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Chinese Medicine
Acupuncture
Utilizes a map of the body that was charted by doctors throughout the world over 4,000 years ago (evidence of parallel theories to Chinese medicine have been found on virtually every continent). This map of the body outlines different pathways with correlations to different systems and organs within the body. On each pathway there are different points that have been shown to serve different functions. These are the acupuncture points. An extremely thin, solid, stainless-steel needle (about 1/10 the size of a hypodermic needle) is inserted quickly into an acupuncture point. The needle is inserted to the appropriate depth depending on the patient and the area of the body it is inserted into. The practitioner then manipulates it according to the goal of treatment for a varied length of time to activate a person’s own healing response.
Abdominal Massage
Also known as Chi Nei Tsang, the translation of these words literally mean “Internal Organs Qi Transformation.” This deep and comforting massage modality has been around for thousands of years originating in rural China. The tool is based on the microcosm in the abdomen as an extension for the rest of the body. It is the hub for where our minds and bodies connect. Because the navel was our last direct attachment to our mother at birth via the umbilical cord, a lot of information is stored in this area. In abdominal massage, the practitioner reads the areas surrounding the belly button as they connect to the rest of the organs and eventually to the rest of the body. The massage is deep and gentle, and many people fall asleep. Like acupuncture, Chi Nei Tsang addresses all systems of the body including but not limited to the digestive, musculoskeletal, psychological, endocrine, reproductive, respiratory, lymphatic and endocrine systems.
To give you a better understanding of the profundity of this work, it is important to note that there is an entire section of the nervous system, called the enteric or intrinsic nervous system, exclusively devoted to the abdomen. New research is decidedly calling the gut “the second brain.”
The “gut instinct” is no longer a myth.
There are more than 30 neurotransmitters made here. In addition, 90% of the body’s serotonin and 50% of the body’s dopamine is found in gut!
Moxibustion
Moxibustion: Moxa, for short, is a dried, aged plant called Mugwort in English. Though it is used in many different forms, in this context it is burned in one of 2 different ways: directly on the skin or indirectly near the skin, on or around a specific acupuncture point. Moxa is not used to the point of scarring and therefore it does not burn you. This specific plant is thought to have been chosen for this use after testing many different plants over a very long period of time. It is seen to be special because it penetrates into the body at the deepest level. The word acupuncture in Chinese is “zhen jiu.” The word “zhen” means needle, referring to the use of acupuncture needles. The word “jiu” means moxa. This implies that the use of moxa and needles in treatment are of equal importance. You can learn more about moxa under adjunct therapies.
Cupping
We use cups and create a vacuum inside the cup and therefore suction on the skin. The cup(s) are then left on the skin or moved with the help of an oil lubricant depending on the needs of the person. This process can release not only muscle and nerve tension, but can move stuck energy of many kinds benefiting all sorts of conditions. These conditions include but are not limited to the common cold, breathing difficulties, menstrual pain, digestive issues, headaches, arthritis, and much more. The process commonly leaves bruises in the area treated. It is not painful, and if there is any discomfort it is only comparable to that of a deep tissue massage.
Herbal Medicine
Herbal medicine is older than humans. Just as wild animals sustain themselves on their environment and the natural resources surrounding them, hunter-gatherers used their environment for self medicating. If they were sick, they intuitively knew what to eat. It is a
priority in herbal medicine to re-incorporate this integrative way of medicating ourselves into our daily lives. Although there are over a million tons of herbs used each year in China, our culture tends to deny the efficacy of them. This is in part due to a lack of compliance in taking them regularly. This is why it is of utmost importance that the protocol given for each patient be accessible to the everyday routine of that person. Prescriptions are given based on what feels do-able for a person in the form of a pill, powder, or tea. The choice of herbs is also done very carefully and precisely. There are hundreds upon
thousands of herbs to choose from for each individual. Most of the herbs used here are sourced sustainably and as locally as possible as to stay as close to the tradition of an environmentally
based medicine as possible. Sometimes one herb is prescribed by itself, sometimes a formula of 2-12 medicinals is prescribed. The prescription changes over the course of treatment based on the needs of each person.
Microneedling
Microneedling Therapy also called Collagen Induction Therapy (CIT), and Percutaneous (through the skin) Collagen Induction (PCI), is a minimally invasive skin-rejuvenation procedure that involves the use of the MD Needle Pen.
The mechanical action of the pen allows the needles to puncture the skin and create a controlled injury at a specific depth. Each puncture creates a channel that triggers the bodies natural healing process to fill these micro wounds by producing new collagen and elastin in the papillary dermis. In addition, new capillaries are formed for improved blood supply.
With Microneedling, the top layer of the skin is parted without being damaged, leaving the skin intact. It does not “burn” your skin like peels or more invasive lasers. The needle penetration depth can be adjusted from 0.25mm to 2.50mm into the skin depending on the area of the body and the skin condition being treated. Using skin needling consistently will trigger the bodies repair process until the desired level of skin rejuvenation is achieved.
Microneedling results in the production of new collagen and elastin, improvement in skin tone and texture, firmness as well as reduction in scars, pore size, and stretch marks.
As a general rule of thumb, microneedling treatment can be safely done about once a month or every 4 to 6 weeks. This is the frequency that works best for the majority of patients of all skin types, but some patients find that microneedling treatment more or less frequently than this range works best for their skin and their aesthetic goals.
