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Acupuncture |
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Acupuncture literally means 'needle piercing', the practice of inserting very fine needles into the skin to stimulate specific anatomic points in the body (called 'acupoints' or 'acupuncture points') for therapeutic purposes.
Traditional Chinese medicine holds that there are as many as 2,000 acupoints on the human body which are connected by 20 pathways (12 main, 8 secondary) called meridians. These meridians conduct energy, or Qi (pronounced "chi"), between the surface of the body and its internal organs. Each point has a different effect on the Qi that passes through it.
Qi is believed to help regulate balance in the body. It is influenced by the opposing forces of yin and yang, which represent positive and negative energy and forces in the universe and human body. Acupuncture is believed to keep the balance between yin and yang, thus allowing for the normal flow of Qi throughout the body and restoring health to the mind and body.
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Electroacupuncture |
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Electroacupuncture 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 device that generates 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.
Electroacupuncture uses two needles at a 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.
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Cupping |
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In a typical cupping session, glass cups are warmed using a cotton ball or other flammable substance, which is soaked in alcohol, lit, then placed inside the cup. Burning a substance inside the cup removes all the oxygen, which creates a vacuum.
As the substance burns, the cup is turned upside-down so that the practitioner can place the cup over a specific area. The vacuum created by the lack of oxygen anchors the cup to the skin and pulls it upward on the inside of the glass as the air inside the jar cools. Drawing up the skin is believed to open up the skin’s pores, which helps to stimulate the flow of blood, balances and realigns the flow of Qi, breaks up obstructions, and creates an avenue for toxins to be drawn out of the body.
Depending on the condition being treated, the cups will be left in place from 5 to 10 minutes. Several cups may be placed on a patient’s body at the same time.
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Moxibustion |
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Moxibustion is a traditional Chinese medicine technique that involves the burning of mugwort, a small, spongy herb, to facilitate healing. One end of a moxa stick is lit, roughly the shape and size of a cigar, and held close to the area being treated for several minutes until the area turns red.
Moxibustion has been used throughout Asia for thousands of years; in fact, the actual Chinese character for acupuncture, translated literally, means "acupuncture-moxibustion." The purpose of moxibustion, as with most forms of traditional Chinese medicine, is to strengthen the blood, stimulate the flow of Qi, and maintain general health.
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Ultrasound |
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A deep tissue heating modality reaching underlying tissues as deep as 1 to 5 centimetres, it is used to treat musculo-skeletal injuries, back and joint conditions, limited range of motion, soft tissue injuries, and chronic conditions.
Treatment is administered directly which penetrates the tissues, increases blood flow, relaxes muscle spasms, repairs damaged tissue, and dramatically speeds up the healing process. It creates permanent, physical changes and repairs both hard and soft tissues problems.
One of the major advantages of ultrasound is that it is non-toxic and non-destructive. |
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