Of all the traditional systems available in Australia, acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is by far the most respected and has achieved widespread acceptance as an effective form of health care, including formal recognition by the World Health Organisation. Acupuncture is a time-honored medicine and is part of an integrated system of primary health care that has an uninterrupted history of development dating back thousands of years in China and other parts of East Asia.
This science and art of healing has become widely accepted over the past three decades.
Traditional Chinese Medicine combines acupuncture, moxibustion heat therapy, Chinese herbal medicine and oriental massage therapy, for an effective, safe and holistic approach to healthcare.
Acupuncture has the following major benefits:
Chinese Medicine is a holistic health system that views the mind, body and spirit to be intimately connected. It is based on a coherent and substantial body of knowledge developed over thousands of years of clinical practice and intellectual endeavor. Modern clinical research adds to this traditional knowledge. Qualified practitioners draw on these traditional and modern sources to arrive at individually tailored acupuncture treatments.
This system was developed from the philosophy that restoring balance will both treat ailments and prevent further illnesses from developing. Treatments target not just the presenting signs and symptoms, however, the underlying conditions, other health problems and the general state of health and well- being of the patient are also considered. What is unique about Chinese medicine is that although most diseases or illnesses present with a core set of recognizable signs and symptoms, the actual presentation of that illness will vary from person to person and therefore, people with similar health conditions may be provided with quite different acupuncture treatments.
How Does Acupuncture Work?
The goal of acupuncture therapy is to establish a healthier state of body function and to increase the capacity to cope with stress. The human body can be likened to a highly complex electrical circuit. Like any electrical circuit, it must be kept in good working order if it is to function effectively. If the human circuit breaks down the result is illness.
Each person has an energy circulation. To maintain good health, it is essential that the body’s energy as well as the blood, circulate in a continuous and unobstructed manner. The pathways through which the energy flows are called meridians and these circulate through the organs and tissues of the body. The energy which flows along the meridians is called Qi (pronounced chi). These meridians were mapped out by the ancient Chinese. Modern technology methods such as Kirlian photography, electronic and thermal readings are now being used to detect these meridians. There are hundreds of acupuncture points in the body and these lie along the meridians. By stimulating these points with needles, the quality and quantity of energy can be balanced.
Qualified practitioners are educated in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theory, diagnosis and assessment as well as the Western bio-medical sciences. They are professional trained in the use of acupuncture to treat a wide range of chronic and acute health problems. Many acupuncturists also use herbs, massage, counseling, and dietary and lifestyle advice.
What Does Acupuncture Feel Like?
The most common reply when someone is asked if they have ever had acupuncture is “no thanks I don’t like needles”. Most assume that acupuncture needles are like those of Doctor Jones down the street, huge massive syringes. In actual fact acupuncture pins (pins is a better description) are as thin as a hair and insertion into the skin is seldom felt or feels similar to a mosquito bite.
Most people after experiencing their first one reply ‘oh is that it?’ An acupuncture treatment consists of inserting these fine, sterile needles into specific sites (acu-points) along the body’s meridians. Stimulating these acu-points clears energy blockages and encourages the normal flow of qi through the body. When the needles enter, you usually do not feel much until it hits the meridian where the energy flows. This in turn creates various sensations in the body such as tingling, buzzing, throbbing, pulsating, electricity or radiating feelings etc, and then you know and can feel that the qi or energy has been stimulated. The practitioner may also stimulate the acupuncture points using other methods, including moxibustion or heat therapy, cupping, laser therapy, electro-stimulation and massage in order to re-establish the flow and balance of qi within the body.
This science and art of healing has become widely accepted over the past three decades.
Traditional Chinese Medicine combines acupuncture, moxibustion heat therapy, Chinese herbal medicine and oriental massage therapy, for an effective, safe and holistic approach to healthcare.
Acupuncture has the following major benefits:
- Provides drug-free pain relief
- Assists prevention against disease
- Treats the cause of the disease as well as the symptoms
- Provides a holistic approach to illness, linking body, mind and emotions
- Is effectively used to treat many common acute and chronic ailments
Chinese Medicine is a holistic health system that views the mind, body and spirit to be intimately connected. It is based on a coherent and substantial body of knowledge developed over thousands of years of clinical practice and intellectual endeavor. Modern clinical research adds to this traditional knowledge. Qualified practitioners draw on these traditional and modern sources to arrive at individually tailored acupuncture treatments.
This system was developed from the philosophy that restoring balance will both treat ailments and prevent further illnesses from developing. Treatments target not just the presenting signs and symptoms, however, the underlying conditions, other health problems and the general state of health and well- being of the patient are also considered. What is unique about Chinese medicine is that although most diseases or illnesses present with a core set of recognizable signs and symptoms, the actual presentation of that illness will vary from person to person and therefore, people with similar health conditions may be provided with quite different acupuncture treatments.
