What is this Chinese medicine stuff?
Acupuncture needle in an upper arm.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is an incredibly powerful tool which can be used to treat almost anything, depending on the skill and training of the practitioner. The most commonly treated complaints include: pain of any type, mental-emotional conditions, hormonal conditions, colds and flus, headaches and migraines, digestive issues, chronic and degenerative conditions, and trauma.
Acupuncture utilizes the insertion of extremely finely gauged needles (average 0.20 mm in diameter) into the skin in order to affect the flow of vital energy in the body, which we call Qi (chee). I like to describe the process in terms of electronics: we can think of disease (dis-ease), whether it’s pain or otherwise, as an interruption in the flow of energy in our body. When the flow is interrupted the light won’t turn on when you flip the light switch; acupuncture helps the body repair the impacted circuit so the light can regain access to the energy required for the light to shine.
Most people’s first question about acupuncture is: “will it hurt?” My answer is that acupuncture is usually an incredibly relaxing experience. There is occasionally mild discomfort which is very short-lived. The vast majority of patients do not experience any pain or discomfort. I like to remind patients at their first visit, if they feel nervous about the introduction of the needles, that we don’t need to use needles for every point or for every treatment. I have other modalities described below which can be utilized instead if we need to.
Moxabustion
Moxa is another name for the herb called mugwort (Artemesia argyii). Moxabustion is the term used when we are burning the moxa in different ways for therapeutic benefit. Moxa can be used in combination with acupuncture needles, as in the picture to the right, and it can be used alone without needles. Some believe that moxa was the original “needle” prior to bian stone needles and the ability to manufacture metal in such specific ways.
Moxa is generally used to warm areas of the body, but it can also be used to turn a malpositioned fetus, to supplement and support the functioning of specific acupuncture points and channel systems, to alleviate pain, to stop bleeding, and to calm emotions.
Cupping Therapy
Cupping therapy has a long history of use by numerous indigenous cultures around the world to relieve pain and move injuries out of the body. In my practice, I primarily use cupping to activate specific channels, move chronic tension out of muscles, break up congestion in the lungs, and for detoxification. Cupping is very relaxing to the body but like massage, can flush the system so make sure to drink plenty of water after a cupping session. Cupping can also cause some discoloration on the skin which provides helpful visual confirmation about your diagnosis and also precisely where the problems were located in the body. This discoloration generally resolves in a few days.
Gua Sha
Gua sha is a therapeutic technique where lightly lubricated skin is scraped with a tool - usually made of porcelain, bone, or stone. This scraping produces mild to pronounced discoloration on the surface of the skin, termed “sha”. Gua sha treats Qi and blood stagnation causing pain and stiffness, common colds and flus, and is generally immuno-protective and anti-inflammatory.
Auriculotherapy
Auriculotherapy is how we describe using acupuncture or acupressure on the ear surface. The entire body can be mapped out on the ear which allows for very effective and specified treatment for most conditions in the body. The most well known ear treatment is a protocol named NADA after the organization which developed and broadened its use, the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association.