PAIN MANAGEMENT
Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine have been used for centuries to treat painful conditions. In TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) theory, Pain results when Qi and Blood stop moving. This frequently happens due to injury, and treatment with Acupuncture effectively moves Qi and Blood , improving circulation and relieving Pain.
As with everything in TCM, it is a process, and depending on the duration and chronicity of Pain, several sessions are required to have a lasting effect , but in most cases pain relief can be effective immediately.
Some of the main conditions treated in clinic include but are not exclusive to:
Abdominal pain / IBS,
Arthritis including Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoarthritis,
Back pain / Sciatica, Piriformis Syndrome,
Fibromyalgia,
Frozen Shoulder,
Knee Osteoarthritis / Knee pain,
Ligament damage,
Migraine,
Nerve Entrapment,
Tennis Elbow,
All Sports injury.
The methods used in my Clinic are:
Electroacupuncture
This involves the use of electrodes which are attached to a couple of needles through which a very small low voltage electric current is passed. This makes the needles vibrate slightly and can be very effective for all types of pain.
Moxibustion
This is a very traditional way of adding heat to an area and improving circulation, thereby relieving pain. It involves the burning of a herb called Moxa (Mugwort) either directly on the skin (without causing a burn), on top of a needle or over a general area by means of a cigar shaped stick.
Cupping
This is again a very traditional way of moving Qi and Blood to improve circulation and relieve pain. It involves placing several glass or bamboo “cups”, via suction on a painful area or areas. Depending on the strength of the cupping the patient can be left with painless bruises which fade gradually over a few days. The sensation of cupping is usually quite pleasant.
Dr. Tans Balance method (see blog)
This is an innovative and amazing new technique which is now sweeping the world of Acupuncture. Invented by Dr. Richard Teh Fu Tan, it involves balancing the meridians where the person feels pain, with other meridians in the body, which may seem totally unrelated to the site of pain. For example: quite often neck and shoulder pain are treated by using the ANKLE on the opposite side of the neck and shoulder. Based on Classical Chinese Medicine systems, the effects are INSTANTANEOUS. Pain can be relieved completely in one session. However, again depending on the how chronic the pain is, treatment may have to be twice weekly to relieve pain permanently, but as with all techniques, the intensity of the pain becomes less with each session.
Treatment of Neck Pain
Treatment of Neck Pain
Abdominal Acupuncture
(see blog)
This is another relatively new technique which can relieve pain instantly. It came about in China only as recently as 1997, and it involves mapping the whole body and painful area onto the abdomen. Shallow needle techniques are used then to mirror the areas of pain. This is a very tactile and quite intuitive method of relieving pain, and the results can be instantaneous.
As with all techniques, several sessions are required depending on chronicity, to effect lasting change. This technique can be very effective for fibromyalgia as it can treat quite a few areas at one time. It is a very gentle technique and is very suitable for people with needle phobia.
Abdominal Acupuncture for Fibromyalgia