Your Acupuncture journey to health starts with you Initial Consultation. In this consultation your practitioner will take history taking; Questions may be asked about your medical history, other aspects of your health and lifestyle that may affect your treatment and recovery. Our practitioners will also take a measurement of your pulse and check your tongue. Both of these are unique to Chinese medicine and are invaluable in our diagnosis.

In most cases treatment will be given in the first session. Your treatment may include Acupuncture, Cupping, Moxibusion and/or Chinese Herbal Medicine. You may also be given lifestyle advice, exercises or dietary changes that are necessary for a swift recovery.

What to expect before, during & after Acupuncture treatments

As you have expereinced your Acupuncture session begins with you lying on the Acupuncture table, the acupuncturist will then insert acupuncture needles in specific points on your body, mostly commonly arms, hands, legs and feet. The acupuncture needles are then retained for 20-30 minutes. You can expect to be in our clinic for -45-50minutes for most treatments.

When the needles are inserted you will may anything from a “spark” sensation, numbness, tingling, aching, heaviness, or stinging. The sensation usually lasts a few seconds and then goes away; inform the acupuncturist if the spark sensation does not dissipate after 10 seconds, as the point may need adjusting.

BEFORE TREATMENT

Maintain good personal hygiene. If skin in needed area is dirty your Acupuncturist will use alcohol swaps on areas prior to needle insertion.

Wear loose clothing that can easily be rolled up to expose your arms & legs. Avoid wearing tight clothing. This allows your Acupuncturist to access needed areas without the need for undressing, however covering sheets are provided as needed.

Prior to coming for Acupuncture eat a little snack if you are hungry. Acupuncture can reduce blood sugar, therefore if you arrive starving you may leave a little nauseous or light headed after treatment.

Drink plenty of water but avoid coffee right before treatments. It helps the Acupuncture work.

DURING TREATMENTS

RELAX. The most important part of your treatment is for you to relax. Your body starts to heal and cells regenerate when you are resting, that’s why sleep is so important. We use relaxing music in the treatment rooms, but if you prefer to listen to guided meditation or your own relaxing soundtrack let us know. Keeping in mind anything stimulating will detract from the treatment. DO NOT change your position or move suddenly. Small adjustments are acceptable.

AFTER TREATMENTS

Rest & Relax= take it easy for the rest of the day. Try not to fatigue yourself or over-exercise after treatments. This may prevent your body from healing itself and nullify the treatment. You can continue your daily activities and do a light workout. After an Acupuncture session your body may experience one of the following:

(1) Improvement of symptoms

(2) No change of symptoms, in many chronic conditions it will take more than 1 session to see change

(3) Slightly increased intensity of symptoms, but D.O NOT be alarmed, the intensity usually decreases before your next treatment.

Most patients experience either an improvement of symptoms however a small percentage will experience an increase in the intensity of your original symptoms, do not be alarmed. This just means your body has begun to change & is reacting to the treatments. Normally, after the 2nd or 3rd treatment, your body will have adapted to the treatments and begun to heal.

It is important for you to go about your day as you normally would, trying not to exacerbate the pain. During this period of time, we ask that you maintain your regular levels of activity so as not to quickly trigger a return of symptoms. In some cases, a chronic condition can go away in one, or couple of treatments. Follow up Acupuncture is to ensure that it doesn’t come back.

FREQUENCY OF TREATMENT

Unlike most modalities you can’t have Acupuncture appointments to close together but you can have them too far apart. Most conditions we recommend 2 sessions per week over the first couple of weeks, in order to kick-start the healing process, after which most people have seen a big change in symptoms so we reduce frequency. However, your practitioner will guide you on the best plan for your specific condition. Once a solid change is seen we reduce the frequency of treatment, till it is no longer needed.

So, keep in mind that if after today’s session you have a positive change, but we are unable to see you again till next week then we run the risk that we may be starting at square one each and every treatment. AND we don’t want that! Instead, we want your symptoms to improve and to continue to improve after each and every session.

HOW MANY TREATMENTS WILL I NEED?

