A Chinese style of acupuncture (Traditional Chinese Medicine) uses stainless steel needles at specific treatment points on the body and is the one most people are familiar with. Acupuncture needles come in various sizes and are used on particular points and areas of the body. A diagnosis includes a tongue and pulse diagnosis along with visual inspection and questioning resulting in a specific treatment plan for your condition. Your treatment may include acupuncture on the front or back of the body, or both depending on your specific condition. This treatment will target your specific problem (and symptoms) as well as the underlying cause of the condition, something we call a root and branch treatment. This unique and wonderful concept treats the whole body enabling it to return to a state of health. Now doesn't that sound nice?
Japanese Style Acupuncture
The Japanese style of acupuncture typically uses a smaller size needle (stainless or gold) with a shallower insertion compared to a Chinese style treatment. Diagnosis is based on abdominal palpation and pulse diagnosis (along with your health history) which indicate a certain pattern (or disharmony) in the body. Specific treatment points are indicated for each pattern and are inserted and removed in a particular order. As with all the other treatments, the goal is to treat the underlying imbalance in order to alleviate the problem and the symptoms. Japanese style treatments often include the use of moxa (or mugwort) burned (over a barrier cream on the skin) on certain points or areas of the body. The heat penetrates the body deeply and warms and improves the flow of energy in the meridians. Your treatment may also include the use of ion pumping cords (IPC) or a combination of stainless and gold needles to "connect" the meridians in the body and encourage the proper flow of energy. The end result is better equilibrium in the body and a healthier you!