A 5,000-year-old medicine whereby hair-thin needles are inserted into the body using specific points on specific channels to restore balance to the body. Acupuncture is known to help reduce inflammation, restore homeostasis to the body and boost immunity. Each session is specific to the patient’s presenting signs and symptoms.   

Chinese herbs are used in thousands of formulas that can be written specifically for your health and wellbeing. Herbs can be cooked raw into a tea, or can be made into capsule or tea pill according to what your practitioner thinks will work best for you. Chinese herbalists have to be certified to write and prescribe formulas and require additional schooling and board/licensing certifications. 

Translated to mean push/pull. This Chinese Medicine massage technique is often used before or after acupuncture to help balance and restore qi flow and harmony to the muscles of the body. Various techniques are used in relation to the patient’s needs and goals.

Cupping is a Chinese medicine technique where cups (glass jars, or plastic containers) are placed along your body and using either fire or a vacuum tool, a suction is created. (and either by using the classical technique of lighting an alcohol-soaked cotton ball on fire or a special tool, the oxygen inside the container is eliminated creating a vacuum seal). This seal pulls up stagnant qi and blood, breaks up the pattern of muscle tension and tightness, as well as toxicity from the body.  Cupping can be used for a variety of issues, including respiratory - coughing, fever, asthma, wheezing, allergies, as well as pain and injury relief anywhere on the body, shoulders, back, lower back, hips, IT band, migraines/headaches. The “cupping” marks leave red bruised marks where the cups were placed and will fade within 5-10 days depending on the patient’s healing. The goal is to eliminate pain and open the channels with qi and blood. 

Using a specific gua sha tool, this Chinese Medicine technique is trending now for it’s face care benefits of lifting, sculpting and relieving tension in the muscles of the face, neck, jaw.  However, Gua Sha, or skin scraping, has been used for thousands of years as part of chinese medicine. The tool is used to apply pressure and/or scrape along muscle and channels where there is tension, stagnation and pain. The goal of the tool is bringing “sha” or grains of sands to the surface which look like tiny red dots (sand)- which helps eliminate stagnation, inflammation and pain. It’s beneficial for breaking down scar tissue, as well as many musculoskeletal issues, like neck and back pain, carpal tunnel as well as joint and tendon injuries. 

Using the herb Ai ye, “moxa” or mugwort - a practitioner will light the herb near or around the body to strengthen blood, move qi and support overall healing.  Often it is used for cold and deficient issues. There are two forms of moxa a practitioner can use -- indirect moxa (moxa stick) or a direct moxa (cone shaped directly burned onto the skin with a barrier cream)  - the moxa is burned either near or on specific acupuncture points or around an area of deficiency or pain. The heat of the moxa can deeply warm and move qi and energy around the body. There are a multitude of ways to use moxa in practice.  A few clinical ways moxa can be used, warming and moving stagnant blood and qi in a chronic injury to increase circulation and deeply warm the muscles, as well as helping alleviate cramps, bloating and distension from GI or gynecological disorders.