ACUPUNCTURE
Bribie Natural Health Clinic
Relief is provided through acupuncture
Acupuncture is an essential part of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and has been practised and carefully refined for thousands of years. It is an holistic approach to health care and encourages the body to promote natural healing, prevent disease, and improve general well-being.
Conditions that often respond well to acupuncture include
back pain
- carpal tunnel syndrome
- neck rigidity and pain
- sinusitis
- digestive disturbances
- shingles, post herpes neuralgia
- restless legs
- gall bladder symptoms
- PMS, menopause, infertility
- stress related facial lines
- TMJ,facial neuralgia
- tinnitis, dizziness
- addictive behaviour
Jennifer competed an Advanced Diploma of Acupuncture and Moxibustion at the Australian Institute of Health Sciences in Stones Corner Brisbane (AIAS), a VETEC accredited college. As a trained nurse, Jennifer is very conscious of protecting her patient's as well as herself from cross-infection. All needles are sterile and disposed of safely and Jennifer practises to Universal Infection Control Standards. Floors are tiled and washed daily. Jennfer rarely uses moxa as there is a risk of fire. She uses electo-needle stimulation that she adjusts to suit patients pain tolerance levels. She has had far better results using this tecnique instead of moibustion. Jennifer has also been trained in cupping, but there is a small risk of bruising and skin burns. To comply with ANTA policy "to do no harm", I prefer to use safer, equally effective treatments including microcurrent, bioptron light and gentle electro-stimulation where appropriate, unless otherwise requested.
Traditional Chinese Medicine is a system of diagnosis that is used in conjunction with acupuncture and acupressure and associated Chiese herbal formulas. Jennifer's dispensary includes 85 different chinese formulas that she prescribes accoring to traditional diagnosis that includes tongue, pulse and facial assessment for accurate dispensation. TCM herbs are inexpensive and when taken as directed have proven very therapetic in most cases.
Does Acupuncture Hurt ?
This is perhaps the most commonly asked question by the uninitiated
The answer? Well, it depends.
Firstly, for the majority of points, there may be a slight discomfort when the needle is tapped into the point and secondly when the needle is inserted to the proper depth.
For a small number of points, there will be a sharpness when the needle is tapped in and any further manipulation of the needle will perpetuate the sharp sensation.
The discomfort that one feels when the needle is tapped in feels like someone yanking on a single hair but not nearly as bad. The nerves that sense pain are concentrated in the skin. once the needle penetrates the skin, the pain may stop, providing skin peneration is deep enough. Certain points are very tender due to a lack of underlying soft tissue, such as fingers and toes. If the patient feels no sensation at these points (jing-well points) it is likely that either the therapist has innaccurately located the points to be needled or the patient has an underlying peripheral sensory deficit.
Once the needle has penetrated the skin, correct depth penetration is required to reach appropriate stimulation . Some points only require a millimeter or two, while others need a couple of inches in large muscles and deep subcutaneous tissue (requires correct point location to avoid damaging blood vessels and nerves).
When the needle has reached the appropriate depth, there is a sensation that is called ‘de qi’ (duh chee) that translates into ‘the arrival of qi’. It is described as anything from local heat, throbbiness, distending, numb, tingling, achey, or nervy. In Chinese medicine, the arrival of qi is important to achieve good treatment results.
I find many westerners neither welcome nor want the de qi sensation. It is important to grade a patient's pain threshhold early in the procedure. If there is ahyper response to the initial skin penetration I avoid inserting the needles to the proper depth and rely on mild needle stimulation for the arrival of de qi. Japanese acupuncture uses much finer needles than chinese acupuncture and with shallow insertion and no de qi sensation. I find this type of needling useful for all facial needling such as TMJ syndrome, facial neuralgia, Bell's Palsy, Terrettes Syndrome, migraines, sinusitis and facial uplifting for aesthetic purposes.
The more sensitive areas include the fingers and toes near the nails, anywhere near the palms of the hands or soles of the feet. Sometimes people feel scalp points are uncomfortable and can feel like someone is pulling a clump of hair.
Sometimes, a point that is normally not sensitive is suddenly very sensitive and the patient feels a sharp pain either upon tapping the needle in or with needle insertion. This may be a symptom of acute sensitivity that can be either a trigger point, blood vessel or nerve irritation (only with deeper needling). Such sensitivity can also be associated with severe emotional stress and anxiety. If pain continues for more than a minute after insetion, the needle is removed.
I always use the Bioptron Light with acupuncture as it reduces any pain and speeds up de qi. Laser pen theraapy is another useful tool for the patients who are adverse to needling. It is painless and safe when used AWAY from the eyes.
