Acupuncture - overview
Acupuncture is part of Chinese Medicine, is a form of treatment which aims to restore balance to the body. Many conditions originate from an imbalance in the body, which over time causes pain, discomfort or unwellness. Acupuncture attempts to unravel the origin of the condition and restore balance. Acupuncture is used in many Asian countries and forms part of the health systems in China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Nepal, Tibet and others.
Acupuncture is amazingly relaxing and has benefits for the whole body. It have been shown to be very effective is addressing an enormous range of issues - there has been a great deal of research since the 1970s investigating the effects of acupuncture, which show promising results.
The origins of acupuncture in China can be traced back at least 2000 years, making it one of the oldest and most long-standing health care systems in the world. Today, acupuncture is a natural and increasingly popular form of health care that is being used by people from a wide range of cultural and social backgrounds. It can be remarkably effective in many. More than 50% of Australians use some kind of complementary therapy, and acupuncture is one of the most popular!
Acupuncture takes a holistic approach to understanding normal function and disease processes. The focus of acupuncture is equally on the prevention of illness as on treatment of illness. Chinese medicine has many components, including acupuncture, moxibustion, gua sha, Tui Na and Chinese herbs, which are all aimed at improving overall health and vibrancy and allowing our own bodies to activate their own self-healing mechanisms.
Japanese acupuncture
Kate primarily practices Japanese Acupuncture - this is characterised by shallow insertion of very fine needles, making the treatment more comfortable - especially for those who are a little nervous of needles!
Diagnosis is done by the pulses, and by abdominal diagnosis - where reflexes are examined on the abdomen as a way of assessing imbalance in the body. Acupuncture points are assessed against the reflexes to determine correct diagnosis and treatment.
Kate maintains regular professional development in Japanese techniques with her teachers, Shimamura Sensei and Kiiko Sensei. This teacher/student relationship is an important aspect of Japanese practice.
Acupuncture for women’s health
Acupuncture has also been shown to be effective in women health in particular – reducing pain in menstruation, assisting in hormonal imbalances such as PCOS, endometriosis, heavy periods, and lack of periods. It helps to increase pregnancy rates, decrease miscarriages and reduce the symptoms of PMS and menopause.
Acupuncture treatment involves the insertion of fine, sterile needles into specific sites (acupuncture points) along the body’s meridians to clear energy blockages and encourage the normal flow of qi through the individual. The practitioner may also stimulate the acupuncture points using other methods, including, electro-stimulation and massage, in order to re-establish the flow of qi.
Acupuncture in pregnancy
Acupuncture draws from a history of treating women in pregnancy for thousands of years, but has also been adapted to our modern knowledge of safely and evidence based medicine. Studies has shown it to have wonderful benefits for overall wellness, and to counter specific complaints during this time. These include morning sickness, hip and lower back pain, depression, breech position and in shortening labour. In all the peer- reviewed scientific studies, not one has shown there to be any increased risk for the use of acupuncture in pregnancy or labour. Kate works with your obstetric and midwifery team to help you through a healthy pregnancy and birth.
Kate has a keen interest in acupuncture for women’s health at the Northern Beaches in Sydney, and we are therefore located in Brookvale, close to our patients care centres at the Northern Beaches Hospital, and the hospitals on the North Shore: RNSH, the Mater and North Shore Private Hospitals.
Birth Preparation
Welcome to the most important thing you will ever do. Creating another human being. This is the time when your knowledge is going to put you in the best place to have a fear free pregnancy and birth. My focus is to help you have the best pregnancy and birth experience possible.
Here, I know that pregnancy is not always perfect and that maintaining your overall health is important: it’s about having strong teeth and healthy gums. It’s about prolonging the simple joy of eating delicious things! Our mission is to help our patients accomplish these goals in a painless, compassionate, and efficient way.
We aim to educate our patients in a safe environment while offering them necessary comprehensive care. We understand that many people have anxiety about dental treatment, so we created a soothing environment and a scheduling system that never keeps you waiting long. By combining the latest technology with traditional techniques, we give our patients the best care in the District.
Acupuncture and Chronic Pain
Research suggests that acupuncture is effective for reducing chronic pain, such as back pain and headaches. The effectiveness of acupuncture has been clearly demonstrated in the treatment of:
Back pain
Neck pain
Shoulder pain
Osteoarthritis
Headaches
Acupuncture for sports rehab
Acupuncture has been beneficial for treating many injuries and painful conditions, and is a useful complementary therapy for any type of sport rehabilitation. Acupuncture can be helpful in treating a number of symptoms that may arise with injury such as inflammation and swelling, acute and chronic pain, nerve damage or impingement, decreased range of movement and decreased circulation to muscles and tissues. These can arise from either acute trauma or overuse.
These effects are accomplished during treatment because acupuncture:
relieves pain
decreases inflammation
reduces swelling
relaxes muscles and relieves spasms
decreases bruising
improves local blood circulation
Commonly Treated Conditions
Knees and hips: ligament tears or strains, oseto-arthritis, bursitis
Elbows: golfer’s elbow, tennis elbow, ligament strains, tears, RSI, tendonitis
Shoulders: frozen shoulder, A/C joint injury, rotator cuff injury