Acupuncture

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM for short) is a whole body system that addresses the root cause of your health concerns. It takes into account the body’s strengths and weaknesses, encompassing mental, emotional, and physical factors into the overall quality of life.

TCM is based on a couple of different theories developed over thousands of years in China. The first is the theory of yin and yang, most famously recognized as the symbol in black and white, it actually is a picture describing the fact that yin and yang, while by definition are completely opposite, are indivisible from each other and the production of one is dependent on the other. Together, yin and yang make up all of the energy in the body, called “Qi” (pronounced chee) which flows through the body with the blood along meridians, or channels, delivering qi and blood to the organs and extremities. There are 14 main meridians in the body, all associated with specific organ systems.

These organ systems are also considered through another theory called Five element theory. The five elements (wood, fire, earth, metal and water) are used to interpret relationships between the physiology and pathology of the human body as well as in relation to the natural environment. While there are 14 main meridians, there are a few that are not considered in the 5 element theory as they are more conceptual in nature than physical organs that can be found in the body. As such, there are 10 main organs that are categorized in this theory, and each is associated with an element, season, sense organ, flavour and colour. Using this we often suggest slightly different treatment plans in certain seasons than others, because we not only take into account the person’s presentation, but also the physical world around us.

While acupuncture is the most well known, it is actually just a modality in the practice of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Below is more information about each TCM modality.

HERBAL MEDICINE

Chinese herbal medicine is mainly plant based, using the leaves, flowers, stem and roots of different plants, but also includes some minerals and animal products.

Writing and prescribing herbal formulas is only in the scope of practice of a Registered Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner, not an acupuncturist. We know some great practitioners to refer to for this part!

CUPPING

The popularity of cupping has boomed over the last decade with its big red or purple marks being seen all over the bodies of athletes at the Olympic Games. For this reason it is most often thought of for pain management, but in TCM it can be used for a variety of conditions including the treatment of asthma, cough and cold like symptoms, skin conditions, circulation issues, and digestion. It can also be helpful for use over scar tissue to decrease pain, numbness, and adhesions.

Traditionally it is done with a technique called fire cupping which involves lighting a flame and warming the inside of a glass cup to create suction onto the skin when it is placed and the cup cools, creating a vacuum effect. There are also silicone and plastic cups on the market now as well. Cups can be left stationary in place, or slide cupping can be used where an oil or emoliant is used to protect the skin and cups are moved along a muscle or meridian. There is also something called Wet Cupping where a sterile lancet is used to puncture the skin before the cup is placed on. The vacuum effect then pulls small amounts of blood out, moving stagnant blood and “toxins”.

Moxibustion, or moxa, involves burning an herb, most commonly Mugwort. The burning herb can be placed directly on the skin and put out before it burns down to the skin, and in rare cases can be burnt down to cause scarring. More commonly an indirect method is used where a stick or roll of the moxa is lit and held near the skin but not touching. The purpose of this is to promote blood flow, warming the skin and the muscles, and can also be used to support immune function. 

MOXIBUSTION
GUA SHA

The literal translation of Gua Sha breaks down to “scraping” and “bruising”. In this technique a stone or other item is used to scrape the skin in short strokes which can result in small red or purple bruises that may look like a strawberry or “hickey”. The exception is when gua sha is used on the face, the intent is to be gentle and leave no marks.

In recent years the beauty industry has caught on to this thousand year old tradition and you may be familiar with the term gua sha in relation to treating wrinkles, but it is helpful for a variety of skin and facial concerns such as acne, scarring and temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJD) or jaw pain. It is also used in other parts of the body for muscle tension, pain, lung conditions and for the immune system including acutely for colds and flus.

Similar to cupping, the bruising that shows up comes when the blood is not moving properly or becomes “stagnated” which often causes pain and disease in Chinese Medicine. The scraping action helps to move the qi and blood and the small broken blood vessels in the skin that appear allow the body’s inflammatory cells to remove the toxins in the area. 

TUI NA

Tui Na (pronounced Tween-ah) is Chinese medical massage. It involves some of the typical rubbing, gliding or circular motions than one associates with a massage, but applies it along specific meridian channels or in specific protocols for disease patterns. This can include facial massage, acupressure and joint movements.

Book with Aimee

FEES & FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Initial Consult + Treatment ——— $135.00

Follow-Up Appointment ——— $85.00

*Fees are subject to change

  • Everyone has a different pain tolerance. Some people don’t even feel the needles going in and some people find it temporarily tender going in. There are also some places on the body that are more sensitive than others. Generally if anything is felt there is a pinch that will start to dissipate almost immediately.

  • This is very dependent on each individual case and care plans take into account how long the complaint has been present, as well as the age and general health of the patient. For context, in China treatment plans are often in multiples of 10s, and they may have their patients come daily, depending on the presentation and how quickly the patient would like relief/results. Now we know that daily can seem unreasonable in Western society, but care plans are given with the knowledge that it takes time and repetition, like any physical change we want to see in our bodies.

  • There are over 400 acupuncture points located all over the body from head to toe. The points used in a session vary based on the condition being worked on, but expect to not have needles only where the complaint is but on the arms and legs, head and torso as well.

  • Typical treatments involve choosing approximately 5-15 points on the body, some of those may be paired on both sides of the body, so 10-30 needles on average. There are some conditions such as facial acupuncture or widespread pain conditions where more needles will be used. 

FAQ