Acupuncture

During your treatment, life history, current symptoms, and concerns will be discussed in a relaxed and supportive environment. Your acupuncturist in Vancouver will develop a personalized treatment plan toward optimal health and wellness using acupuncture and other traditional Chinese medicine therapies. The goal is to ensure that each session reflects your unique needs and comfort level.

The course of treatments depends upon the imbalance at hand. Acute issues can be cleared up quickly if treated soon, as chronic issues can take more commitment.  With acupuncture, consistent treatments create consistent results.

People react differently to acupuncture; some people feel energized, and some feel deeply relaxed, others feel giddy.  No matter what the reaction is, the relaxing effects of the treatment can continue thoughout the day, and so it's advisable to rest or at least take a gentler approach to the remainder of the day, staying hydrated.  Patients that are strongly affected by acupuncture are advised to make safe arrangements to get home.

TCM treatments are gentle and safe and for pregnant women.  Ailments in all three trimesters can be addressed.

Acupuncture can help with:

• Morning Sickness

• Threatened Miscarriage

• Exhaustion & Anxiety

• Heartburn & Constipation

• Sciatica, Pelvic & Hip Pain

• Urinary Tract Infection

• Breech Babies & Malpresentation

• Pre Birth Acupuncture (Cervical Ripening)

Pediatric Chinese medicine uses other traditional therapies to treat children, such as lifestyle and diet, cupping, gua sha, and tui na in addition to acupuncture. Your acupuncturist in Vancouver will choose gentle, age-appropriate treatments tailored to your child’s specific condition.

Auriculotherapy Ear Seeds can also be quite effective for children.

Children respond well to acupuncture, as they have a more "clean slate" of a health foundation to work with, as they don't have the life length and health history that adults possess. They are also full of Qi, so the needles do not need to be retained. A simple insertion and withdrawal is the most needling that children under age 10 require. For children under 5, the most effective treatment is tui na, a traditional Chinese massage therapy often recommended by your acupuncturist in Vancouver.

Gua Sha is a scraping technique using a round edged instrument which helps to move and raise stagnation in subcutaneous tissue to the skin surface.  The action mimics sweating and creates redness and bruising that fades within a weeks' time.  Similar to cupping, gua sha allows congestion and obstruction to exit the body naturally and effectively. 

Some Benefits of Gua Sha are:

• Acute and Chronic Pain

• Strains & Sprains

• Muscle Spasms

• Common Cold and Flu

• Asthma & Bronchitis

• Post Work Out Muscle Soreness

Moxibustion is a traditional Chinese medicine technique that involves the burning of mugwort, a small, spongy herb, to facilitate healing.  The purpose of moxibustion, as with most forms of traditional Chinese medicine, is to strengthen the blood, stimulate the flow of Qi, and maintain general health. 

TCM dietary therapy considers foods for their five flavors, five energies, movements, the common actions of foods (e.g., to lubricate dryness, soften hardness, or nourish blood), and organic actions (the specific internal organs on which certain foods can act). A trusted acupuncturist in Vancouver can help you understand how these principles apply to your individual constitution.

According to TCM, a balanced diet means two things. The first is that one should eat a variety of whole foods in order to benefit from all the flavors, energies, and organic actions a varied diet offers.

The second is that foods are selected according to one's particular needs and physical constitution. With guidance from an experienced acupuncturist in Vancouver, a prescribed diet can be used not only for treating disease, but also for maintaining a person’s good health.

Tui Na is a form of Chinese massage meant to invigorate Qi and Blood in the body.  Techniques used during Tui Na are pressing, rubbing, kneading, and pinching to restore balance, and promote structural and locomotive health increasing mobility and range of motion in the body.

Tui Na is helpful for: 

• stiffness and soreness

• joint and soft tissue problems

• musculoskeletal disorders

• acute and chronic pain

• constipation

• frozen shoulder

Pediatric Tui Na is helpful for:

• colds

• cough

• earache

• colic

• asthma

• vomiting

• diarrhea

• allergies

• fever

• indigestion

• constipation

• stomachache

Pediatric Tui Na can be used on children up to age 12, however its effect is most pronounced in children under age 5.

Small black seeds of cow-herb are secured on the ear with a piece of tape over specific acupressure points. The seeds stimulate the point by mild pressure. This therapy is especially suitable for children and adults who are afraid of needles.

Some Benefits of Ear Seeds:

• Mental-Emotional Disturbances

• Hypertension

• Back Pain

• Headache/Migraines

• Insomnia

• Digestive Issues