Most people who seek out Acupuncture have pain or illness of a chronic nature, so generally a series of treatments are needed. We ask that in order to really know if Acupuncture is going to work for you is to commit to 5-6 treatments over the next couple of weeks, after which is there is no change, we will be the first to recommend a change in treatment plan or refer on.

Most Chronic conditions we ask that you commit to 5-6 sessions as close together as possible; ideally 2-3 sessions per week over the first two weeks. As long as your symptoms are reducing, we will then reduce to once per week, then once per fortnight. Most clients come once per month for a follow up tune up, to make sure that the problem never returns again.

For information about Acupuncture for Fertility support see our page HERE

For our Ferility & IVF Support FAQ’s page visit HERE

For information about Acupuncture for Male Factor Fertility see our page HERE

Yes Yes Yes!

One of the biggest mistake couples make is discounting the male aspect and putting all the focus on the female. Current research suggests that male infertility or sub-infertility accounts for approximately 40% of fertility issues. To find out more please visit Dr Lauren (TCM)’s blog HERE 

If you would like to come in together please call us on (03) 87197373 so we can set up a couples consult or use our online booking system HERE and select Initital Couples Fertility Acupuncture

Acupuncture is based upon the ancient Chinese form of needle therapy, practiced for over 1000 years in China. It is popular for its use in the treatment of acute and chronic pain, as well as many internal illnesses.

During treatment, very thin, solid, hair-like needles are inserted into specific points in the body. In Chinese these points are called “neural nodes” (jie) and the stimulation of these nodes affects both the central and peripheral nervous systems. It triggers the release of the body’s internal chemicals such as endorphins and encephalin, which have pain-relieving properties. If you have pain that is lingering or is not being treated by other modalities, then acupuncture offers a time-tested, very reliable method of pain relief.

Mistranslations of Chinese Acupuncture textbooks into the English language, has created some misinformation about acupuncture and what it really is in the west. Acupuncture is not an energy medicine, Acupuncture is not voodoo, religion or magic and there are no visible energy meridians!

Acupuncture in fact is a real physical medicine, based on real human anatomy not energy, developed via dissection similarly to allopathic western medicine practiced by your doctor that we are familiar within Australia. Acupuncture actually improves the flow of oxygen (or as we call it Qi), nutrients (Ying Qi) and blood (Xue) through the blood vessel system.

The theory is that Acupuncture benefits blood flow – An Acupuncturists believes that many ailments within the body are caused by impaired blood flow in the body (or as we call it blood stagnation)! When there is impaired blood flow to any area of the body, it cannot function properly or heal. Acupuncture can cause blood vessels to dilate (expand) and increases the blood flow to specific areas of the body to relieve pain. 

Acupuncture also stimulates the nervous system by activating nociceptors, sensory nerves and proprioceptor fibers that travel from the skin to the spine and from the spine to the brain. Acupuncture actually improves the nerve signals to the brain and forces your brain to release opioids (natural painkillers) to shut of pain signals and eliminate your pain.

Acupuncturists believe that 5 main factors that influence your health:

·    The flow of oxygen in your body (Qi)

·    The flow of blood in your body (Xue)

·    The health of your blood vessels (Xue Mai)

·    The health of your organs (Zang Fu)

·    The health of your nervous system (Jing Mai)

In short, Acupuncture aims to stimulate the body’s natural ability to heal itself!

Acupuncture treats an endless number of conditions (see below) on its own or in conjunction with Chinese Herbal medicine or other therapies. So if you are looking for a natural solution to your health problems, without drugs or side effects then Acupuncture is defiantly worth a try!

The main three benefits of acupuncture are:

• Relieves pain
• Decreases inflammation
• Restores homeostasis

How Acupuncture works is a very complex matter and to understand how Acupuncture works it is best to understand the basic mechanisms of pain and physiology in relation to injuries.

Any time there is pain in the body, there are sensory nerves, which are firing; these may or may not be related to a structural problem causing the sensory dysfunction. It is suggested 90-95%[v] of the time with chronic pain; particularly lower back pain there is no major structural reason/cause for the pain (nothing pushing on a nerve, no bulging disc, nothing leaning on a spinal nerve) but the person still has pain!

