ACUPUNCTURE

WHAT IS ACUPUNCTURE

Acupuncture involves the insertion of sterile, extremely fine and single use needles at specific points on the body. Stimulation of acupuncture points have demonstrated effectiveness with:

The aim of acupuncture is to assist in reawakening the body’s natural ability to rebalance itself into better health.

Samantha uses acupuncture techniques based on world renowned Chinese medicine doctors, Dr Richard Teh-Fu Tan and Dr Robert Doane. She now practices Balance Method Acupuncture and Advanced Neurological Acupuncture during her treatments. These techniques involve a distal needling approach. Acupuncture is performed away from the location of discomfort or illness, mostly on the arms, legs, feet and hands. These techniques are based on understanding neurological body mapping patterns to rebalance other areas of the body. For example, the knee would correspond to the elbow and may be needled if there's elbow pain. Stimulating these points aims to send blood flow to the targeted area and rebalance neural pathways.

What does smooth blood flow allow?

WHAT TYPE OF ACUPUNCTURE TO EXPECT

HOW DOES AN ACUPUNCTURE CONSULTATION + TREATMENT WORK

THE CONSULTATION

Patients will be consulted about their chief complaint/s. Questions will be asked about:

Other questions will be asked about your overall general health if it seems necessary because in Chinese medicine we are trying to find the root causes so be prepared! Other questions may involves your personal or family history, your menstrual history, your digestion and bowel movements and more.

THE TREATMENT

Acupuncture treatment will be performed. Accompanying the treatment may include additional cupping therapy, moxibustion and ear pellets. Herbal prescriptions may be ordered in-conjunction to acupuncture treatment

alleviating pain
aiding internal functioning like digestion, respiration, circulation, hormonal imbalance
strengthening weak immune or other organ functioning
detoxification
stress relief

Pain relief due to ceasing stagnant blood flow
Nutrient Supply to help with nourishing the tissues and cells, strengthening weak functioning
Waste Removal for removing any unwanted materials and detoxification
Assists with Immune Response & Cellular Repair by enabling other cells to travel to the location and assist in speeding up your body’s natural healing process.

Onset: when and how did it begin; did anything happen to cause the condition etc.
Frequency: how often it happens
Intensity: how bad is it /10
Triggers: what aggravates your condition
Relief: what do you do to make the condition feel better
Location: where is the discomfort or condition located
Daily Impact: how does it affect your mood, sleep, energy, diet and other daily activity

CUPPING

Cupping has been used for many years to help with releasing stagnation, tension, tightness or congestion to promote the circulation or blood and vital energy (qi) around the body. It involves the use of a flame (glass fire cupping) or a pump (plastic cups) to create a negative pressure which will cause the suctioning of the cup on the body region it is placed on. Pink, red or purplish marks may appear as a sign of stagnation but will be gone within a week.

MOXIBUSTION

Moxibustion involves the burning of dried Mugwort which in Chinese is known as Ai Ye. Ai Ye is a herb used in Chinese medicine to help with providing warmth to the body, assisting in circulation and removing blockages and unwanted cold in the body.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

WILL IT HURT?

Acupuncture needles are very fine in diameter. This design minimises the intensity of the possible discomfort you may experience. Do remember, acupuncture needles are about 10x smaller than an injection needle and just 2x larger compared to a single strand of hair.

During insertion you may feel a little prick or may feel a slight discomfort. However, once the needle is inserted, the sensation should dissipate into a light and comfortable sensation. An acupuncture treatment should always feel comfortable and modifications will be made to ensure you are comfortable. There's nothing to be scared about!

WILL I NEED MORE THAN ONE TREATMENT? WHEN WILL I START TO SEE RESULTS?

For effective results, yes. Acupuncture is not like a permanent panadol. We are working on rebooting your body to function optimally. Just like changing a habit, it takes your body time to accustom to the effects of acupuncture and retain its effects.

Depending on the condition, patients may see changes within 3-4 weeks with weekly treatments. If the improvements are maintained, patients will be slowly weened off treatment. Eventually, they will be advised to have maintenance treatments to aid with prevention.

HOW OFTEN SHOULD I BE GETTING ACUPUNCTURE?

When you first begin treatments, you may be advised to come in twice or three times a week for the first 1-2 weeks. Initially, the effects of acupuncture usually lasts a couple of days. So, your body needs to get used to holding the effects of the acupuncture by coming in multiple times. Once your body is trained, you will be weened off treatment as your body is able to hold the effects. This will go from weekly, to fortnightly, to monthly treatments. If this doesn't suit your busy schedule, then we would advise weekly treatments until you are able to maintain your improvements.

WHAT SHOULD I BE EXPECTING AND NOTING AFTER THE TREATMENT?

Your symptoms may be alleviated for a certain period of time. Try to note how long this period lasts because it helps your practitioner with the prognosis of your condition. It is possible you may feel worse for 1-2 days after your treatment. This is because your body is trying to adjust and that can create discomfort. Think of when you are putting on antiseptic to clean an open wound. It's good for you but at the time it might make you feel worse.

"Short term pain for a long term gain!"