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Cupping

Traditional Chinese medicine brings to mind acupuncture and the use of natural herbs as healing remedies. Cupping is a lesser-known treatment that is also part of Oriental medicine, one that can provide an especially pleasant experience. One of the earliest documentations of cupping can be found in the work titled A Handbook of Prescriptions for Emergencies, which was written by a Taoist herbalist by the name of Ge Hong and which dates all the way back to 3000 AD.

Cupping is the term applied to a technique that uses small glass cups as suction devices that are placed on the skin and a vacuum created. 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. The suction and negative pressure provided by cupping can loosen muscles, encourage blood flow, and sedate the nervous system (which makes it an excellent treatment for high blood pressure).

Cupping is used to relieve back and neck pains, stiff muscles, anxiety, fatigue, migraines, rheumatism, and even cellulite. For weight loss, relaxation, energy balancing and cellulite treatments, essential oil is first applied to the skin, and then the cups are moved up and down the surrounding area (Gliding/Traveling Cupping). Like acupuncture, cupping follows the lines of the meridians. There are five meridian lines on the back, and these are where the cups are usually placed. Usng these points, cupping can help to align and relax qi, as well as target more specific maladies. By targeting the meridian channels, cupping strives to ‘open’ these channels – the paths through which life energy flows freely throughout the body, through all tissues and organs, thus providing a smoother and more free-flowing qi (life force).

Traveling/Gliding Cupping with Essential Oils

Cupping is the term applied to a technique that uses small glass cups as suction devices that are placed on the skin and a vacuum created.  Once the suction has occurred, the cups can be gently moved across the skin (often referred to as “gliding cupping).  Various essential oils are used, depending on the condition.  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. The suction and negative pressure provided by cupping can loosen muscles, encourage blood flow, and sedate the nervous system (which makes it an excellent treatment for high blood pressure).

Cupping is used to relieve back and neck pains, stiff muscles, anxiety, fatigue, migraines, rheumatism, and even cellulite. For weight loss and cellulite treatments, oil is first applied to the skin, and then the cups are moved up and down the surrounding area. Like acupuncture, cupping follows the lines of the meridians. There are five meridian lines on the back, and these are where the cups are usually placed. Using these points, cupping can help to align and relax qi, as well as target more specific maladies. By targeting the meridian channels, cupping strives to ‘open’ these channels – the paths through which life energy flows freely throughout the body, through all tissues and organs, thus providing a smoother and more free-flowing qi (life force).

Cupping is one of the best deep-tissue therapies available. It can affect tissues up to four inches deep from the external skin. Toxins can be released, blockages can be cleared, and veins and arteries can be refreshed within these four inches of affected materials. This treatment is also valuable for the lungs, and can clear congestion from a common cold or help to control a person’s asthma. In fact, respiratory conditions are one of the most common maladies that cupping is used to relieve.

Note: Cupping can cause purple marks to appear on the skin as the blood reaches the lower dermis. This is perfectly natural and the marks will disappear naturally over the course of a few days. 

Acupressure

Acupressure is based on one the most ancient principles of healing — that simply touching a specific point on the body will release stress and improve health in the body. In an acupressure session, I apply firm pressure directly to these "points" on your body, which relieves your muscle tension and improves your circulation. This simple and powerful technique has been shown to very effective in treating headaches, backaches, and even insomnia.

Shiatsu

Shiatsu is a Japanese form of massage therapy. The word Shiatsu comes from two Japanese words — "shi" (finger) and "atsu" (pressure). In addition to the direct stimulation of pressure points along the energy pathways of your body, gentle stretching techniques are applied over a wider area of the body to integrate the point work and encourage the flow of Chi (energy) throughout the body. Shiatsu is a meditative healing art that honors the body, mind and spirit.

Cosmetic Acupuncture

Cosmetic Acupuncture or "Acu-Facelifts" are gaining popularity as an alternative to Botox and facelifts.  The average cost of a facelift is over $8,000. Cosmetic acupuncture is a non-invasive treatment that involves using acupuncture to improve skin and fight the aging process.It naturally helps make the skin look younger, smoother, and all-around healthier. And unlike injection procedures, facial acupuncture addresses not only signs of aging, but also the skin’s overall health.

What is cosmetic acupuncture?

Cosmetic acupuncture (a.k.a. facial acupuncture or ‘natural Botox’) is a non-surgical, temporary cosmetic procedure to reduce signs of aging and refresh the appearance. Similar to traditional Chinese medicine acupuncture, which is used to correct Qi or life force energy, cosmetic acupuncture strategically places small needles into the skin to activate the body’s healing response.

This naturally stimulates elastin and collagen production and plumps skin with little to no risk of side effects. Cosmetic acupuncture is primarily used to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

What cosmetic concerns does cosmetic acupuncture procedure treat?

