Acupuncture

What is Traditional Chinese Medicine [TCM]

• Oldest and second largest medical system in the world today; is used by 1/4 of the entire world's population in over 90 different countries.
• Noninvasive healing modality that facilitates the body's natural ability to heal itself by restoring harmony and balance to the entire individual.
• Assesses and treats each person as an individual therefore treating the cause of the disease instead of just the symptoms.
• Combines a detailed analysis of signs and symptoms with a unique system of pulse and tongue diagnosis to develop a detailed picture of the course and process of disease
• Style of Chinese medicine taught at 30 provincial medical colleges in China
• Although partly based on folk medicine, TCM as a style is a highly sophisticated literate medicine
• Approx. 30,000 volumes of existing Chinese medical literature were written before the 20th century and thousands since then
• TCM journals in China publish 100,000 articles per year. Most of these articles are clinical audits on the effectiveness of certain treatments for certain diseases

For more information, on the TCM approach to treating asthma please click here.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture has been practiced in China and the Far East for thousands of years as an integral part of Traditional Chinese Medicine [TCM]. Acupuncture is a safe and effective system of healing and can be used to treat people of all ages with a wide range of illnesses.

According to Chinese philosophy, our health is dependant on the balanced flow of qi (pronounced "chee") in the body. The smooth flow of qi can be disturbed by a number of factors, including emotions, diet, lifestyle, external environment and hereditary dispositions.

Acupuncture is capable of preventing and treating disease due to its ability to bring the body back into harmony when it is out of balance. Since prehistoric times, the Chinese have evolved a complex theoretical framework based on practical clinical experience to guide a trained acupuncturist to restore these imbalances.

In traditional acupuncture equilibrium is restored by inserting extremely thin, stainless steel, disposable needles into specific points on the surface of the skin. Once inserted these needles are manipulated in order to alter the body's energy force or qi to help the individual restore balance due to any energetic blockage of the body, mind or spirit. Clinical research on acupuncture has yielded encouraging results and its practice is now being incorporated into many hospitals and healthcare clinics worldwide.

What can Acupuncture treat?

Research shows us that acupuncture is effective at treating a variety of medical conditions. At the Asthma Clinic our practitioners employ this ancient form of treatment to treat a variety of factors that can effect an individuals respiratory health. In the acute stage, acupuncture is very effective when combined with Chinese herbal medicine to minimize the severity, decrease the length of an acute attack and minimize the amount of medication required. In addition, acupuncture works synergistically with Chinese herbs during the remission stage where the focus of the treatment at this stage is to increase the person’s immunity and lung capacity and decrease their reliance on medications and their sensitivity to triggers. During your acupuncture visit a variety of techniques may be used, including:

• Auricular acupuncture: Ear Acupuncture. The whole body is mapped out on the ear, so different reflex points are stimulated to enhance a treatment or work on its own.
• Cupping: A comfortable technique which employs the use of specialized glass cups placed on various parts of the body. Excellent for muscle aches and pains, as well as cold and flu relief.
• Gua sha: A superficial skin scraping technique, great for stubborn, chronic pain conditions or respiratory conditions.
• Heat lamp: A special lamp used over areas with or without needles to warm the area, another great technique for "cold" conditions.
• Moxibustion: Application of heat at or near specific acupuncture points. Moxibustion is great for strengthen an individuals health and boosting the immune system.