Bribie Natural Health Clinic provides access to HICAPs from private health funds which are affiliated with the scheme. HICAPs takes all the paper work out of private health fund rebates. The card is swiped and the patient pays the gap. PHONE 3408 7141
TCM is a complete medical system and is successful in treating a wide range of acute and chronic disorders including:
- Musculoskeletal and painful conditions
- Digestive disorders
- Urinary disorders
- Respiratory disorders
- Skin disorders
- Digestive disorders
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Gynaecological and reproductive issues
- Ear, nose and throat disorders
- Addictions
- Insomnia
- Emotional concerns
- Low energy
- Stress
Diploma of Oriental Massage Therapies Advanced Diploma of Acupuncture and Moxibustion
What are Acupuncture Meridians?
Acupuncture meridians are invisible energy pathways in your body that have been used therapeutically for over 5000 years. These meridians conduct life-force energy, or Qi (pronounced "chee") in and around all parts of the body. Blockage or interference in these meridian pathways can result in energetic imbalances that may contribute to negative health conditions. The primary goal of acupuncture treatment is to restore energetic balance and promote energy flow to these meridians, thus restoring normal function and a return to good health.
What is Traditional Chinese Diagnosis ?
Commonly referred to as TCM, Traditional Chinese Medicine diagnosis and treatment involves a comprehensive assessment of the patient including tongue and pulse diagnosis, palpation of the abdomen, eye examination and a lengthy interview including diet, digestion and bowel habits. Other aspects of an interview include emotional and lifestyle factors, medical history plus environmental issues that may impact on health and the body’s energetic pathways. Jennifer is an experienced acupuncturist and offers a comprehensive examination,TCM diagnosis and acupuncture treatment.
The Egyptians called it "ka." The Hebrews called it "ruah." Christians call it "spirit." Medicine calls it...superstition.
Almost every ancient religion or metaphysical belief system has in some way addressed the question of life--or more specifically, what is that force that gives life to the living?
The answer in acupuncture is Qi or Chi. (pronounced "chee.") This is the life-force energy that circulates in the acupuncture meridians and gives life to all the organs, structures, and even the consciousness in humans and animals.
And simply put, all dysfunction and disease can be traced to a blockage in the flow of Qi.
As modern science has sought to discover more about this life-force energy that makes us who we are, many interesting theories have developed.
One theory by Oxford physicist Roger Penrose and anesthesiologist Stuart Hameroff suggests that human consciousness can be traced to quantum interactions in microtubules in brain cells. Since these interactions take place on the quantum level, they operate outside the realm of time as we know it. The fascinating implication of this work is that the consciousness--the soul--exists outside time and is therefore...immortal.
Whether this theory is correct has yet to be proven, but the question of Qi remains fascinating from both scientific and philosophical standpoints.
Of course, the average patient may never have considered the meaning of Qi in health and disease, and that's one reason AcuGraph makes such a fundamental contribution to patient understanding of Acupuncture practice.
The bottom line is that there is something that defines the difference between life and death, between health and disease. And for all its life saving advances, modern Western medicine is still the only major healing system that doesn't embrace this truth.
Bribie Natural Health Clinic provides access to HICAPs from private health funds which are affiliated with the scheme. HICAPs takes all the paper work out of private health fund rebates. The card is swiped and the patient pays the gap.
TESTIMONIALS
30/6/2010
To Whom It May Concern
My daughter XXXXXXXX has been attending the Bribie Natural Health Clinic since March 2010 where we first saw Jennifer Weekes. She suffers from a learning disability and concentration issues among many other things. She has received treatment for same on the Microcurrent Therapy and Acugraph Digital Meridian Imaging I have found her to benefit from this treatment greatly. I have not only noticed a vast improvement of concentration and energy levels in her at home but also a noticeable improvement at school. She has actually received a class award for greatly improved concentration. She has also come home quoting information about the Solar System which she has been learning at school, previously we would just get a answer of "nothing" if we asked what did you learn at school today. We have received a school report card that is showing that she is improving in many ways and I believe that this is all due to the treatment that she has received so far at the clinic with Jenniffer. I have also had good feed back from her Occupational Therapist for her concentration and energy levels. As a rule my daughter by the end of a term at school would be coming home in the last 2 weeks and falling asleep on the lounge by 4pm everyday but not this term she was still going strong till the end of the term and also through the holidays so far. She has greater awareness and is full of life and interest in what's going on around her. I feel that there is still room for much more improvement for Sidoney with continued treatment of Microcurrent Therapy and Acugraph Digital Meridian Imaging from the clinic and Jennifer Weekes.
Regards
XXXXXXXXXXX
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