Regular Exercise + Regular Acupuncture

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When you think about maintaining your general health and wellbeing, what springs to mind? For many of us, a nutritious, balanced diet, a regular gym routine, drinking plenty of water and getting sufficient sleep are all high on the list. But have you ever considered incorporating regular acupuncture into your self-care routine?

Please feel free to get in touch to find out how an acupuncture treatment may be able to support you and for appointments visit our online bookings page .

This month, peak professional organisation for qualified acupuncturists and TCM practitioners across Australia, AACMA, is encouraging people to consider including regular acupuncture sessions into their New Year health routines.

“Having regular acupuncture treatments is like taking your car for a service,” says president of the Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Association (AACMA) Waveny Holland. “If you take your car for regular servicing, it runs well and is less likely to break down.”

The same goes for your body: it will run efficiently if you keep it maintained and serviced, and acupuncture is one of the best ways to get a whole-of-body treatment.

“More and more people including other health professionals are experiencing the benefits of regular sessions. These health professionals who practice in the western medical world are recognising how good Chinese medicine is at maintaining good health and wellbeing. Even after 26 years of study and practice, it still awes me. I believe Chinese medicine really is the best way to treat a body.”

Why should I make acupuncture part of my wellness routine?

Many people initially seek out treatment when something goes wrong in the way the body should be working – for example, gut issues after overindulging on food and wine during the holiday period, or sinus issues and arthritis flare-ups in winter. But regular acupuncture incorporated into your lifestyle can help you avoid specific conditions and stay healthy all year round.

“Acupuncture can treat a lot of conditions, but if you’re having regular treatments, you’re less likely to suffer from any of them in the first place,” Waveny explains.

And regardless of the reason behind that first visit, the positive effects can be felt throughout the whole body.

“Even if we’re specifically targeting certain conditions, it’s still going to impact the whole body, because we’re working with qi, which circulates around the entire body,” explains Waveny. “No matter where in the body you work on that qi, the whole body will feel the beneficial effects.”

As a result, acupuncture can improve the overall normal functioning of the body, boosting your immune system and gut health, managing stress and helping your body operate at a better level in general – meaning you’re less likely to get sick, Waveny shares.

What are the mental health benefits?

In our fast-paced world, the importance of taking time out to de-stress cannot be overstated. And according to Waveny, acupuncture can be an incredibly relaxing experience. “Certain points just immediately calm the mind,” she says. “There are points on the head and on the feet that do this, and you immediately relax when they’re stimulated.”

There’s also a degree of talking therapy involved, with plenty of time allocated to each appointment – usually a minimum half an hour, if not 45 minutes to an hour.

“Because we spend more time, people can actually talk through their fears and needs and desires,” explains Waveny. “Generally a GP appointment is around 10 minutes and up to 20 which doesn’t give much time for asking questions or discussion and as doctors offer a prescription or referrals for tests or investigations, you don’t necessarily feel any better than when you first walked in. Having the opportunity to just chat to someone, on the other hand, can help ease a busy mind – and that’s a very powerful part of what we do to maintain wellness. Simply talking can be therapeutic without even putting a needle in.”

How often do I need a treatment?

If you feel as though your wellness routine is already packed to the brim with daily exercise, meeting sleep requirements and preparing healthy food, fear not: you don’t need to completely clear your schedule in order to add acupuncture into the mix.

“Exercise can certainly calm the mind and help to de-stress but the effects do not last, while combining with regular acupuncture seems to have a longer lasting effect,” says Waveny.

“People exercise five times a week, but you don’t have to get acupuncture five times a week to experience the same benefits of wellbeing.”

So how often do should you get a treatment? Well, it really depends on the individual, says Waveny. For general maintenance, anything from monthly to six-weekly is a great place to start.

“I have patients who come every month, I have quite a few people who come fortnightly for a Chinese remedial massage, I have some who come three-weekly – all these people value the benefits that acupuncture treatments provide for general body maintenance and wellbeing.”

What do I need to know before my first treatment?

