Services Provided

Acupuncture

Acupuncture- Acupuncture involves the insertion of very thin needles through your skin at strategic points on your body. Acupuncture is used as a technique for balancing the flow of energy or life force — known as chi or qi (chee) — believed to flow through pathways (meridians) in your body. By inserting needles into specific points along these meridians, your energy flow will re-balance. When energy flow is in balance your body is considered to be in a healthy state of homeostasis, a state in which the body is able to recover, heal and maintain overall wellbeing. Acupuncture can treat allergies, migraines, infertility, depression, gastrointestinal and gynecological disorders, menopausal syndrome, and so much more. 

Electric Stimulation

Electric Stimulation- Similar to traditional acupuncture, and much more effective than using a tens unit pad, needles are inserted at points on the body. In the case of orthopedic disorders, needles are placed in “motor points” of muscles. A device is attached to the needles using small clips to deliver a continuous electric pulse. The frequency and intensity are adjusted according to the treatment plan, but the sensation is generally very subtle. The muscles targeted contract, and are “reset”, providing pain relief. Increased blood flow to the treatment areas also allows healing to take place more easily. Sessions typically last no longer than 30 minutes.

Moxabustion

Moxibustion- Moxibustion is another therapeutic method in traditional Chinese medicine, and it commonly goes concurrently with acupuncture. It involves burning ground mugwort to warm certain points. It is able to stimulate healthy flow of qi and blood, through warming to prevent diseases and maintain overall wellbeing. Moxibustion can treat infertility, menstrual cramps, gastrointestinal disorders, indigestion, joint pain, and breech pregnancy. 

Trigger Point Therapy

Trigger points refer pain elsewhere, either to adjacent muscles or remote areas. For example, low back pain may be related to trigger points in the abdominal muscles, while headaches may be caused by trigger points in the neck or upper trapezius muscles. The triggering of referred pain is a characteristic feature of myofascial trigger points and form the basis for its nomenclature "Trigger Point". A myofascial trigger point is diagnosed when there is the presence of a taut band with localized increased sensitivity accompanied with referred pain during manual stimulation. A local twitch response called a fasciculation will occur during needling to release the myofascial trigger point. This procedure is known as myofascial trigger point release therapy.

Cupping Therapy

Cupping-Cupping is an ancient healing therapy that is provided to ease pain and disease symptoms by stimulating blood flow to an area. With increased blood flow there is also an increased flow in immune system fluids called lymph to stimulate the natural healing process. Your provider places cups on your back, stomach, arms, legs or other parts of your body. Inside the cup, a vacuum or suction force pulls skin upward.  If you are a hemophiliac (a bleeding disorder), any blood clotting problems that aren’t well managed like DVT’s (deep vein thrombosis) or a history of hemorrhagic strokes (strokes caused by excessive loss of blood), you should inform provider, cupping therapy should not be used. 

Chinese Herbal Formulas and Nutraceuticals

Chinese Herbal Therapy- One of the therapeutic pillars in Traditional Chinese Medicine is Chinese Herbal Therapy. For thousands of years in China, herbs have been used to treat many acute and chronic conditions. Utilizing formulations from the “Compendium Materia Medica,” which is a classical Chinese medicine text that lists thousands of herbs, minerals, and other extracts and their intended medical uses. Like acupuncture, Chinese herbs can address unhealthy body patterns that manifest in a variety of symptoms and complaints. Chinese herbal therapy aims to help you regain homeostasis, or balance, in your body and to strengthen your body’s resistance to disease. 

Nutraceuticals Many vitamins and amino acid supplements are not well absorbed by the body when taken orally, thus preventing adequate absorption. Administering a sublingual (under your tongue), or by injection into your muscle or subcutaneous layer (otherwise known as fat layer) of these vitamin and amino acid supplements allows for much higher doses of these nutrients to be infused directly into the blood stream. Vitamins and amino acids can have an incredibly potent effect sublingually, intramuscularly or subcutaneously.  Nutraceutical Therapy uses combinations of powerful vitamins and amino acids to help fight the effects of aging, greatly enhance weight loss goals and general health and well-being.  A wide variety of nutraceutical products are available, each offering a variety of positive benefits to help you stay healthier and feel better. 

