What other therapies are offered?

Moxibustion

Moxibustion involves burning dried herbs over specific areas or points of the body. The herb commonly used is called mugwort (artemesia vulgaris) – or a blend of mugwort and other herbs—and is referred to as “moxa.” Moxa comes in many forms: moxa ‘punk’ or loose moxa, sticks of varying sizes, small grains, and many others, and can be burned indirectly over or directly on the body. Moxa’s strong warming quality warms the qi (energy) and blood and improves circulation, especially in disorders characterized by cold, such as menstrual disorders, digestive complaints, and arthritic pain.

Cupping

Cupping is highly beneficial in releasing musculoskeletal tension and pain (which correlates to “stagnation” in the meridian pathways in Oriental Medicine) and removing “pathogens” to alleviate symptoms of the common cold, flu, and other respiratory disorders, amongst other benefits. A vacuum is created by heating the air within a specialized glass cup that is then placed flush against the patient's skin. As the air cools in the cup, a vacuum forms that pulls the skin and underlying fascia into the opening of the cup, stimulating the acupressure effect. There are numerous cupping techniques, and while it is a virtually painless procedure, the results may appear a bit unsightly as bruising is common due to the fact that blood is brought out of the vessels—no, bleeding does not occur.

Gua sha

Gua sha, also called “scraping therapy,” is a technique that involves repeated pressurized strokes over pre-oiled skin with a smooth-edged instrument such as a ceramic Chinese soup spoon, a well worn coin, a polished piece of water buffalo horn, or a piece of jade. With firm pressure, the smooth edge is “scraped” on the surface of the skin along meridian pathways. Similar to the cupping method, this results in the appearance of small red petechiae, referred to as ‘sha.’ This practice removes blood stagnation and promotes circulation and metabolic processes. The marks on the skin may be slightly tender, but are not painful and, in fact, the patient experiences immediate relief from symptoms such as pain, stiffness, cough, and fever.

Electro-Acupuncture (E-Stim)

Electro-acupuncture, also called e-stim or electrical stimulation, is used to provide greater stimulation of an acupuncture point. According to Acupuncture Today, a trade journal for acupuncturists:

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 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." (Acupuncture Today: Electroacupuncture, Feb. 1, 2004)

The sensation felt is a mild tapping, tingling, or buzzing where the needle is inserted, and electro-acupuncture is considered to be especially useful for conditions in which there is an accumulation of qi, such as in chronic pain syndromes, or in cases where the qi is difficult to stimulate.

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