Going to your first treatment might seem daunting – but there’s really nothing to worry about. Communicating openly with your practitioner so they know if you’re feeling nervous will enable them to explain your diagnosis and proposed treatment to you so you understand what will happen and you can give informed consent to be treated.

“Ask whatever questions you need to make you feel comfortable with your choice to have acupuncture,” says Waveny, adding that an open dialogue is key. “If someone comes in and tells me they really don’t like needles, that tells me the patient is already fearful, so I’ll go in very gently and massage a point very thoroughly before I put a needle in. I also talk to them the whole time, so their mind isn’t physically engaged with the body.  For me, it’s a partnership between client and practitioner. If you’ve booked an acupuncture treatment, you’re there because you’re ready to get some kind of beneficial outcome, but you need to ask any questions you’d like to have answered to feel safe and comfortable.”

Be Kind To Yourself This Festive Season

The festive season can bring endless celebrations, gatherings and get-togethers. While it’s lots of fun, it can easily take its toll on your health, leaving you with that heavy season feeling. 

To stay balanced this festive season you can:

Eat until you are about 60% full: 
To ensure that your digestion is not over loaded and you can process all the food eaten.

Try not to 'run on empty': 
With so many commitments during this busy period, it can be common to find yourself skipping meals or reaching for fast options in between commitments. This can not only wear down your immune defence but increase the absorption of alcohol.

Stay hydrated:
Another way to take the strain off your digestive system is to keep your water consumption up while indulging in food and alcohol. It will also give your kidneys a bit of much needed support, as they are tasked with constantly flushing the increase in processed waste material that enters your body on a night out.

Acupuncture and Chinese herbs:
can also be used to promote the movement of Qi benefiting the digestion and energy.

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ACUPUNCTURE & PREGNANCY

We’ve had the opportunity to support several women in their late stages of pregnancy at the clinic this week.

Pre-birth acupuncture can help to prepare the body for natural labour. Also, the teaching of acupressure to a woman’s partner or support people can make a great difference to the levels of pain experienced during labour.

For more information about, or to book a treatment during pregnancy please do get in touch

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WELCOMING SPRING!

It’s nice to be able to embrace the warmer weather at this time of year, though some of us may notice that we feel a little out of sorts as we transition between seasons. In Chinese medicine, Spring is linked to the liver, which is responsible for smooth function and flow throughout the body. 


5 Signs Your Liver May Need Some Attention
1. You are experiencing headaches – stagnation
2. You are experiencing muscle cramps or feel stiff
3. You feel more irritable than normal
4. Your digestion is a little sluggish
5. Your eyes are irritated
 The eyes are linked with the liver system, so on top of the increased allergen levels during spring many people can find they suffer from eye pain, dryness, fatigue and watering.

A seasonal acupuncture treatment can help balance your system and help alleviate symptoms you may be experiencing.

As always please feel free to make an instant online booking or get in touch if there is anything we can help you with. 

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COLD & FLU SEASON

Many people think of acupuncture to help relieve pain or headache. But the practice of traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture are well suited to helping you avoid or treat colds and flu.

How can acupuncture support you during the cold and flu season?

Acupuncture can: 

·       Prevent colds and flu by boosting the immune system

·       Help you get over the cold or flu faster if you already have it

·       Reduce chills, fever and body aches

·       Relieve sore throat and congestion

WELCOMING WINTER

5 TIPS TO KEEP YOU FEELING YOUR BEST

Image - abc.ne

Image - abc.ne

WELCOMING WINTER
Living in synergy with the seasons is a traditional Chinese practice for longevity. In the Chinese system Winter is inactive, slow, cold and damp. It’s the season of slowing down. We are more susceptible to colds and flu during the Winter season as the cold weather challenges our immune system. It’s a good idea to nourish ourselves, eat well, keep warm and be well rested.
 
As we continue to notice the transition into Winter over the coming weeks it can be a good idea to embrace the changes in the natural world around us with a few small tweaks to our own behaviours and busy schedules. 
 