Gua Sha

Gua Sha- Gua sha is a traditional Chinese healing method in which your provider uses a smooth-edged tool to stroke your skin while they press on it. This motion raises small, red, rash-like dots that show under your skin called petechiae. Gua sha helps blood flow and creates a “lifting” effect on your skin, which helps lessen toxins in your body and promote healing.  Gua Sha can also be done on the face for the treatment of sagging skin and wrinkles. Potential benefits include lowering liver inflammation caused by hepatitis B, reducing migraines, alleviating the symptoms of nervous system disorders like Tourette’s syndrome, bell’s palsy and MS. Gua Sha can also be used to treat neck pain, and menopausal syndrome (hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, irregular periods). If you are a hemophiliac (a bleeding disorder), any blood clotting problems that aren’t well managed like DVT’s (deep vein thrombosis) or a history of hemorrhagic strokes (strokes caused by excessive loss of blood), you should inform provider, gua sha therapy should not be used.

Tuina

Tuina or tui-na (pronounced twee-nah) massage originated in ancient China and is believed to be the oldest system of bodywork. It’s one of the four main branches of traditional Chinese medicine, along with acupuncture, qi gong, and Chinese herbal medicine. It’s based on the theory that imbalances of qi, which is the body’s vital life force or energy, can cause blockages or imbalances that lead to symptoms such as pain and illness. Tuina massage stimulates the flow of qi to promote balance and harmony within the body using many of the same principles of acupuncture. It’s similar to acupuncture in the way it targets specific acupoints, but practitioners use fingers instead of needles to apply pressure to stimulate these points. Tuina massage is often used in combination with acupuncture.

Ear Seeds

Ear Seeds- A form of auriculotherapy and acupressure, which targets acupuncture points without using needles. Auriculotherapy is commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat and even prevent conditions like anxiety, insomnia, acute and chronic pain, nausea, vomiting, substance abuse, gynecological and gastrointestinal disorders, weight loss, depression, and infertility.  The ear seed is like an acupuncture needle that you use to stimulate a channel to help the patient’s condition without needling to puncture the skin.

Nutrition and Lifestyle Therapy

Diet and Exercise Therapy (Lifestyle Therapy)-Diet is one of the key contributions to the body’s health in Chinese medicine. What we should and should not eat depends not only on our body types and activity, but also our lineage as well as the role the local environment and weather has on our bodies. By taking into account our body types, environment and other factors, TCM can help balance the influences one’s food intake has on the body by adjusting a patient’s diet, whether it be through educating patients on how to adjust what food they eat or adding herbs to help balance the dynamics of yin and yang. Dietary advice is individualized based on numerous factors such as age, sex, activity level, environment, constitution and the season of the year. Exercise is a key component in TCM as our bodies derive energy from activity and movement. The type of exercise and the environment in which exercise is carried out all promote different aspects of energy flow. Not limited to Yoga, Tai Chi or Qi Gong, TCM exercise recommendations can extend to more accessible forms of exercise including swimming and walking. It is important to note that the nature of exercise advised to be of the best benefit can even extend to recommending you avoid certain exercises. Having an awareness of your own unique energetic balance is beneficial when choosing which types of exercise are best suited for you.

Kinesiology Taping

Kinesiology tape allows your lymphatic and venous drainage systems to drain and heal swollen or bruised tissue quicker. Kinesiology tape also helps to realign areas of the body before, during and after exercise. Some of the benefits include injury prevention, rehabilitation, relief of chronic pain like sciatic nerve and migraines, and pregnancy.

Red Light Therapy

Photo biomodulation is red light therapy, where your skin is exposed to a lamp, device, or laser with a red light for 10-15 minutes. A part of your cells called mitochondria, sometimes called the “power generators” of your cells, soak it up and make more energy. Some experts think this helps cells repair themselves and become healthier. This spurs healing in skin and muscle tissue. There are contraindications like pregnancy and skin cancer to name a few, so only a licensed health professional should be trusted to administer this therapy.