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Acupuncture
Acupuncture, a key component of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), involves the insertion of very thin needles into your skin at specific points on your body.
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Acupuncture promotes blood flow. This is significant because everything the body needs to heal itself can be found in the blood, including oxygen, nutrients we absorb from food, immunity-boosting substances, hormones, analgesics (painkillers), and anti-inflammatories. Restoring proper blood flow is vital to promoting and maintaining one’s health.
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Acupuncture stimulates the body’s built-in healing mechanisms by creating “micro traumas” that stimulate the body’s ability to spontaneously heal injuries to the tissue through activation of the nervous, immune, and endocrine systems. As the body heals these acupuncture-induced micro traumas, it also heals any surrounding tissue damage left over from old injuries.
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Acupuncture also releases natural painkillers. Inserting a needle into the body sends a signal through the nervous system to the brain, where chemicals, such as endorphins, norepinephrine, and enkephalin, are released. Some of these substances are 10 to 200 times more potent than morphine.
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Acupuncture reduces both the intensity and perception of chronic pain. It does this through a process called “descending control normalization”, which involves the serotonergic nervous system.
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Acupuncture relaxes shortened muscles, which, in turn, releases pressure on joint structures and nerves, while promoting blood flow.
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Acupuncture reduces stress, which is perhaps the procedure’s most important systemic effect. Recent research suggests that acupuncture stimulates the release of oxytocin, a hormone and signaling substance that regulates the parasympathetic nervous system.
Herbal Medicine
Chinese herbal medicine has been around for thousands of years and offers natural, herbal solutions for most conditions. We prescribe herbal formulas based on each individual’s diagnosis and treatment plan.
Asian Bodywork Therapy
CUPPING
Cupping therapy is another treatment modality of traditional Chinese medicine in which a practitioner puts special cups on your skin to create suction. Cupping is used to enhance circulation and relieve muscle tightness. Suction or heat is applied to either a glass or plastic cup, which is then placed on problematic areas of the body. The skin and muscle are then pulled into the suction, allowing energy and blood to circulate. Through cupping, impurities are drawn to the surface, allowing the body to remove them and stimulate local circulation for healing. Bruising is common and the level of bruising reveals how much tension or stagnation has been built up in those areas. Overtime with consistent treatment, there will be an increase in blood flow and a decrease of muscle recovery time. For the aforementioned reasons, many athletes seek cupping treatments to help improve and maintain their performance. Cupping is beneficial to anyone who has muscle aches caused by anything from sitting at a computer desk to running marathons.
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Cupping is a technique in which cups are placed on a patient's skin to create a vacuum, then heat or suction is used to disperse blockages and purge any toxins. Cupping stimulates the lymphatic system and enhances the flow of both qi and blood. It is commonly used to relieve muscle tension/pain, respiratory issues, and conditions such as the common cold. E-stim is a practice that uses mild electrical currents to stimulate muscles and manipulate nerves without causing pain. This technique accelerates the healing process when treating joint pain and injured muscles.
TUINA
Tuina is a form of bodywork that harmonizes the Yin and Yang by removing blockages, muscle tension, and disturbances. This practice can be performed on its own to treat various diseases and emotional issues or in conjunction with other TCM treatments.
GUASHA
Guasha is a technique that combine the words for “scrape (gua)” and “rash (sha)”. At our practice, we use a variety of guasha tools, such as pieces of jade, natural stones, and buffalo horns to pull toxins to the surface of the skin and expel pathogens from the body. Guasha is very effective at releasing myofascial pain and is also used for facial rejuvenation.
