Acupuncture is part of a system of healing known as Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), which dates back over five thousand years. TCM is not only the oldest professionally recorded system of medicine on the planet, it is, the system of medicine that has treated the largest number of people in the history of mankind. As a system, Traditional Chinese Medicine includes the use of acupuncture, herbal remdies, massage, nutrition and lifestyle to stimulate the bodey’s innate healing abilities to restore health and balance.

Acupuncture, the insertion of fine, sterile, needles in specific points of the body, has been shown to be effective in helping a wide range of conditions.

Chinese herbal therapy has a long history – going back in book form at least 3000 years. Typically herbs are given in combinations. Some herbs are included to address the specific symptoms, and others are added to prevent side-effects and improve the body’s ability to accept the treatment. As a result, a well-chosen herbal combination can be highly beneficial without causing distressing side-effects. Today herbalists all over the world are checking  the safety and quality of herbs, and developing convincing research backgrounds for ancient combinations.

In the U.S., Chinese herbal practitioners are usually licensed as acupuncturists, but practicing herbalists are becoming more and more common in a number of states. Chinese herbalists are tested and certified by the CA Acupuncture Board and the NCCAOM in Chinese herbal medicine. A patient should ask practitioners about their training and experience in Chinese herbal medicine.

Modern research and international health organizations agree that herbal medicine is a safe and highly effective treatment for many conditions including:

• Breathing problems: colds, flu allergies, asthma, emphysema, sinusitis, and bronchitis
• Emotional Issues: anxiety, depression, insomnia, and mood swings
• Digestive difficulties: acute/chronic diarrhea, constipation, indigestion, gastritis ulcers, and irritable bowel syndrome
• Bladder problems: urinary tract infections, and prostatitis
• Reproductive issues: irregular/painful menstruation, infertility, PMS, menopausal symptoms, and sexual dysfunction
• Pain: neuralgia, migraine headaches, dizziness, low back, neck and shoulder pain
• Circulatory problems: hypertension, angina pectoris, arteriosclerosis, anemia
• Supportive therapy: painful, debilitating disorders such as hepatitis, fibromyalgia, and auto-immune disease.

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You can erase years from your face – safely, painlessly and without surgery.

Cosmetic, or, Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture is a painless, non-surgical method of reducing the signs of the aging process. Though Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture can sometimes be referred to as an Acupuncture Facelift, it is more than a cosmetic procedure. It is a rejuvenation and revitalization process designed to help the whole body look and feel younger.

The Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture treatment is based on the principles of Oriental Medicine and involves the insertion of hair-thin needles into particular areas of the face, ears, neck, hands, trunk, and legs along channels or meridians of energy called Qi (pronounced chee). Specific points are chosen to manipulate the movement of energy in teh body according to the individual’s needs. Thousands of years ago the Chinese discovered that many meridians either begin or end on the face while some have internal branches that go to the face. Thus, practitioners of Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture know how to specifically effect the face while simultaneously treating the underlying factors that contribute to the aging process.

Massage has been used for thousands of years for its healing and preventative effects. Holistic Massage has the potential to benefit the whole body and by working on many levels its effects are both physical and emotional. Through the manipulation of soft tissue it invigorates, stimulates and deeply relaxes the body promoting a sense of well being.

The first ten minutes of your initial session is used to assess your needs so the massage can be tailored to your individual requirements. The massage can be used purely to give you the time and space to stop and allow your body and mind to relax, or it can be used to help with more specific ailments. These may include but are not limited to: neck and shoulder tension, acute conditions such as frozen shoulder or sciatica, repetitive strain injuries, low back pain, fatigue, insomnia, stress/anxiety/depression, digestive disorders and arthritis.

Techniques used during treatments can range from deep tissue manipulations, stretches, and joint mobilisations to gentle nurturing touch. Tension can build up in our bodies over time and cause the muscles to harden, limiting our range of movement and often causing stiffness and pain. Massage can help to soften the muscles and joints allowing an increased range of mobility and flexibility. By the end of the session you will copletely relaxed and leave with a sense of deep well-being.

Cupping has been used in China since the third century B.V. It involves lighting a match in a small, rounded “cup”, made of glass, bamboo, metal, or pottery, and then removing it quickly and applying the cup to the skin. The flame creates a vacuum, and the cup sticks tightly to the skin. Several cups may be applied at any one time to a particular part of the body such as the back.

The jars are left in position for 10 to 15 minutes while the vacuum inside the cup produces strong suction on the skin and increases the blood flow and circulation. The cup is releases by pressing the skin next to the edge of the cup so that the vacuum is broken. Cupping is particularly helpful for conditions such as rheumatism, lumbago, and stiff neck and shoulders as it increases circulation and the mobility of affected areas.

Moxibustion is the application of heat to specific points on the body in order to treat diseases and restore the smooth flow of Chi in the meridians. Generally the heat is obtained by burning dried mugwort leaves (Artemesia vulgaris, known as moxa) either directly or indirectly on the skin. The direct method involves rolling the dried moxa wool into small cones and placing them directly onto the skin. The tips of the cones are set alight but extinguished once heat is felt. With the indirect method pre-rolled moxa sticks are lit and held close to the skin until too much heat is felt or the skin becomes red.

Sometimes a hadful of moxa is lit in a specially designed box that is placed on the back in order to warm a larger area such as the kidneys. Moxa may also be placed on a slice of ginger or garlic, or on salt for more specific effects. Ginger helps to promote circulatio n while garlic has a strong antiseptic effect. Moxa is widely used for conditions such as hemiplegia, aphasia, stiff neck, cold, weak back, frozen shoulder, and fatigue and has an invigorating and warming effect.

Electro-acupuncture is quite similar to traditional acupuncture in that the same points are stimulated during treatment. As with traditional acupuncture, needles are inserted on specific points along the body. The needles are then attached to a devices that generated continuous electric pulses using small clips. These devices are used to adjust the frequency and intensity of the impulse being delivered, depending on the condition being treated. Electro-acupuncture uses two needles at time so that the impulses can pass from one needle to the other. Several pairs of needles can be stimulated simultaneously, usually for no more than 30 minutes at a time.