About Acupuncture

 

What is acupuncture?

Acupuncture is one component of Chinese Medicine, which is based on ancient Taoist principles of yin/yang and the five elements, and stems from the observation of rhythms in the natural world.

Chinese medicine involves the therapeutic use of acupuncture and also herbs, food, bodywork (Tui Na), self-cultivation practices such as Qi Gong, and supplementary techniques such as moxibustion, cupping, gua sha, and bloodletting. The medicine aims not only to resolve symptoms, but to address a person's underlying disharmony to prevent future imbalances that can lead to disease.

What does acupuncture treat?

The World Health Organization (WHO) has published a long list of diseases and conditions for which acupuncture has been shown to have therapeutic effect. These include:

  • Chronic muscular and joint pain (low back pain, knee pain, TMJ, facial pain, neck pain)

  • Acne

  • Anxiety and Depression

  • Allergies

  • Arthritis

  • Asthma

  • Bell’s Palsy

  • Earache

  • Headache

  • Insomnia

  • Morning sickness

  • Sciatica

  • Stroke

  • Sprains

  • Tennis elbow

  • Infertility

  • Common Cold

  • Hypertension / Hypotension

  • Postoperative pain

  • Herpes

  • Neuralgia

Acupuncture is commonly integrated into hospital settings for the management of symptoms and side-effects associated with conventional Western care, such as nausea and loss of appetite during chemotherapy, post-stroke recovery, the induction of labor, and in many orthopedic conditions.

What can I expect from my first visit?

Your treatment will be tailored specifically to you, and will involve an initial intake process where we discuss your particular situation in depth, and design a plan of ongoing care.

Acupuncture treatment involves the insertion of very fine needles into acupuncture points and anatomical structures such as skin, fascia and muscle.

Depending on the condition, your treatment may also include:

  • Cupping

  • Moxibustion

  • Gua Sha

  • Electrical Stimulation (e-stim)

  • Tui Na / Bonesetting

  • Dietary/Herbal Advice and Recommendations

  • Lifestyle Advice and Recommendations: meditation, exercise and Qi Gong

  • Infrared Heat Therapy

How long is a session?

Treatments last 60 minutes.

When can I expect results?

The benefits of acupuncture treatment are cumulative, and the number of sessions required varies with the nature of the condition being treated. Often, people feel improvement after one visit, although certain things respond faster than others. Generally, the longer it took a condition to develop, the longer it takes to treat it.

For most conditions, I recommend 6-8 weekly sessions at first, followed by regular treatments for maintenance.

Most people find acupuncture treatment very relaxing, and enter a meditative state during the treatment.