“Will my health insurance cover the treatment?”
Yes. Our practitioner is a registered health provider with most private health funds (GU Health Insurance, BUPA, Australian Unity, Medibank, HBF, NIB, HCF and Australian Regional Health Group (ARHG)) ensuring that you will receive a refund on a percentage of your Acupuncture consultation. Additionally, a few funds will provide a refund on a percentage of herbal medicine and massage consultations.
“How many treatments will I need?”
One of the fundamental principles of Chinese medicine is to treat each patient individually. But as a general rule acute conditions with a recent onset will require less treatments, whilst chronic conditions such as autoimmune conditions or chronic pain will require a longer term treatment plan.
Are Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicines safe?
The short answer is yes. In Australia all Chinese Medicine practitioners must be registered with the Chinese Medicine Board of Australia (CMBA) and have undertaken nationally accredited and approved tertiary degrees. Only trained professionals who use sterile single use needles and who practice rigorous infection control guidelines are permitted to perform Acupuncture.
Chinese herbal medicine has been continually practiced for over 3000 years and is based upon clinical empirical evidence. When prescribing your herbal formula your practitioner precisely balances each individual herb’s therapeutic action to improve efficacy and reduce any adverse side effects. Upon occasion some minor side effects may occur (such as increased thirst or changed bowel movements), so please inform your practitioner if you experience any symptoms. Additionally, you will need to inform your practitioner if you are taking any western medications as they may cause a herb-drug interaction. Your practitioner is trained in western pharmacology and will balance the herbal formula to prevent any herb-drug interactions.
“Does Acupuncture hurt?”
Unlike thick and hollow hypodermic needles that are used to administer medications or draw blood, acupuncture needles are extremely fine and flexible (in fact you can fit several acupuncture needles into the head of a hypodermic needle). Whether or not acupuncture is painful depends upon the individual, some people may experience a small momentary sting as the acupuncture needle is inserted into the top layer of the skin, whilst others will report no pain at all. As the acupuncture begins to take effect some patient’s may experience a feeling of numbness or a tingling or heavy sensation, which may occur at both the point of insertion and other areas of the body. This is perfectly normal and indicates that the Qi (chi) is now freely flowing.
There is minimal risk when a registered Chinese Medicine practitioner performs Acupuncture, however on occasion a small surface bruise occur.
“How is Acupuncture different from dry needling?”
Dry needling involves the insertion of an acupuncture needle into a trigger point (a tight band of muscle) to resolve muscular pain. Dry needling is also known as trigger point acupuncture, or more traditionally as Ah Shi acupuncture, and is one of the many needle techniques that a trained registered Acupuncturist can employ to obtain the best results. Treatment from a registered Acupuncturist encompasses more than just the insertion of needles into tender muscle points; as the focus of Chinese Medicine is to identify and treat the underlying cause of the condition and to prevent the condition from reoccurring. Your Chinese Medicine practitioner will complete a comprehensive patient assessment, diagnosis and an individualised treatment plan incorporating different needling techniques and therapies such as cupping, moxibustion, massage and herbal medicines.
Unlike dry needling, Acupuncture can treat a wide range of conditions such as emotional disorders, digestive complaints, gynaecological conditions, infertility, respiratory problems and autoimmune disorders.
Does Cupping or Gua Sha hurt?
Cupping therapy aims to relieve stagnation and tension in the affected region by loosening muscles, stretching fascia, encouraging blood flow and oxygenation to the tissues, and sedating the nervous system. Patients may experience mild to strong pressure (similar to deep tissue massage) as the superficial muscle layer is drawn into the cup; this technique is effective in providing pain relief and healing through pressure. Depending upon the intensity of the cupping the patient may have red or slightly purple non-painful marks upon their skin, which will dissipate within a few days. If you have an event to attend, please inform your practitioner and an alternative treatment method will be employed.
Gua Sha therapy works similarly to cupping and increases surface circulation of blood to the affected region to reduce pain and inflammation. The patient may experience some discomfort akin to a deep tissue massage as painful areas are treated.
Doesn’t Chinese Herbal Medicine use endangered species?
Definitely not. In Australia the practice of Chinese Medicine is highly regulated by law and all practitioners must operate under strict guidelines that regulate the use of animal and plant products.