Acupuncture

We have 3 'types' of Acupuncture available at Brownstone Health.

Traditional Chinese Medicine: Acupuncture has been practiced in Asia for thousands of years but only in the past 40 years has it really spread to the Western world. The premise is that TCM treatment encourages your body to promote it’s own natural healing abilities and improve it’s own functioning. Most scientific studies done on acupuncture show its effectiveness in decreasing pain (both chronic and acute). In terms of the Western view, acupuncture works due to a variety of scientific reasons, including:

stimulating the release of pain-relieving endorphins,

influencing the release of neurotransmitters,

influencing the nervous system and stimulating circulation.

Therefore many patients seek acupuncture care for cases of: post-operative recovery, muscle/tendon/ligament injuries, low back or neck pain, endometriosis and arthritis.

In terms of its effects on the sympathetic nervous systems, patients seek out treatment to aid in quitting addictions, aid stress reduction and management of anxiety disorders. Acupuncture is also commonly used by pregnant women to induce labour safely and naturally- from our TCM practitioner, not one of our chiropractors or physiotherapists.

Patients may be treated laying face down or face up, depending on the course of action the acupuncturist decides upon. Along with acupuncture needles, patients will also be treated using various Traditional Chinese methods including cupping, massage techniques, ear seeds, intradermal needles, moxibustion and infrared heat. The additional methods will depend on patients current symptoms and may vary session to session.

Musculoskeletal Approach: These types of treatments are from either chiropractors or physiotherapists, trained in TCM musculoskeletal acupuncture or dry needling. The insurance receipt will be from either the chiropractor or physiotherapist, and the needling is considered an adjunct or addition to that musculoskeletal treatment. This type Acupuncture is indicated for sport injury management, pain, inflammation, and muscle trigger point release (dry needling). The professionals at Brownstone Health have been trained through the Acupuncture Foundation of Canada, in various dry-needling techniques, in myofascial release techniques, and are always upgrading our clinical skills.

Your first visit is one hour, with the following treatments approximately 30 minutes. Please be certain to check with your private insurance to see if it covers the designations of our practitioners.