Acupuncture
Asian medicine is a complete system that has diagnosed, treated, and prevented illness for thousands of years in the East. It incorporates acupuncture, acupressure, diet, massage, Asian herbs, and foods into its treatment protocols in order to bring the body back into balance. According to Asian medicine, when your energy flow or qi (pronounced “chi”) is out of balance, your body cannot adapt to stress, making you more likely to develop chronic illness and pain. It seeks to re-balance your energy flow by adjusting the circulation of qi in the meridians or channels running just under the skin and balances the body’s yin and yang energy. The harmonious flow of qi and the balance of yin and yang in the body allow the sustenance of long-term physical, mental, and emotional health.
What is acupuncture?
Acupuncture is an ancient and time-tested holistic practice of oriental medicine. It involves the insertion of superfine needles into specific points on the body in order to prevent and treat disease and improve overall health. It is a safe and economical therapy with virtually no negative side effects. Acupuncture needles are sterile, disposable, ultra-thin, and individually packaged.
How does it work?
Oriental medicine is based on concepts of yin and yang, five element theory, Qi and Blood flow, and meridian systems. Based on the principles of oriental medicine, acupuncture works by stimulating and promoting the body’s inherent healing abilities. Acupuncture is effective in treating many common ailments. Our understanding of acupuncture is evolving with new scientific explorations into why and how it works. Based on preliminary scientific evidence, some explanations include regulation of the autonomic nervous system, endocrine (hormone) systems (endorphins, adrenalin, oxytocin, seratonin, etc.) and the immune system.
Asian medicine has an interesting explanation as to how and why illness occurs. Qi or vital energy, flows in our body through a network of meridians, like a highway system. Injury, congestion, or just plain stress can interrupt the smooth flow of energy throughout the body, creating a ‘traffic jam’.
In a highway system, when there is road construction or an accident, traffic may also be backed up on secondary roads that feed into or out of the affected area. This is true in the body, too. Stress, or any disruption in the flow of energy, can affect many processes of the body, for example digestion, the ability to sleep and the immune system.
Acupuncture helps to clear blockages (traffic jams) in the flow of energy, enabling our natural healing processes to function effectively.
Asian medicine is a complete system that has diagnosed, treated, and prevented illness for thousands of years in the East. It incorporates acupuncture, acupressure, diet, massage, Asian herbs, and foods into its treatment protocols in order to bring the body back into balance. According to Asian medicine, when your energy flow or qi (pronounced “chi”) is out of balance, your body cannot adapt to stress, making you more likely to develop chronic illness and pain. It seeks to re-balance your energy flow by adjusting the circulation of qi in the meridians or channels running just under the skin and balances the body’s yin and yang energy. The harmonious flow of qi and the balance of yin and yang in the body allow the sustenance of long-term physical, mental, and emotional health.
What is acupuncture?
Acupuncture is an ancient and time-tested holistic practice of oriental medicine. It involves the insertion of superfine needles into specific points on the body in order to prevent and treat disease and improve overall health. It is a safe and economical therapy with virtually no negative side effects. Acupuncture needles are sterile, disposable, ultra-thin, and individually packaged.
How does it work?
Oriental medicine is based on concepts of yin and yang, five element theory, Qi and Blood flow, and meridian systems. Based on the principles of oriental medicine, acupuncture works by stimulating and promoting the body’s inherent healing abilities. Acupuncture is effective in treating many common ailments. Our understanding of acupuncture is evolving with new scientific explorations into why and how it works. Based on preliminary scientific evidence, some explanations include regulation of the autonomic nervous system, endocrine (hormone) systems (endorphins, adrenalin, oxytocin, seratonin, etc.) and the immune system.
Asian medicine has an interesting explanation as to how and why illness occurs. Qi or vital energy, flows in our body through a network of meridians, like a highway system. Injury, congestion, or just plain stress can interrupt the smooth flow of energy throughout the body, creating a ‘traffic jam’.
In a highway system, when there is road construction or an accident, traffic may also be backed up on secondary roads that feed into or out of the affected area. This is true in the body, too. Stress, or any disruption in the flow of energy, can affect many processes of the body, for example digestion, the ability to sleep and the immune system.
Acupuncture helps to clear blockages (traffic jams) in the flow of energy, enabling our natural healing processes to function effectively.
What would this treatment look like for me?
While our naturopathic doctors incorporate much oriental medical philosophy into their overall treatment recommendations (ie. dietary and lifestyle recommendations, as well as herbal formulas), their patients frequently have acupuncture treatments too. These treatments are often best done weekly (although sometimes best results are obtained by coming in more frequently), for about 45 minutes per session. While our practitioners are present to oversee the treatment, lights are often dimmed to facilitate a calming, healing environment. Acupuncture points are chosen based on each patient's unique Chinese organ system imbalances, which can be discerned via history-taking as well as tongue and pulse diagnosis. Even two patients with the same health concerns might have very different imbalances in Chinese medicine, thus, there really is no "one size fits all" type of treatment, and point selection often varies week to week.
People experience acupuncture treatments differently, but most feel little or no pain as the needles are inserted. Once inserted, the sensation is often felt as a mild to moderate fullness or tingling, and a general feeling of relaxation and well-being. Many people actually fall asleep, so deeply sometimes that they even snore! That's true relaxation! This happens frequently in our clinic.
Acupuncture is safe. Sometimes, bruising or discomfort is perceived at the needle site after treatment, but significant problems associated with acupuncture are extraordinarily rare. Besides the three years of theoretical courses required of naturopathic doctors in Ontario, they also undergo several hundred hours of practical and clinical training to ensure safe and effective handling of needles.
While our naturopathic doctors incorporate much oriental medical philosophy into their overall treatment recommendations (ie. dietary and lifestyle recommendations, as well as herbal formulas), their patients frequently have acupuncture treatments too. These treatments are often best done weekly (although sometimes best results are obtained by coming in more frequently), for about 45 minutes per session. While our practitioners are present to oversee the treatment, lights are often dimmed to facilitate a calming, healing environment. Acupuncture points are chosen based on each patient's unique Chinese organ system imbalances, which can be discerned via history-taking as well as tongue and pulse diagnosis. Even two patients with the same health concerns might have very different imbalances in Chinese medicine, thus, there really is no "one size fits all" type of treatment, and point selection often varies week to week.
People experience acupuncture treatments differently, but most feel little or no pain as the needles are inserted. Once inserted, the sensation is often felt as a mild to moderate fullness or tingling, and a general feeling of relaxation and well-being. Many people actually fall asleep, so deeply sometimes that they even snore! That's true relaxation! This happens frequently in our clinic.
Acupuncture is safe. Sometimes, bruising or discomfort is perceived at the needle site after treatment, but significant problems associated with acupuncture are extraordinarily rare. Besides the three years of theoretical courses required of naturopathic doctors in Ontario, they also undergo several hundred hours of practical and clinical training to ensure safe and effective handling of needles.
