Acupuncture
Acupuncture is the most widely known modality of Traditional Oriental Medicine and involves the insertion of very fine needles into body at specific points. These points each possess specific healing properties that stimulate and restore proper flow of blood and vital energy and support the body’s innate ability to heal itself. The inner balance and flow of vital energy in the body can relieve symptoms including pain, anxiety, depression, insomnia, and immune system disorders.
The science: Acupuncture stimulates the peripheral nerves in the skin which communicate with the brain creating effects such as blocking the pain receptors by increasing the release of neurotransmitters such as met-enkephalin, beta-endorphins, and serotonin (the molecule of happiness). A study at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey used functional MRI to show that acupuncture decreased brain activity associated with pain perception. Acupuncture is a way of communicating with the body to signal and focus the need for healing.
Treatment: Your acupuncturist will start by discussing your health concerns and your health history including any labs or reports you provide. Examination of your tongue and radial wrist pulses are principal diagnostic methods in Traditional Oriental Medicine and provide information about the body. With all the relevant information in consideration, a treatment specifically designed to address your current imbalances will be administered. Note that each treatment will be uniquely evaluated to your current conditions and needs. Additionally, herbal remedies, other therapies, dietary, or lifestyle may be recommended to support your acupuncture treatment, and provide the best conditions for durable healing to occur.
Gua Sha
A Traditional Oriental Medicine treatment that involves “scraping” the surface of the skin, typically on the back with a smooth hard edge (like a traditional Chinese porcelain soup spoon) to release toxins accumulated under the skin, the result of the body trying to push them out. Gua sha can reduce fever and alter the course of an infection illness as well as reduce inflammatory symptoms such as arthritis.
Cupping
Cupping uses small glass jars which are heated and placed on the surface of the skin creating a suction. Skin and muscle is lifted upward into the jar by the suction. Cupping is especially effective to release muscle toxins and spasms, relieve pain, increase Qi and blood circulation, sedate the nervous system, and improve digestion. Cupping is also very effective in relieving common cold symptoms and reducing fevers.
Moxibustion (Moxa)
Moxibustion or Moxa involves the process of transmitting heat into a chosen acupuncture point or along a specific meridian. The herb Artemisia Vulgaris (Mugwort) is compressed into a “cigar” and then lite and allowed to smolder producing a very penetrating heat. The smoldering moxa stick is held about an inch above the skin at specific acupuncture points or meridians. The heat produced by the burning herb stimulates the circulation of blood and vital energy throughout the acupuncture meridians, warms up and supplements diverse physiological bodily functions, strengthens the immune system, alleviates pain, and like cupping, moxa also address symptoms of the common cold.
Herbal Remedies
One of the great resources of healing and restoration of the human body is the use of Oriental herbal remedies. The use of traditional plant remedies has been found to coincide with modern pharmacology, however the complexity of herbal medicine based on plant material is much more balanced than a medicine based on isolated active ingredients. Herbs are usually prescribed in combination as part of a customized formula, creating a more holistically balanced formula whereby the active ingredients work in synergy with one another which increases efficacy and enhances safety. Finally, herbal medicines seek to correct internal imbalances rather than to treat symptoms. By treating imbalances, the body is able to naturally initiate its own healing process.
Treatment: Patients are carefully assessed and herbal remedies are tailored and modified as the patients conditions change. We are mindful of the patient’s health, prescribed medications, supplements, herb-drug interactions and contraindications. We are committed to providing the best holistic care for you and are happy to communicate treatments and herbal remedies with your primary treating physician.
While herbs are traditionally used to heal illness, there is a growing interest in customized formulas to balance one’s lifestyle demands and constitutional makeup in order to maximize wellness potential. Herbal formulas can be customized to improve focus, memory, quality of sleep, energy and much more.
Nutrition & Dietary Recommendation
Similar to herbal remedies, nutritional therapy is treated like medicine in Traditional Oriental Medicine. All foods have different intrinsic properties and perform different functions in the body. The unique taste and temperature of each food gives it specific therapeutic properties. Understanding the nature of foods, of both plant and animal origin, the quality of foods, combinations with other foods, cooking method, availability, and the constitution of the person consuming the food are all important considerations in nutritional therapy. The food we eat can support the heathy functioning of the body or add to its dysfunction. Carefully chosen foods and preparation methods can support overall wellbeing and expedite the healing process.