Therapeutic Treatments
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese healing modality that has been utilized for over two thousand years. Acupuncture is the use of tiny needles to stimulate specific areas on the meridians systems. There are 12 main meridians, or energy channels, that run throughout the entire body, and over 360 acupuncture points. When the needle is inserted, it stimulates a response that sends a signal to the brain to pay attention to the specific area. This signal initiates a Qi response, which is viewed as our body's vital energy force that helps keep the body balanced, healthy & happy.
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The focus of acupuncture is to bring imbalances back to balance. While you may come with a specific ailment in mind, we will ask questions that may seem unrelated to that particular part of your health. So, while we will focus on the main reason for your visit, your treatment will encompass who you are as a whole person.
Since any symptom is an expression of an imbalance, our diagnostic tools will help guide us to the root cause of the imbalance. This is why acupuncture is a beneficial tool in bringing most ailments back to health.
While Acupuncture and Chinese medicine can treat a wide variety of ailments, we specialize in treating women’s health, female and male infertility, pregnancy (including pre and post partum), sports medicine and emotional/ spiritual imbalances.
Chinese Herbalism
Chinese Herbs are a great adjunct to acupuncture. Acupuncture needles are a great tool to address both external and internal factors, but utilizing the herbs along with it help to maintain internal health which allows the treatments to hold. Chinese herbs are used for a variety of reasons, such as boosting your immune system as a preventative measure, or helping to speed up the recovery of a bone break.
Body Work
The following body work tools all come from ancient Chinese tradition. When applicable, certain techniques can be utilized before or after acupuncture treatments.
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Tui Na is a specific form of traditional Chinese massage that can help break up stagnation in tense muscle, or help tonify areas of the body that are deficient.
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Gua sha is a smooth edged tool, usually in the shape of a spoon, that is used to lightly scrape the skin. Similar to tui na, gua sha is used to help promote healthy blood circulation. Gua sha is commonly used to help alleviate tight neck muscles, tight traps, headaches or back pain.
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Cupping is another ancient Chinese technique that helps release stagnation, and is great to help relieve tight muscle or chronic musculoskeletal imbalances.
Why does the skin bruise after cupping or gua sha?
It is not uncommon to notice mild bruising or skin discoloration after receiving gua sha or cupping. Since the goal of these modalities is to break up stagnation, tiny blood vessels on the surface of the body break to allow old stagnant blood out and new fresh blood in. This release is what brings a soothing sensation to the impacted area. It is extra important to stay well hydrated after receiving this type of body work to help the body flush out what it no longer needs and help promote healthy cellular regeneration.