Acupuncture is a treatment that originated in China over 5,000 years ago. It involves inserting slender, sterile needles into specific pressure points located all over your body. These points fall on acupuncture channels. These channels are thought to carry energy or qi throughout your body to your organs. By stimulating specific points along the channels we can direct energy to the various organs that need more, thereby improving their function. Western medicine research shows that these channels correspond with the flow of certain nerves, blood vessels and lymphatic channels. Stimulating your nervous system impacts the release of brain chemicals like endorphins (feel good substances) and enkephalins (pain-relieving substances). The goal of acupuncture is to help restore balance.
1. Needle Free Therapy
- Ultrasound waves create a thermo-mechanical effect, improving blood circulation, breaking scar tissue and promote healing. It is used extensively in treatment of soft tissue injuries.
- Ear acupuncture is widely used for many conditions, including addiction, mood disorders, obesity, pain, and other problems. It is generally combined with regular acupuncture treatments to enhance and prolong the effects. Ear acupuncture does not necessarily need to use needles for treatment. We use small seeds which are called ear seeds. They will be taped in the ear and left for a few days or up to two weeks.
2. Electrotherapy
- Electro-acupuncture is quite similar to traditional acupuncture in that the same points are stimulated during treatment. The needles are then attached to a device that generates continuous electric pulses using small clips. These devices are used to adjust the frequency and intensity of the impulse being delivered, depending on the condition being treated. Electroacupuncture uses two needles at time so that the impulses can pass from one needle to the other.
3. Cupping Therapy
- Cupping is a method of stimulating acupuncture points by applying suction through a glass or plastic jar. It promotes circulation of blood and lymphatic fluid, helps eliminate wastes and toxins from the body, and facilitates healing of soft tissue injuries. This technique is commonly used for lower back pain, sprains, stiff shoulders, and helping relieve fluid from the lungs in chronic bronchitis.
4. Herbal Therapy
- Traditional Chinese herbal medicine is the oldest and most comprehensive form of herbal medicine in the world. It is derived from natural plant sources. The use of these substances can be traced back to 1,000 BC. Over the past 5000 years, along with acupuncture, it is a main component of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). It has been used to cure diseases and alleviate discomfort caused by many disorders. Chinese herbal medicine is most commonly used with acupuncture treatments to accelerate and maintain the therapeutic effects of the treatment. Furthermore Chinese herbal medicine may be used to treat conditions that are not as effectively treated by acupuncture.