How Does Acupuncture Work?
The goal of acupuncture therapy is to establish a healthier state of body function and to increase the capacity to cope with stress. The human body can be likened to a highly complex electrical circuit. Like any electrical circuit, it must be kept in good working order if it is to function effectively. If the human circuit breaks down the result is illness.
Each person has an energy circulation. To maintain good health, it is essential that the body’s energy as well as the blood, circulate in a continuous and unobstructed manner. The pathways through which the energy flows are called meridians and these circulate through the organs and tissues of the body. The energy which flows along the meridians is called Qi (pronounced chi). These meridians were mapped out by the ancient Chinese. Modern technology methods such as Kirlian photography, electronic and thermal readings are now being used to detect these meridians. There are hundreds of acupuncture points in the body and these lie along the meridians. By stimulating these points with needles, the quality and quantity of energy can be balanced.
Qualified practitioners are educated in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theory, diagnosis and assessment as well as the Western bio-medical sciences. They are professional trained in the use of acupuncture to treat a wide range of chronic and acute health problems. Many acupuncturists also use herbs, massage, counseling, and dietary and lifestyle advice.
What Does Acupuncture Feel Like?
The most common reply when someone is asked if they have ever had acupuncture is “no thanks I don’t like needles”. Most assume that acupuncture needles are like those of Doctor Jones down the street, huge massive syringes. In actual fact acupuncture pins (pins is a better description) are as thin as a hair and insertion into the skin is seldom felt or feels similar to a mosquito bite.
Most people after experiencing their first one reply ‘oh is that it?’ An acupuncture treatment consists of inserting these fine, sterile needles into specific sites (acu-points) along the body’s meridians. Stimulating these acu-points clears energy blockages and encourages the normal flow of qi through the body. When the needles enter, you usually do not feel much until it hits the meridian where the energy flows. This in turn creates various sensations in the body such as tingling, buzzing, throbbing, pulsating, electricity or radiating feelings etc, and then you know and can feel that the qi or energy has been stimulated. The practitioner may also stimulate the acupuncture points using other methods, including moxibustion or heat therapy, cupping, laser therapy, electro-stimulation and massage in order to re-establish the flow and balance of qi within the body.
Chinese Herbal Medicine
Chinese herbal medicine is at once a truly traditional medicine and yet one that continues to grow. It reveres and utilises the past, but also incorporates innovations based on clinical experience and scientific investigation.
Medicinal herbs form the basis of a medical system used by one quarter of the world’s population. Chinese herbal medicines act in a gentle and gradual manner, treating the root cause of the problem as well as relieving the symptoms. This natural form of therapy also lacks the dramatic impact and often undesirable side-effects of western drugs.
While acupuncture works from the outside in, Chinese herbs work from the inside out. At Bayside Acupuncture we have over 120 different patented formulations that come either in the form of pills, capsules or powdered extracts. The Chinese over thousands of years refined the exact combinations of herbs into a formula which interact together to specifically target certain conditions and energetic imbalances in the body. Sometimes we combine two formulations to address all aspects of your individual condition.
Traditional Chinese Medicine is good for a wide range of diseases and ailments. An example is the use of tonic medicines to strengthen and supplement parts of the body that have become weak or are not functioning at full capacity. Chinese medicine can treat many chronic and degenerative conditions, boost the immune system and restore optimal function to the organs, the body and the mind.
Traditional Chinese Medicine is good for a wide range of diseases and ailments. An example is the use of tonic medicines to strengthen and supplement parts of the body that have become weak or are not functioning at full capacity. Chinese medicine can treat many chronic and degenerative conditions, boost the immune system and restore optimal function to the organs, the body and the mind.
Chinese herbs can treat all neurological, cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, gynaecological, urogenital and skin conditions. Chinese herbs can be extremely effective for all men and women’s sexual health, fertility and pain-free cycle management.
Cupping
Cupping is a therapy in which glass or plastic jars or cups create a vacuum when applied to the skin. The vacuum is created by introducing heat, usually a swab or cotton ball dipped in alcohol and lit, to create a negative pressure within the cup. Many years ago the Chinese used horns or bamboo cups.
The cupping method has the function of warming and promoting the free flow of Qi and blood in the meridians, dispelling cold and dampness, diminishing swellings and pains. In western terms it also breaks up muscles fibres and increases blood circulation to areas of contraction and stiffness.
