Acupuncture & Techniques
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, we use different techniques to accommodate your needs and to assist you better in your healing process. A treatment can be done with a combination of different techniques.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a treatment induced by the insertion of thin sterile single-use needles in the particular points on the body through the skin. The needles used for acupuncture is as thin as a hair. Needling sensation is very brief and it is not like a vaccination shot at all! In fact, it is possible that you might not feel anything at all depending on the area.
Is it a first time for you to try acupuncture? Don’t worry! We will go slowly to make sure you are comfortable during the treatment and if you are still not comfortable or if you are still not ready for acupuncture, we can use different techniques such as auriculotherapy with Vaccaria ear seeds or cupping or pediatric acupuncture (without acupuncture needles), etc. Please do not forget that you can stop the treatment anytime. However, most of the time, treatment with acupuncture is the most desirable way of treatment.
I find it is such a pity that you don’t try this magnificent Traditional Chinese Medicine and you keep suffering. Acupuncture is practiced for more than 2000 years and people are still taking a good benefit from acupuncture until today.
Electrical stimulation of needles
Depends on the condition of patient, we use electric machine to stimulate some acupuncture points on the needles. Light stimulation is sent to the needles during treatment. The intensity is adjusted according to your comfort. Electrical stimulation is often used for muscular pain, but it can be used for other conditions.
Moxa (Moxibustion)
Moxa is a form of heat therapy in which we are burning dried Chinese or Japanese plant on particular points. The word “Moxa” comes from the Japanese word, “Mogusa”, the villus of a Mugwort which were dried and purified. Mugwort has medicinal effects and they can strengthen your immunity. Moxa improves blood circulation and is used for diverse health problems, menstrual issues for women, infertility, digestion problems, pain, etc. and it is especially known for the use of breech baby to turn the baby in a good position naturally. There are different types of moxa: in sticks, in rolls, in bulk or adhesive moxa, etc.
Therapy Lamp
TDP lamp is a modern alternative of moxa and it also improves blood circulation like moxa, so it helps to reduce pain and tonify the immune system and more. TDP lamp has mineral plates with different mineral elements which emits electromagnetic waves
Cupping
Cupping is a treatment by suction. It is an ancient therapy practiced by Egyptians, Greeks and Romans even before Chinese started practicing. Cupping brings the blood flow toward the target place and is often used for relieving pain, but it is also used for scar treatment, respiratory infections, detoxing, digestion problems and face treatment (with small cuppings).
Cupping has a form of a bell made of different materials, glass, plastic or silicone. Please note that you will have red round cupping traces on where the cuppings are applied after the treatment, but they will disappear normally/naturally little by little after one week or so depending on the intensity of the treatment and your condition.
Gua Sha
Gua Sha is one of the techniques of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The word “Gua” means scraping or scrubbing and “Sha” means “Redness”. Gua Sha is used to remove excessive heat in the body or to unblock the meridian (energetic channel) which cause pain or tension in body. Tools for Gua Sha are made of different types of stones (quartz, Jade, Bian, etc.) or porcelain and others. The form of Gua Sha is very variable.
Please note that after Gua Sha treatment, you will have petechiaes on the places Gua Sha was applied, but they will disappear naturally little by little after one week or so depending on the intensity of the treatment.
Auriculotherapy
Auriculotherapy is a point of stimulation in the ears by acupuncture needles, Vaccaria seeds and magnets, etc. This method is practiced since more than 2000 years in China. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, ears reflect the entire human body. When ear seeds or small magnets are applied on your ears, you have to stimulate them several times each day in order to have the best result. Please note that you can keep them for only a few days or up to one week depending on the season (during summer for a shorter period) and depending on the skin condition of your ears. Please remove them if they cause any irritation to your ears.
Shonishin or Shonihari (Pediatric Acupuncture)
Acupuncture treatment is not only for adults. Children and infants can also be treated by acupuncture. It is called “Shonishin/Shonihari” and treatment are Japanese.
Shonishin is said to be developed in the 17th century in Japan. We can call it “A Contact Acupuncture”. We only touch the skin gently with Shonishin tools in different forms (in metal) which are specially made for Shonishin. The touch is very gentle, and children/infants can fall asleep during treatment.
The skin of infant/children is very thin compared to adults so a soft touching on the skin gives enough stimulation to have almost the same effect as needles acupuncture for adults.
A gentle stimulation by Shonishin tools helps to balance the autonomic nervous system and activate organ functions. It also stimulates a production of Oxytocin (Happy Hormone).
Tuina/Shiatsu (Acupressure)
Tuina (Chinese Massage) and Shiatsu (Japanese Massage/Acupressure) are the therapy massages which stimulate acupuncture points and improve blood circulation.
Food Cure
Your healthy body depends on what you eat. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, there are certain food especially good for certain organs which improve their functions. For example, the food good for kidneys is food of black colour such as black beans, black sesames and blackberries, etc.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, we recommend you to eat food which are very gentle to your stomach, cooked food.
During consultation, we might recommend you to add or avoid certain food in your diet depending on your condition. However, we are not nutritionists nor naturopathic practitioner so what we recommend is simply based on Traditional Chinese Medicine diagnosis.