Treatments
Why Traditional Chinese Medicine?
Modern life is far from ideal and our health is frequently the victim of our difficult and stressful lives. I believe that we all deserve the most balanced and vibrant lives we can have. I have found that traditional medicines and in particular Traditional Chinese Medicines, such as acupuncture and specialist massage, promote health and improve the quality of my clients lives. Traditional Chinese Medicine has been used for thousands of years and so it has strong evidence supporting how beneficial it can be.
What we can treat:
- Allergies
- Anxiety
- Digestive issues
- Depression
- Fibromyalgia
- Gastrointestinal Conditions
- Hayfever
- Hormonal Issues
- Hypertension
- Indigestion
- Insomnia
- Menopausal Symptoms
- Migraine
- Musculo-skeletal Pain
- Neurological Issues
- Neuralgia
- Oedema
- Pain
- Palpitations
- PMS
- Prolapses
- Sciatica
- Sinusitis
- Thyroid
- Tinnitus
- Vascular Conditions
Further conditions here from Acupuncture Council of Ireland
Acupunture
Acupuncture treatment is safe when performed by a licensed and well-trained practitioner (World Health Association/WHO). The acupuncturist typically inserts from four to 10 needles, depending on the ailment, and leaves them in place on the body for 20 to 45 minutes while you rest. A usual course of treatment includes six to 12 sessions over a 6-week period. It is relatively non-toxic with minimal side effects. Acupoints, which are points along meridians, on the body’s surface, are mechanically stimulated, by surgically clean, disposable needles, triggering nerve signals that affect the function of other parts of the body, including organs to evoke the greatest clinical responses. Acupuncture points stimulate the central nervous system. This, in turn, releases chemicals into the muscles, spinal cord, and brain. These biochemical changes stimulate the body’s natural healing abilities and promote physical and emotional well-being. It is a holistic treatment and promotes harmony and balance within the body. It is scientifically proven in many studies of animals and humans, using imaging and other methods, how it affects the nervous system function and how it balances the energy and blood flow in the body relieving stress, inflammation, and pain.
If you would like to offer your friend, family member or loved one a healthy present of an Acupuncture session, ask your practitioner about our Acupuncture Gift Voucher
Massage
Tuina or tui na (pronounced twee-nah) massage stimulates the flow of energy and blood within the body to promote balance and harmony using many of the same principles of acupuncture. However, instead of needles, pressure is applied with fingers or sometimes stones or other massage tools. The principles of Tuina massage not only focus on the emotional and physical components of a person’s well-being, but also on aspects such as climate, relationships, and diet. The underlying philosophy is that true health is achieved when one has found harmony and balance inside themselves and their environment. Qi/energy that is not flowing correctly in th160e body can cause blockages, such as poor blood circulation in the affected area. Massage gets rid of blockages and disturbances that manifest as illness, disease, and emotional issues and this leads to a relaxed feeling and better health. During a session, practitioners use oscillating and pressure techniques that differ in force and speed. It can be done as a yang-style massage stronger, dynamic, energetic, and physically deep-tissue massage creating a more intense sensation by stimulating blockages and knots, or a yin approach which is a more gentle, passive, and meditative treatment.
If you would like to offer your friend, family member or loved one a healthy present of a massage session ask your practitioner about our Massage Gift Voucher
Gua Sha
The word “gua” means scrape, which “sha” means sand. Gua Sha performed on the body involves using a smooth-edged tool (like a wooden spoon, buffalo horn or a gemstone gua sha tool, quartz or Jade) to gently scrape areas of the body, which raises tiny round spots on your skin, known as petechiae. From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, many diseases and health issues can be traced back to stagnant energy and blood in the body. By stimulating petechiae at specific points, it encourages a healthy flow of energy and blood, which help to reduce pain, stiffness and inflammation.
Gua Sha performed on the face is even more gentle than on the body and is used to relieve tension, puffiness, inflammation, and even sinus pressure. It helps in sculpting the and exercising the muscles of the face bringing more blood to the surface of the skin promoting collagen leaving the skin looking fresh, more supple and relaxed. Many people have reported better sleep, less headaches, less nervousness and fatigue.
