What is Chinese Medicine?
Chinese Medicine is an ancient healing art, established around 5,000 years ago. It is a natural therapy that aims to alleviate pain and promote health and well being by correcting the flow of energy in your body.
It includes various modalities such as Acupuncture, Herbal Medicine, moxa, massage, cupping, gua sha and dietary and lifestyle advice. Acupuncture is the most commonly used modality and is the area that I specialise in.
How Does Acupuncture Work?
According to Chinese Medicine, there are channels of energy that flow within our bodies. Due to various factors such as overwork, poor diet, physical injury etc., these energies can stagnate, weaken or flow in the wrong direction. This causes pain, disease or dysfunction of certain organs. Acupuncture uses the insertion of needles to tap into these channels to unblock, strengthen or balance their flow. It effectively allows your body to heal itself with its own energy.
Does it Hurt?
Not really. As opposed to syringes, which are thicker and inject fluids into veins or muscle tissue, Acupuncture needles are very fine and are not inserted as deeply. Sometimes you may experience an aching or tingling feeling (but these are normal sensations of your own energy flow) and sometimes you may feel nothing at all! In fact, Acupuncture is commonly described as an extremely relaxing and calming experience.
Is it Dangerous?
Not at all. I am a qualified and registered Chinese Medicine Practitioner and am trained to accurately locate Acupuncture points and use correct needling technique. I always clean your skin with an alcohol swab before needling and I use single-use, disposable needles.
Where do the Needles Go?
Acupuncture points are located virtually over the entire surface of the body. I select anywhere from 1-10 points based on your condition and individual energy flow. Most commonly used points, however, are found on the limbs.
What Can Acupuncture Treat?
Acupuncture can address a wide variety of conditions because all disease is a result of the disrupted flow of energy in our bodies. Here are some of the conditions that may benefit from Acupuncture:
Musculoskeletal
Sports injuries, arthritis, lower back pain, sciatica, tennis elbow, carpal tunnel syndrome, frozen shoulder, RSI
Respiratory
Asthma, sinusitis, nosebleeds, coughs & colds, hayfever
Digestive
Indigestion, acid reflux, heartburn, nausea, vomiting, constipation, diarrhoea, IBS
Neurological
Facial paralysis, neuralgia, sciatica, post-stroke rehabilitation
Cardiovascular
Palpitations, hypertension, poor circulation, high/low blood pressure
Reproductive
Infertility, IVF support, impotence, morning sickness, mastitis, post-natal depression, labour induction, pregnancy related complaints (such as back pain, constipation, fluid retention etc).
Gynaecological/Hormonal
Irregular, light or heavy menstruation, PMS symptoms (such as bloating, cramping, fluid retention, irritability, mood swings, headaches/migraines, breast tenderness, back pain), endometriosis, PCOS, menopausal symptoms (such as hot flushes, night sweats, moodiness, irritability, weight gain).
Sleep
Insomnia, light/poor quality sleep, excessive dreaming
Psycho-Emotional
Depression, stress, anxiety, panic attacks, mood swings, post-natal depression
Face & Head
Tinnitus, dizziness, vertigo, photosensitivity, toothache, headache, migraine
General Wellness
Cold & flu, fatigue, low energy, stress
If you are still unsure of whether Acupuncture can help you, please feel free to contact me.
What should I expect?
In your Initial Consultation I will take a detailed history of your presenting complaint as well as your general health. I will also look at your tongue and feel your pulse. All this helps me to accurately diagnose your condition and tailor a treatment plan for you. I then perform the treatment which involves the gentle insertion of needles into various areas of the body. The needles are left in for 10-15 minutes, then removed and safely disposed of.
Your treatment may also include other therapies such as moxa, cupping, ear candling or prescribed herbal pills. These therapies complement and enhance your Acupuncture treatment.