Acupuncture

Traditional Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a form of treatment that involves inserting very thin needles through a person’s skin at specific points on the body, to various depths.

What is acupuncture?
Acupuncture involves inserting needles into a patient’s body with the aim of balancing their energy,  helping boost wellbeing and cure some illnesses.
Conditions it is used for include different kinds of pain such as headaches, blood pressure problems, and whooping cough.

How does it work?
Traditional Chinese medicine explains that health is the result of a harmonious balance of the complementary extremes of “Yin” and “Yang” of the life force known as “Qi”. Illness is said to be the consequence of an imbalance of these forces.
Qi is said to flow through meridians, or pathways, in the human body. These meridians and energy flows are accessible through 350 acupuncture points in the body.
Inserting needles into these points with appropriate combinations is said to bring the energy flow back into proper balance.
Acupuncture points are seen as places where nerves, muscles, and connective tissue can be stimulated. The stimulation increases blood flow, while at the same time triggering the activity of the body’s natural painkillers.

Uses
Research carried out in Germany has shown that acupuncture may help relieve tension headaches and migraines.
The NCCIH note that it has been proven to help in cases of:

  • low back pain
  • neck pain
  • osteoarthritis
  • knee pain
  • headache and migraine

In 2003, the World Health Organization (WHO) listed a number of conditions in which they say acupuncture has been proven effective.
These include:

  • high and low blood pressure
  • chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting
  • some gastric conditions, including peptic ulcer
  • painful periods
  • dysentery
  • allergic rhinitis
  • facial pain
  • morning sickness
  • rheumatoid arthritis
  • sprains
  • tennis elbow
  • sciatica
  • dental pain
  • reducing the risk of stroke
  • inducing labor

Benefits
Acupuncture can be beneficial in that:

  • Performed correctly, it is safe.
  • There are very few side effects.
  • It can be effectively combined with other treatments.
  • It can control some types of pain.
  • It may help patients for whom pain medications are not suitable.

What to expect
According to traditional Chinese medical theory, acupuncture points are located on meridians, through which vital energy runs. This energy is known as “Qi”.
An acupuncturist will examine the patient and assess their condition, insert one or more thin, sterile needles, and offer advice on self-care or other complementary therapies, such as Chinese herbs.
The patient will be asked to lie down on their back, front, or one side, depending on where the needles are to be inserted. The acupuncturist should use single-use, disposable, sterile needles. As each needle is inserted, the patient may feel a very brief stinging or tingling sensation.
After the needle is inserted, there is occasionally a dull ache at the base of the needle that then subsides. Acupuncture is usually relatively painless.
Sometimes the needles are heated or stimulated with electricity after insertion.
The needles will stay in place for between 5 and 30 minutes.
The number of treatments needed depend on the individual. A person with a chronic condition may need one to two treatments a week over several months. An acute problem normally improves after 8 to 12 sessions.

Laser Acupuncture

Low Level Laser (soft laser) has definite advantages over needling the acupuncture points or trigger point injection:
– It is aseptic, non-invasive, absolutely painless and, if used properly, has no reported side-effects.
– It is ideal for use on painful (Ah-Shi) points or in patients with needle-phobia. Children tolerate laser acupuncture very well.
– It is ideal for treatment of superficial acupuncture points, such as those on the ear.
Laser acupuncture may be used solely or in combination with needles.
Laser Acupuncture usually is given at intervals of 1-3 days in acute cases and 3-7 days in chronic cases.
The selection of the acupuncture points is the same as for classical acupuncture.
At each session, the laser is applied for 20-60 seconds per point.
Total treatment time per session depends on mean output power and the point depth.
SC_Laser MX-830 is a digitally operated pain relief apparatus for low level laser therapy.  With a laser of 500mW output of near-infrared wavelengths, the product can transmit energy into the body’s cells and activate them to exert pain relief.

The product features:
◈ No restriction on places due to its convenient portability
◈ Adoption of a near-infrared laser having wavelength of 810nm which is effective in skin care
◈ Instant action with high-power outputs (dual output of 100/200mW)

MPS Acupuncture

The application of the electric Microcurrent Pulse Stimulation(MPS) makes nerve or muscle activities be excised or suppressed. It provides the acupuncture-like deep sensory perception and much more power than a normal acupuncture using needles. This modality is invented by combining an oriental acupuncture technique with western electrotherapy. This device has been used clinically for more than ten years and widely accepted in many applications including pain relief.   

Ear Acupuncture

Auricular acupuncture uses the ear to release stress, promote body detoxification and enhance general feelings of relaxation and wellbeing.
By stimulating points on the outer ear, acupuncture needles send electrical impulse messages to the brain, which then stimulates targeted body areas.
The process itself involves the placement of up to five small, sterilised and disposable needles into designated points in each ear. The treatment takes place in a group setting.
During the treatment, you will sit quietly for up to 40 minutes, relaxing in a way that feels comfortable to you.
Effects of the treatment may include:

  • Increased feelings of wellbeing and relaxation
  • Reduction in feelings of stress and anxiety
  • Reduction of cravings for harmful substances (e.g. recreational drugs, alcohol, cigarettes)
  • Improved sleeping patterns
  • A clearer mind, promoting receptive and rational thinking patterns

Auricular acupuncture has been used in the treatment of diseases for thousands of years. In the classic TCM text of Huang Di Nei Jing, which was compiled in around 500 B.C, the correlation between the auricle and the body was described; all six Yang meridians were directly connected to the auricle, whereas the six Yin meridians were indirectly connected to the ear by their corresponding yang meridian, respectively.  In Hippocrates’ time, around 450 BC, bleeding points on the posterior (mastoid) surface of the ear were used to facilitate ejaculation, reduce impotence, and treat leg pain. It was also reported that the auricle was associated with emotion.