heat. There will be only the sensation of the pressure of the LASER device firmly pressing against your skin. Sometimes patients have noted a mild warmth.

What conditions can LASER therapy help with?

Muscle strains/tears

Trigger points
Ligament sprains
Tendon conditions (eg. tendonitis)
Bursitis
Arthritis
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Wound healing (helps reduce scarring)
Nerve pain (Neuralgia)
Acute pain
Chronic Pain and Chronic joint disorders

There are cases where we do not do cupping, such as:

• Skin Lesions or Inflammation (already present)
• Organ Failure (Renal, Hepatic, and/or Cardiac)
• Pacemakers
• Hemophilia or similar bleeding disorders
• Cancer
• Varicose Veins, Spider Veins

Caution should be taken with any of the following conditions, please talk with your practitioner if you are experiencing any of these:

• Diabetes with complications or an acute infection
• Taking anticoagulant medication ex. Aspirin, warfarin etc.
• Severe chronic disease such as Heart Disease
• You are pregnant, are within 6 weeks after giving birth, or are menstruating • Lymphedema or Anemia
• New Tattoos (localized)
• Recently given blood or undergone a medical procedure

What is Cupping therapy?

Cupping therapy is also known as cupping massage or myofascial decompression – involves placing specialized cups on targeted areas of the skin to create suction. This ancient Chinese technique is an alternative form of therapy that has been used historically to complement traditional forms of care for various chronic illnesses and conditions.

This alternative form of therapy became popular in the mainstream media when Michael Phelps showed up to a swim meet at the 2016 Olympics with bruising and redness on his back – which is a normal and expected side effect of a cupping therapy session.

The cups used in cupping therapy were historically made of bamboo or ceramic. Now, the cups used are made of glass or rubber with a big, glass-like ball on top. Your practitioner will use negative pressure directly on soft tissues to suction, creating an environment that will draw the skin and muscles upward into the cup. The cups used are typically warmed up prior to being placed on your skin. Once they cool, the suction effect will begin.

Cupping Therapy Benefits

There are many benefits of cupping therapy, especially when it comes to helping ease the symptoms of many chronic illnesses and various health conditions. Cupping therapy is often used in conjunction with traditional therapies. For that reason, it is heavily recommended that you reach out to any doctors who are currently treating your ailments to make him or her aware of your plans to include cupping therapy as part of your treatment plan.

Cupping therapy promotes the uninterrupted flow of Qi (pronounced chi) throughout the body. This free flow of Qi will help revitalize your body’s energy sources.
Cupping therapy aids in balancing the yin and yang (positive and negative energy sources) throughout your body.
Cupping therapy increases blood circulation by clearing up the blood vessels that carry blood throughout your body.
Cupping therapy can relieve muscle tension and promote cellular repair to ease any remaining tension.
Cupping therapy can send more blood to a designated area to stimulate the healing process.
Cupping therapy brings vital nutrients and oxygen to areas that are being worked on.
Cupping therapy will draw out metabolic by-products that can inhibit healing and also cause inflammation. These by-products might include ammonia, urea, uric acid and creatinine.

What conditions can Cupping help with:

Arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis

Back and neck pain

Shoulder pain and knee pain

Asthma

Carpal tunnel syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome

Headaches and migraines

High blood pressure and blood circulation

What is Gua Sha?

Gua sha (pronounced as gwahshah) comes from a Chinese word for scraping. Skin scraping, spooning, or coining are also the other known terms. It’s a traditional Chinese healing technique that involves the application of pressure by scraping your skin with a massage tool. It is noted to alleviate discomfort and tension from musculoskeletal pain. This technique also involves light bruising which may appear purple or red spots known as petechiae or sha.

According to conventional Chinese medicine, energy flowing through the body is qi or chi. Many people believe that to ensure their health and well-being, a person’s qi must be balanced and flows freely. And, this is the aim of gua sha.

It was believed that qi can be blocked causing muscle and joint pain or stress. This blocked energy is intended to transfer Gua sha to relieve aches or stiffness. Blood stasis or stagnation is often considered by traditional East Asian medicine as a source of pain and illness. To alleviate symptoms, another aim of gua sha is to transfer pooled or stagnated blood.

What to expect during a Gua Sha treatment:

Working with gua sha involves adding massage oil or other lubricants to the skin where the procedure is going to take place. To apply short strokes to the skin, a gua sha massage tool is then used or a smooth-edge instrument. These gua sha motions are often referred to as’ scraping’ or’ press strokes’. Depending on the procedure and practitioner, the duration of these strokes can differ.

Press strokes that are made over bony areas are performed more softly than over flatter or muscular areas, such as the cervical spine in the neck. It may take several minutes or longer to apply for a gua sha. It is recommended to take it easy for the rest of the day, including no alcohol after the gua sha treatment is completed. This recommendation to relax is based on the assumption that the gua sha treatment has gotten the blood and energy flowing again, and too much activity may decrease its benefits too fast. Gua sha is often paired with other types of treatment, such as acupuncture.

What is Moxibustion

The burning of the chinese herb Artemesia vulgaris “Mugwort” about 5-10 centimetres above the surface of the skin is very useful for warming cool bodies and increases yang energy in the body.

Moxabustion is also very useful for digestive issues with cold symptoms, lumps in the skin, joint injuries and turning breech position babies.

Infrared Moxibustion is used at the clinic. The moxibustion process produces infrared radiation that can penetrate deeper than normal infrared. This helps to promote cell growth by activating the protein complex activin. This also helps to boost the immune system. Moxibustion also helps to refresh the meridians in the body, which in turn encourages the flow of chi. Meridians are essentially the channels that chi energy flows through, which connect different acupuncture points. Chinese treatments such as moxibustion help to increase chi by positively affecting various acupuncture points.

During the first acupuncture session, the acupuncturist will assess your general health. As each treatment is unique to the individual, this will facilitate the most effective treatment for each.

The investigative process will include questions relating to your current symptoms, past treatments, patient and family medical history, diet, digestive system, sleeping patterns and emotional health. Also, the pulse on both wrists will be taken to determine how energies are flowing in the body. As part of the diagnosis, the acupuncturist will assess the structure, color and coating of your tongue.

During this comprehensive evaluation, the practitioner will observe your emotions, voice and self-presentation. This will further aid in the diagnosis and development of a treatment that will assist in harmonizing your overall energy.

Specific acupuncture points will be chosen and the practitioner begins treatment. The first session may last up to two hours. Subsequent treatments will last approximately one hour. Dietary and other recommendations will be discussed at appropriate times throughout the treatment process.

Acupuncture Tips:

Avoid brushing your teeth and tongue before treatment. Also, try not to consume beverages that may stain your tongue, such as coffee, gum and candies. A proper tongue diagnosis is very important as it leads to cues of possible imbalances.
Remove all jewelry. This will help the acupuncture in administering treatment.
Acupuncture usually lasts 20-30 minutes so it is important to use the bathroom prior to treatment.
Be honest with your acupuncturists when answering questions. All answers are confidential and aide in the diagnosis and treatment.
Do not consume alcoholic beverages before or after treatment
It is Important to use caution when your treatment is finished as treatments may cause you to become slightly dizzy.
After the treatment be sure to rest and relax for the remainder of the day. Do not participate in vigorous exercise and avoid direct exposure to wind and cold.
Be prepared to see some slight bruises from treatment
It is important to relax during your treatment. You will benefit most if you allow your mind and body to relax.