Acupuncture: A calming and healing tradition

Moxibustion: Warming the channels

Moxibustion (also referred to as Moxa) is a component of Traditional Chinese Medicine that involves the burning of a spongy herb called mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris, Ai Ye). Moxa can be used either indirectly or directly along certain channels, points, and various body surfaces. It is often used in conjunction with acupuncture needles.

The purpose of moxa is to help strengthen the blood, stimulate the flow of qi, and maintain general health. The use of Moxa can help relieve many symptoms including arthritis pain, digestive disorders, gynecological/menstrual disorders, musculo-skeletal pain, insomnia, turning breech babies, internal cold, and many more.

Cupping therapy

Cupping therapy is a practice long used in Chinese Medicine. It can be combined with acupuncture in one treatment, but it can also be used alone. Special cups are placed on the skin creating a suction. The suction creates a negative pressure causing your skin to rise and turn light red-purple as your blood vessels expand. Cupping can loosen muscles and encourage blood flow. Cupping is used to relieve back and neck pain, stiff muscles, muscle spasms, anxiety, fatigue, migraines, rheumatism/arthritis, improves circulation, and can help relieve bronchial congestion caused by asthma, allergies or colds.

Food as a medicine: a healthy lifestyle

Nutrition has long been held in Chinese medicine as more important than herbal intervention when treating many conditions. Sun Si Miao, a renowned Chinese medicine doctor who carried the title of China’s King of Medicine famously said, “When treating illness, the first step should be dietary therapy. Only when this is unsuccessful should one try herbs.” Along with your treatments, we will discuss the foods that are most supportive of your wellness and metabolism. Drawing on scientific knowledge, we will also discuss how to select and prepare meals based on how they can help your body maintain optimum health.

Traditional manual therapy: pinch and pull

Tuina is a manual therapy that uses Daoist medicine and martial art principles to balance and improve circulation in the body. Tuina is based on the 8 principles of yin, yang, hot, cold, interior, exterior, deficiency or excess. Tuina is similar to deep tissue massage with the added benefit from stretching exercises and concentration on the affected meridians and acupuncture points. It also includes the use of topical pain relieving analgesics and linaments made with chinese herbs and extracts to promote circulation and healing.

Stimulating the acupuncture points

Electro Acupuncture is a technique that combines acupuncture with a small device called an electro machine. This machine produces a micro current using two needles at a time so the impulses can pass from one needle to the other. The machine generates a continuous micro-current where the frequency and intensity can be adjusted. There is only enough stimulation to feel a slight pulsating, tapping or buzzing sensation. Electro Acupuncture can be used to treat neck and back pain, sciatica, knee pain, rotator cuff injuries, shoulder pain, elbow pain, sports injuries and most chronic pain conditions. It is also effective for relieving muscle spasms, neurological disorders, inflammation, swelling and edema.