If you would like to offer your friend, family member or loved one a healthy present of a massage session ask your practitioner about our Massage Gift Voucher
Moxibution
Moxibustion is another therapeutic method in traditional. It is a form of heat therapy. Mugwort or artemisia, is a flowering plant in the daisy family. Its leaves are dried and ground into small sticks or cones called moxa (similar to incense), which are then lighted and used to warm specific points on your body and relieve a variety of conditions. The moxa can be burned on or very near the surface of the skin or on top of your acupuncture needle to warm, stimulate and invigorate the flow of energy and blood to the fascia, muscles, organs, and spinal cord. It is safe and should not hurt, on the contrary, it has a warming and relaxing feeling. It is often used in conjunction with acupuncture but can also be used as a therapy on its own. Moxibustion is often used for cold conditions or energy deficiency. It is also used in joint pain, indigestion, organ prolapses, menstrual cramps, indigestion, and infertility and done during the end of the second trimester or beginning of the third trimester of pregnancy when presenting with a breech pregnancy.
If you would like to offer your friend, family member or loved one a healthy present of a massage session ask your practitioner about our Massage Gift Voucher
Herbal Treatments
For centuries, China and other Asian countries have embraced herbal therapy and it has thousands of years of data to back it up. Now, the West is catching on to the timelessness of this ancient medicine and has started to incorporate Chinese herbs in the treatment of a wide range of health concerns. Throughout history, Chinese emperors worked to preserve and multiply the knowledge of the previous ages. That means today we have almost 2,000 years of clearly written records about how herbs and herb combinations work in different people. Chinese herbal medicine makes use of herbs in combinations and tailored to the individual according to the underlying condition and the principles of traditional Chinese medicine. Chinese herbal products have been studied for many medical problems, including allergies, stroke, heart disease, mental disorders, and respiratory diseases (such as bronchitis and the common cold), and so much more. Chinese herbal therapy can come in the form of:
- Granules or easy-to-digest capsules.
- Teas, liquid extracts and powders.
- A traditional formula.
- A custom formula that your herbalist creates for you.
Chinese herbal medicine is rooted in the concept of pattern differentiation. Pattern differentiation involves identifying a person’s head-to-toe collection of signs and symptoms and determining which Chinese pattern is treated. We don’t treat diseases per say, but treat the patterns and patient
Cupping
Cupping was established as an official therapeutic practice in the 1950s across hospitals in China. In recent years cupping has been growing in popularity, with celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Aniston, David Arquette, and athlete Michael Phelps drawing public attention to the traditional benefits of Chinese cupping therapy techniques. (Pacific College of Health and Science). They theory is that where there is stagnation there is pain and therefore removing stagnation relieves the pain. The technique uses small glass cups or bamboo jars as suction devices that are placed on the skin to stimulate flow of energy, disperse and break up stagnation and congestion by drawing congested blood and energy to the surface. In dry cupping, the therapist will simply place the suction cups on the skin. In wet cupping, the practitioner will make a small incision on the skin and then apply the suction cup to draw out small amounts of blood. Once the suction has occurred, the cups can be gently moved across the skin (often referred to as “gliding cupping). Medical massage oils are sometimes applied to improve movement of the glass cups along the skin. The suction in the cups causes the skin and superficial muscle layer to be lightly drawn into the cup. Cupping is much like the inverse of massage – rather than applying pressure to muscles, it uses gentle pressure to pull them upward. For most patients, this is a particularly relaxing and relieving sensation. Once suctioned, the cups are generally left in place for about ten minutes while the patient relaxes. This is similar to the practice of Tui Na, Chinese massage technique that targets acupuncture points as well as painful body parts, and is well known to provide relief through pressure.
If you would like to offer your friend, family member or loved one a healthy present of a massage session ask your practitioner about our Massage Gift Voucher
Cosmetic Acupuncture
Facial acupuncture, the reportedly safer alternative to surgery or Botox. It works internally to optimize your health while simultaneously enhancing the appearance of your skin. 10 to 70 tiny and painless needles are inserted into the face. As the needles puncture the skin, they create wounds within its threshold, which are called positive microtraumas. When your body senses these wounds, it goes into repair mode. This is the same idea micro-needling uses to get bright, anti-aging results — except acupuncture is a bit less intense, averaging about 50 punctures depending on what the patient is looking for.
These punctures stimulate your lymphatic and circulatory system, which work together to deliver nutrients and oxygen to your skin cells, nourishing skin from the inside out. This helps even out your complexion and promote your skin’s glow. The positive microtraumas also stimulates the production of collagen. This helps improve elasticity, minimizing fine lines and wrinkles.
If you would like to offer your friend, family member or loved one a healthy present of an Acupuncture session, ask your practitioner about our Acupuncture Gift Voucher