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| acupuncture | Cupping |

| Gua Sha |

Acupuncture

Acupuncture has been around for thousands of years, 5000+ years to be exact. Acupuncture works by moving Qi or loosely translated to “energy”, which runs along channels in the body called Meridians.

 

Acupuncture involves the insertion of a hair-thin needles at specific points on the body along the meridians.  

Each point has specific indications and when put together in a treatment plan, work together to stimulate a physiologic response to balance the Qi. When our meridians and Qi are balanced, health can be achieved.

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Treatments are rarely the same. I look at a number of factors at each appointment and adjust as your symptoms change, making your acupuncture treatments truly individualized every time.

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Healing is often like peeling an onion, your symptoms alleviate in layers, as they cannot be selectively healed. This also leads to other aspects of your body and health healing at the same time which is the power of treating the whole body by aiming for balance.

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Treatments are accumulative, meaning each treatment builds upon the next. Like all other treatments, it is not a “one-hit wonder”, CONSISTENCY IS KEY to peel back all the layers of the onion and get to the root cause of your pain.

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Acupuncture is gentle, non-invasive and very calming to the nervous system, which is what we need when it comes to healing, especially when in pain.

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Cupping

Cupping is both therapeutic for the patient and diagnostic for the physician. The mild suction of the cups affects the layers of the tissues including: the skin, fascia, muscles, circulation and nervous system by causing stress (suction) to the tissues. The body's reaction is to increase blood flow to the area which is what causes the color change of the skin and ultimately the circular bruising. The color of the bruises is dependent on the level of dysfunction of the tissues and is key to understanding what is going on under the skin. Cupping not only treats the patient but also helps indicate what other treatments might be necessary for the individualized treatment plan.

Benefits:

  • Reduces pain, promotes relaxation

  • Clears toxins

  • Release muscle tension

  • Increases blood flow (aids healing)

  • Releases fascial adhesions

Gua Sha

An ancient technique that often comes packaged with Traditional Chinese Medicine accompanying cupping and acupuncture.

 

Gua Sha has a similar idea as cupping but it involves a scrapping of the skin to stimulate the tissues, which increases blood flow to the area for healing. Its benefits are similar, as it helps break down fascial adhesions, scar tissue, aid sore muscles and more.

 

Gua Sha also causes a bruising but in a much different pattern, with a bunch of little bruises called petechiae, which is when the tiny blood vessels are broken down. But again the blood flow brings in healing growth factors and stimulates the acute inflammatory cascade, takes away toxins, moving blood and lymph to provide healing.

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