ACUPUNCTURE

Traditional Chinese acupuncture is a system of medicine based on ancient principles which go back nearly two thousand years. Like naturopathy, it looks at pain and illness as signs that the body is out of balance. The overall aim of acupuncture treatment, then, is to restore the body's equilibrium.

Traditional Chinese acupuncturists believe that illness and pain occur when the body's qi, or vital energy, cannot flow freely. There can be many reasons for this; emotional and physical stress, poor nutrition, infection or injury are among the most common. By inserting ultra-fine sterile needles into specific acupuncture points, the acupuncturist seeks to re-establish and promote the free flow of qi to restore balance, and trigger the body's natural healing response.

Treatment modalities within acupuncture:

Cupping Moxibustion

Cupping is one of the oldest methods of traditional Chinese medicine. In a typical cupping session, glass cups are warmed using a cotton ball or other flammable substance, which is soaked in alcohol, set alight, then placed inside the cup. Burning a substance inside the cup removes all the oxygen, which creates a vacuum.

As the substance burns, the cup is turned upside-down so that the practitioner can place the cup over a specific area. The vacuum created by the lack of oxygen anchors the cup to the skin and pulls it upward on the inside of the glass as the air inside the jar cools. Drawing up the skin is believed to open up the skin’s pores, which helps to stimulate the flow of blood, balances and realigns the flow of qi, breaks up obstructions, and creates an avenue for toxins to be drawn out of the body.

Moxibustion is a traditional Chinese medicine technique that involves the burning of mugwort, a small, spongy herb, to facilitate healing. The purpose of moxibustion is to warm a specidic area of the body, strengthen the blood, stimulate the flow of qi, and maintain general health.

Qigong Tuina Massage

Tuina is an ancient and versatile style of massage. It has been developed over the last 3000 years, and together with acupuncture and herbs is one of the three main modalities of Chinese medicine. It is still widely used in China to treat a range of conditions, both internal and musculoskeletal. Tuina covers various categories of treatment techniques, such as:

Soft Tissue Manipulation: used for joint injuries and muscle sprains
Acupressure: finger pressure on acupuncture points to adjust the flow of Qi in specific meridians, or to release a specific point that is blocked
Nei Gong: Internal Qi development to activate the patient’s Qi for healing

How is it different from other massage?

According to Chinese Medicine, all disease is caused by an imbalance of the flow of Qi within the body. This imbalance or blockage of Qi can manifest as pain, weakness, organ dysfunction, or mental symptoms. Similar to the practice of Acupuncture, Qigong tuina aims to alter the flow of Qi in the patient’s body and to enact the patient’s innate healing abilities.

Qigong Tuina differs from other massage techniques, in that practitioners enhance their healing abilities by practicing various forms of qigong exercises. Qigong increases the practitioner’s ability to focus, control, and emit Qi through their body. Furthermore, it makes the practitioner more sensitive to feel disturbances within their patient’s body.