General acupuncture

General acupuncture

Acupuncture has been practised for thousands of years. It involves the insertion of fine needles at specific parts of your body to create a therapeutic reaction. Acupuncture is painless (although you may feel a prick when needles are inserted). It’s very effective in treating pain and increasing mobility. It may also help with a range of other conditions including:

• Relieving tense and fatigued muscles

• Reducing the symptoms of Acne Vulgaris, Rosacea, Psoriasis and Eczema

• Reducing pain associated with Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Psoriatic Arthritis and Juvenile Arthritis

• Reducing symptoms associated with Hay Fever (Allergic Rhinitis) and Asthma

• Stress and Anxiety relief

• Assisting with pain related to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

• Vomiting or nausea arising from chemotherapy

• Relieving cancer-related pain, particularly malignancy-related and surgery-induced pain

• Relieving and preventing Headaches and Migraines

• Reducing period pain and pain associated with Endometriosis.

Research into the benefits of acupuncture is ongoing. Initial studies have found some positive associations between acupuncture and the following benefits, however, more research is required for these results to be considered conclusive.

• Assisting with symptoms related to Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

• Improving Insomnia symptoms

• Assisting with symptoms associated with Perimenopause and Menopause

Acupuncture enables your body to enter a complete state of rest, so falling asleep during treatment is not uncommon.

Distal acupuncture

Acupuncture theory is based on channels and connections linking every aspect of the body, similar to your nervous system. Distal acupuncture (also known as the Tan Balance method) uses these communication pathways, to lessen inflammation and promote blood circulation to painful areas.

This acupuncture technique involves inserting needles on the arms and legs away from the site of inflammation, meaning you can remain dressed during the treatment and painful areas are not needled.

Motor Point acupuncture

For stubborn and persistent acute or chronic pain, Motor point acupuncture is used to target specific muscle groups at the source of your pain. Motor points are located on every muscle in the human body at the site where your muscle is most active. During this treatment, the targeted muscle may contract to cause a painless twitch sensation. As your muscles are firing during the treatment, it’s common to feel like you have just done a gym workout the next day as your muscles recover.

Cupping

Cupping can be used alongside acupuncture for a variety of conditions such as cold and flu symptoms, stress relief, muscle aches and back and shoulder pain. Glass cups are placed via suction on your back and can be left in place for a short amount of time or moved around. The pressure of the cups is painless and feels like a massage when moving. Cupping improves blood circulation and helps release tight muscles. Cupping may leave temporary marks on your skin surface as a sign of the blood circulation produced. However, these marks fade within 3-7 days.

Moxibustion

Moxibustion is used where there are signs of coldness in the body such as cold hands and feet, cold abdomen, delayed or heavy periods, fatigue and many other symptoms. Moxibustion sticks are made of a medicinal herb called Ai Ye or mugwort that is warming in nature and helps to move blood throughout the body. To help activate the warming nature of the herb, the moxibustion stick is lighted, this stick is held over particular acupuncture points to warm the area. The stick does not come into contact with your skin but therapeutically affects certain points by warming them. For people who have deficient constitutions, this is a really comforting treatment. If you require regular moxibustion, I will teach you how to use it on yourself so you can do it at home in between our treatments.

Express acupuncture

This 30min express acupuncture treatment can be booked if you have already had an Initial Consultation at Wollongong Acupuncture. The express acupuncture treatment is an effective and affordable option if your treatment plan involves multiple visits per week. It’s also a great option if you want to fit an acupuncture session into your lunch break or busy day. 

What’s the difference between acupuncture and dry needling?

Many people believe that acupuncture and dry-needling are the same therapy because they both use stainless steel needles. But they are very different.

Dry needling involves inserting a needle into a trigger point to release tension throughout the muscle. It’s common for Allied Health Practitioners such as physiotherapists, chiropractors and osteopaths to learn dry-needling as the course can be taught over 2-5 days. Unfortunately, dry-needling is an unregulated therapy.

Acupuncture is a 5000-year-old traditional medicine that originated in China. It involves the insertion of single-use stainless steel needles into certain acupuncture points on the body, to bring the body back into homeostasis and balance. There are 361 acupuncture points located on interconnected pathways. When these points are stimulated by a needle, they induce specific effects on the body. Each acupuncture point is unique in its location and function.

As well as being used for releasing muscle tension, acupuncture can be used to influence many different systems of the body including the digestive, reproductive, and circulatory systems.

Acupuncture is a regulated therapy and is overseen by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). AHPRA is the agency that regulates physiotherapists, osteopaths, chiropractors, Chinese medicine practitioners and many other health practitioners. An ‘Acupuncturist’ is a protected title earned through a 3-5 year Masters or Bachelor degree at selected universities and institutions. When receiving acupuncture from an Acupuncturist you can be assured that you are receiving a regulated and safe therapy.