1. Fine lines and wrinkles.   Cosmetic acupuncture stimulates the body’s healing response, and production of collagen and elastin for facial rejuvenation.

Who is the ideal candidate for a cosmetic acupuncture procedure?

The ideal candidate for cosmetic acupuncture is looking to safely and temporarily improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Cosmetic acupuncture is safe in dark skin tones. Cosmetic acupuncture is not recommended for individuals with moderate, or deep fine lines and wrinkles who will require a more aggressive treatment modality.

What is the average recovery associated with a cosmetic acupuncture

There is little to no recovery following a cosmetic acupuncture treatment. Candidates resume all normal activities and skincare immediately following the treatment. In rare cases, some visible bruising or minimal bleeding may occur at needle insertion sites. 

What can someone expect from the results of a cosmetic acupuncture procedure?

The results of cosmetic acupuncture are temporary and develop over a series of 12 initial treatment sessions over the course of 6 weeks. Once the desired results have been achieved, many candidates will switch to maintenance sessions every 4 weeks or so.

Dry needling/Trigger points/Sports Performance

Sometimes, when we work out, there is pain that goes beyond the soreness of workout pain. Dry needling, or trigger point therapy, can work on chronic congested areas of Chi that can cause those knots to form in athletes, or those of us who just like to work out with optimal performance to achieve balanced health. It was developed in the west in the 1940s and became more main stream in the 1980s and is often used in conjunction with other therapies such as physical therapy.

Auriculotherapy Treatment/Drug Detox Treatment

Auricular Acupuncture is believed to decrease the positive and negative reinforcements of addiction and therefore reduce drug use. 1. Acupuncture treatments reduce the positive reinforcement properties of drugs by decreasing the amount of dopamine released when the drug is used.  In addition, any acupuncture releases endorphines into the body system, endorphines are likened to the body's own morphine.

The oldest record of auriculotherapy possibly dates back to 2500 BC to The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine.

It is important to know that Auriculotherapy works as a microsystem where areas of the body, organs and physiological functions are reflected in our ears.

The most common way of visualizing this is to imagine the inverted position of a baby in the womb  This is because the acupoints in the ear correspond to the said position of a fetus.

 

Auriculotherapy applies the principles of acupuncture to specific points on the ear. It is a treatment modality where the specific malfunctioning organ or a systemic illness can be treated by acupuncture or electroacupuncture therapy.  

There are more than 200 acupuncture points in the ear.

In 1990, the World Health Organization (WHO) created a standardized list of 39 auricular points. Of these 39 standard points, 10 master points are often used in auricular acupuncture treatments.

Electroacupuncture

Electroacupuncture is a highly effective holistic treatment for pain, nausea, and chronic ailments. In practice, it is actually very similar to traditional acupuncture. Using the exact same system of Chinese Medicine, I insert very thin and sterile needles into specific points along the meridians of your body. I then attach the needles to a device that delivers gentle electrical pulses between two points. This helps restore the healthy flow of Qi (energy) through your body, removing any blockages and clearing out stagnant areas, thus creating a stronger and clearer experience of health and well-being.

Moxibustion

Moxibustion is a Traditional Chinese Medicine technique that involves the burning of mugwort, a small, spongy herb, to facilitate healing and health. Moxibustion has been used for healing purposes throughout Asia for thousands of years. The purpose of moxibustion, as with most forms of Traditional Chinese Medicine, is to strengthen the blood, stimulate the flow of Qi (energy), and enhance your overall vitality and health.

Among other benefits, a landmark study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 1998 found that 75.4% of women suffering from breech presentations before childbirth had fetuses that rotated to the normal position after receiving direct moxibustion at an acupuncture point on the bladder meridian.

I personally had great success with this treatment and turned a breech baby in a patient whose husband was an MD and read about the treatment in the Journal of the Americal Medical Association and they opted to try it first before traumatic manipulations. The baby turned around on its own after 4 days of direct moxa!  

Pulse Diagnosis

One of the most common questions that patients ask about Chinese Medicine is: "Why does my practitioner check my pulse?" Pulse diagnosis is actually one of the most complex and important diagnostic techniques we use in Chinese Medicine. Through feeling and evaluating your pulse, I obtain an accurate diagnosis of your overall constitution, Qi (energy) flow, and internal organ health, among other things. I then synthesize all of this information into a highly effective and individualized treatment plan for your specific needs.

Housecalls

Sometimes it is not possible to physically change locations.  After individual review of the circumstances, it may be possible to arrange house calls for treatment.  Send me an email with your circumstance(s) and location address for review if this is something you feel you need.   Thank you.