Sometimes cupping may be combined with bloodletting to treat acute sprains accompanied by blood stasis in the points, meridians and muscles. Occasionally a cup may be placed over the top of an acupuncture needle or often they are moved up and down a channel or large muscle (migratory or slidding cupping). Slidding cupping feels like an amazing massage when done on your back to relieve muscle tension and knots and cupping reduces and clears cellulite when performed on the backs of your legs.
Moxibustion Heat Therapy
Moxibustion treats and prevents diseases by applying heat to acupuncture points and meridians on the body. The material used is a herb, also known as mugwort, a species of chrysanthemum. Sometimes moxibustion can be more effective than acupuncture, whereas at other times the two have a synergistic effect.
The acrid odour of the leaf can travel through the meridians, regulate Qi and blood and expel cold from the meridians. Its bitter nature can resolve dampness. Burning the moxa wool produces a mild heat which is able to penetrate deeply into the muscles.
Moxa may be applied direct to the skin, in the form of cones, indirectly on the top of slices of ginger, garlic or salt, or applied to the ends of acupuncture needles and burned. Most often moxa is rolled into a stick and the lit end held over the selected acupuncture points.
Moxa may be applied direct to the skin, in the form of cones, indirectly on the top of slices of ginger, garlic or salt, or applied to the ends of acupuncture needles and burned. Most often moxa is rolled into a stick and the lit end held over the selected acupuncture points.
Heat Lamp Therapy
At Bayside Acupuncture we often use an infra-red heat lamp instead of moxibustion to bring heat to a larger area of the body. Infrared lamps main functions include lessening inflammation, soothing pain, promoting proper metabolism and regulating physiological diseases. Infrared heat is very popular in treating muscle and joint pains. It feels wonderful on the lower back to warm the kidneys and relieve backache and on the abdomen for women’s conditions and digestive complaints.
Here is the scope of applications of infrared lamps:
- Conditions our cardiovascular by increasing circulation
- Effective for weight control and burning calories
- For pain relief • Strengthens the immune system
- Helps in removing body wastes and toxins
- Good for relaxing and managing stress
- Can help in achieving youthful and beautiful skin
- Can provide heat/warm during cold seasons especially for elders
Massage is a great form of preventative as well as a recuperative medicine. The old saying “running water never stagnates” is especially applicable to the human body. By maintaining loose joints and muscles, stretched and aligned tendons and ligaments, good flows of Qi and Blood to all areas of the body, you will have much better overall health of mind and body, live a longer, pain-free life, be much more productive and creative in your work and play, and be a better person to live with!
At Bayside Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine clinic, we offer massage either just by itself with one of our Remedial Massage therapists or you may receive it within your full acupuncture treatment. Oriental massage combines Tui Na (Chinese massage), Shiatsu (Japanese massage) with deep tissue massage and acupressure techniques. Such massage is not just for relaxation, but to achieve physiological changes in the body's structure, internal organs, neurological and hormonal systems.
Massage also allows the practitioner to identify problem areas of the body that may require specialised attention, or may point to further hidden abnormalities in the internal organ’s functions. By increasing and easing the flow of Qi and Blood through the body’s tissues and muscles, the internal organs are also bathed in oxygen rich blood and encouraged to dispel and release any stored toxins and waste products.
Qi Gong
Qi Gong (ch’i kung) means skill in breathing, skill in cultivating Qi, or “internal work”. It involves combining specific postures and movements with breathing techniques and internal visualisations.
We are able to build upon the Qi we are born with (Yuan Qi, or prenatal Qi) and then use this Qi by allowing it to:
- flow beneficially through the meridians of our own bodies
- be able to be used to defend ones’ self or family, or
- the highest level, to be able to help others to be healed.
Taiji
Taiji can be a subtle and powerful awareness discipline; a tool to become much more in touch with yourself. Constant practice will allow you to function naturally and smoothly, uncluttered with expectations, hopes, fears and other fantasies that interfere with our natural flow.
Taijiquan (t'ai chi ch'uan) is the mother of the internal martial arts from China. Its practice gives the student timing, balance and coordination which are the prerequisites of any great martial art. The mind and body are made strong and coordinated. Taiji or as it was originally called, Dim mak (death point striking) was originally put together by an acupuncturist. Each of the moves in the Taiji forms are actually strikes to acupuncture points.
Qi (ch'i, or internal energy) cultivation is a most important aspect of one's training. Taijiquan is the greatest moving Qi Gong (ch'i kung) ever put together by the genius of past masters. We learn to develop, cultivate, store and become aware of the subtle energy flows in our bodies. With much practice, one can learn to direct the flow of Qi in one's own body, and eventually be able to help other people to get well also.
The World Taiji Boxing Association has many fine instructors locally, nationally in Australia and in over 40 countries around the world. Please check Master Montaigue's website for more information on instructional videos, cds, dvds, books and free downloads.