Remember To Rug Up
It may seem simple, but keeping warm is key to preventing the flu. Wherever possible try to ensure your body and neck aren’t exposed to the wind or cold, this helps you to not only stay warm but preserve the energy your body would otherwise use to keep you warm. 

Enjoy Some Extra Sleep
Most people generally get around 6 to 7 hours sleep a night. However, in Winter the longer nights encourage us to get a little extra sleep. If you can, use this time to catch up on sleep – it’s perfectly natural to sleep for about 8 to 9 hours. Poor sleep, especially in Winter, can affect our energy, mood concentration and stress levels.
 
Eat Nourishing Foods
When it’s cold and dark outside, we can be tempted to eat unhealthy foods. It’s a good idea to maintain a healthy diet with nourishing foods, fruits and vegetables each day. Warming foods help warm the body, expel cold and increase circulation. Eat more winter vegetables and soups such as carrots, parsnips, pumpkin and turnips.
 
Keep Exercising
When it’s cold outside, it can be easier to stay indoors and relax rather than exercise. It’s a good idea to continue with your usual exercise routine to help control winter weight and boost your immune system.
 
Get Some Vitamin D
It can be hard to catch the sun with the shorter days in Winter. However, reduced exposure to sunlight can result in reduced vitamin D which can leave you feeling a bit low or flat. 
 
As always if we can help with an accupuncture session please do get in touchAcupuncture can be a great support to our health by relieving stuck energy caused by a lack of exercise and the cold weather, as well as strentgthening our defences.
Remember to stay warm, hydrated and nourished. 

Welcoming Autumn

WELCOMING AUTUMN

Living in synergy with the seasons is a traditional Chinese practice for longevity.
As we continue to notice the transition between seasons over the coming weeks it can be a good idea to embrace the changes in the natural world around us with a few small tweaks to our own behaviours and busy schedules. 

Eating For Autumn
Now is a good time to transition our diet, eating less cooling foods such as salads and raw dishes and more warming foods such as stews and roasts. As Autumn is the season associated with wind and dryness it's important to nourish our bodies and support our immune systems with heartier ingredients and longer cooking times.To find out the ingredients that are in season now check out this article from Good Food for some inspiration. 

'Let It Go' 
 
Autumn is traditionally considered to be a time of letting go, reflected in nature when things begin to fall and mature. Traditional Chinese medicine associates this shift with the energy of the lung system. Releasing negative energy, partly to allow the movement into winter hibernation to occur with a healthy and clear mindset can be a positive thing. One of the easiest ways to help strengthen ourlungs and support the process of letting go is to breathe deeply. It may sound simple, but many of us don't take the opportunity to breathe deeply and this can affect things like our memory, energy levels and immune system. When we breathe deeply we are flooding our organs and cells with much needed oxygen that is vital to all of our internal processes. 

Get More Sleep

Across Autumn the days become shorter and the mornings are darker. It can be a positive thing to move with this seasonal change, get more sleep and slow down. Sleep is regenerative following the high activity of the summer months, and will also help support the immune system going into Winter.

Support Your Immune System

We all know how taxing Winter can be on our immune systems. Colds and flu seem to get the better of us and healing times are frequently slower. It can be a good idea to prepare for the Winter months feeling our best. As always if we can help with an acupuncture session please do get in touch.  

The Year of the 'Fire Rooster'

THE YEAR OF THE 'FIRE ROOSTER'

The year of the 'Fire Rooster’ is nearly upon us with the approach of Chinese New Year on the 28th of January. The Chinese Zodiac predicts that this year will be a dominant one, with no middle road when it comes to moving forward. Loyalty, commitment and hard work are some of the characteristics that will be rewarded this year. In Chinese Medicine, the element of fire is ’yang’ in character, its motion is upward and its energy is expansive. However, it’s always a good idea to sustain a balance when it comes to how to focus our energy.

If we can help to maintain your health and assist you in meeting the challenges of the year ahead please feel free to visit our website or make a booking. Wishing you all the best for the ’Year of the Fire Rooster’! 

'Roosters' - from a recent study trip to Kyoto Japan

'Roosters' - from a recent study trip to Kyoto Japan