Acupuncture

Stimulate your body

What is acupuncture?

Acupuncture is one of the major therapies in Chinese medicine. It involves the use of needles that are inserted into the skin at specific points to treat a wide variety of illnesses and health conditions. Acupuncture has been registered under the national registration and accreditation scheme with the Chinese Medicine Board of Australia since 1 July 2012.

Acupuncture is the longest existing continuous healthcare system originated in ancient China and has developed over thousands of years. This unique system holds a holistic view on the body, person and environment; emphases on disease prevention and healthcare.

Since the Sixties, more and more scientific research on acupuncture has been undertaking in China and other countries. Although many works need to be done before we can clearly understand the mechanisms of acupuncture and meridians, there is a growing body of evidence suggesting that acupuncture is safe and effective for the management of many conditions.

What types of commonly-used acupuncture?

In our clinic, we have commonly provided with filiform needling acupuncture, electrical acupuncture and ear acupuncture. Our practitioner will discuss with you these different acupuncture forms and will consider your condition in determining the best options according to your needs. In needling acupuncture, we have used with pre-sterilized disposable needles only, and are usually performed with guide tubes.

How acupuncture is done?

The key procedure of acupuncture includes:

Depending on the location of acupuncture treatment, you will either sit or lie down, and expose your skin of the location for acupuncture;
You should be in a position that can be maintained for around 30 minutes;
Practitioner will locate and clean acupuncture sites on the skin;
Practitioner will insert needles into specific places on the body which are called as acupuncture points. Depending on your condition, practitioner may use 5 – 10 needles on the body;
During needling, practitioner usually asks your feeling to adjust the intensity of acupuncture;

During acupuncture, practitioner will manipulate the needles to stimulate the acupuncture points. This is an acupuncture skill;
Acupuncture usually retains for 15 – 30 minutes depending on your conditions, but acupuncture for children is not used with needle retention; and finally
Practitioner withdraws the needles, and places and gently presses cotton balls on the acupuncture sites to prevent or stop bleeding.

What do you feel during your acupuncture?

Properly done, acupuncture should not let you feel sharp pain because the needles are very fine (around 0.2mm diameter). When the needles are inserted, you may feel mild tingling or heaviness around the sites. Sometimes a mild electric or warm feeling around the acupuncture points may occur. These feelings are normal and expected to stimulate the acupuncture points to carry out a therapeutic action. If you feel sharp or really uncomfortable, you should immediately ask your practitioner to reduce the acupuncture intensity.

After a session of acupuncture, you will normally feel relaxed and refreshed, but specific responses depend on the individuals. Occasionally, the symptoms may get a little worse before they improve. The number of acupuncture treatments you need depends on your condition. In most cases, people experience a reduction in symptoms within a few sessions.

What conditions are commonly treated by acupuncture?

We have primary experience on managing the following conditions:

Supportive care of cancers including breast cancer, prostate cancer, bowel cancer, lung cancer, melanoma etc.
Immune disorders: asthma, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis etc.
Mental and neurological disorders: such as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), depression, anxiety, insomnia, tension headache, migraine, chronic fatigue syndrome etc.
Musculoskeletal disorders: such as joint pain or muscle aches.
Women health: premenstrual syndrome, period pain, menopause, chronic urinary tract infection, urinary incontinence etc.
Others: overweight and obesity

What are the health risks that may be associated with acupuncture?

Acupuncture is generally considered safe when performed by a qualified and experienced practitioner. Improperly performed acupuncture can cause potentially serious adverse effects or risk, for examples:

Sharp pain: tiny pain or tingling is usually present, but sharp pain during insertion is due to clumsy technique or blunt needles. It may also occur in highly sensitive clients.
Injury to the skin: clumsy insertion or entry of a needle into a blood vessel, can cause bleeding, bruising and pain.

It is important to note that the following situations are contraindicated with acupuncture, and you must report to our practitioner clearly before acupuncture:

Medical emergencies and surgical conditions.
Pregnant women over the abdominal or sacral areas.
Infected or scarred area of the body.

Bleeding disorder such as haemophilia or use of strong blood thinners.
A seizure disorder with frequent attacks.
Client who is famished or have overeaten.
Over fatigued, frail and weak.

Note: This information is NOT intended to replace medical advice. Any questions regarding a medical diagnosis or treatment should be directed to a medical or health care practitioner.