In most of our minds is the assumption is that if you have pain, there must be a structural reason for it. In other words, there must be some form of structure, being bone, soft tissue, disc or some object actually pushing on the sensory nerve, causing it to continuously fire. This assumption is not always true. So why is the pain still there?

This is because the patient is caught in a sensory motor loop, meaning their body has literally forgotten how to shut the pain down. This is due to a neuropathic problem where the nerve itself is swollen, firing continuously, sending incorrect information to the brain; hence creating a major problem for the patient where they are stuck in a pain cycle.

The second problem involves a survival mechanism that the brain evolved a very long time ago. Let’s take a knee injury as an example. When we bang our knee into something, the brain immediately takes measures to protect it. The brain doesn’t know what happened to the knee, but it assumes a worst-case scenario, that you are losing a lot of blood and thus the injury becomes in your brain life threatening.

What the brain does in this situation is restrict the blood supply going into the knee and the blood return coming out of the knee. This is actually a very intelligent choice. If a venomous snake bit you, reducing blood flow around the knee will lessen the chance that the poison will spread. And if you were cut badly, reducing the blood flow will lessen your chances of bleeding to death.

This phenomenon is known as “guarding”. One of the results of reducing blood flow to the knee is that it becomes stiff and weak. This was a great strategy before the advent of western emergency medicine. Almost everyone would prefer to lose function in his or her knee rather than death. But this isn’t a choice most of us have to make anymore, because when we cut our knee or get bitten by a snake we can go to the hospital and it can save our lives. And the problem is that cutting off blood flow to the knee – while it may have saved our lives in times past – dramatically limits the knee’s ability to heal.

So how does Acupuncture help? Well by inserting needles into the skin at neurovascular nodes we create a series of events within the body;

Firstly it is believed that acupuncture insertion causes “jumps” at the neural threshold on the position nerve pathway, so that the signal can reach the brain. Once the signal reaches the brain a whole series of events occur including vasodilation (increased blood flow), release of enkephalins (the bodies own pain killers), and immune stimulation. However what isn’t quite understood is Acupuncture’s unique ability to stimulate areas that are not being touched by the needle (see above what is an Acupuncture point for more information).

Most pain relief from Acupuncture is very fast. However after needling the pain will come back, the old habits of the nerve chronically firing re-establishes itself. The body, just like the mind, has a hard time breaking bad habits.

But if the patient returns in a couple of days to get another treatment, the neural threshold will be jumped again. And if you keep jumping the neural threshold, eventually the central and peripheral nervous system figure out that it’s better to operate in the non-pain state than in the pain state. The technical term for this is re-establishment of neurological homeostasis.

Once this happens, the brain is no longer receiving pain signals from the knee. It no longer thinks the knee is injured or threatening the survival of the body.

The mechanisms underlying how acupuncture relieves pain have been extensively researched for over 60 years. In basic science animal studies, Acupuncture has been observed to activate all four types of afferent nerve fibers. These fibers include the thick myelinated Aα and Aβ fibers, the thin myelinated Aδ fibers, and the thin unmyelinated C-fibers, all of which innervate skin and muscle. The innervation of fascia is less well known but is thought to include abundant nociceptors. Single afferent fiber recordings found predominantly C and A fiber activation in to Acupuncture (1). Manual manipulation of the needle, typically including lifting and thrusting to elicit de qi, dynamically alters the extracellular milieu, resulting in rotational deformation of fascia tissue, which may affect the physiology and gene expression of fibroblasts.

Numerous biochemicals have been identified including opioid and non-opioid neuropeptides, and neurotransmitters such as serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine, cytokines, glutamate, nitric oxide, and gamma-amino-butyric-acid (GABA). Acupuncture analgesia has been shown to involve several classes of naturally produced opioid neuropeptides including enkephalins, endorphins, dynorphins, endomorphins, and nociceptin (also known as Orphanin FQ). Among the non-opioid neuropeptides, substance P (SP), vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), which plays a central role in the pathogenesis of migraine, have been investigated for their roles in both the analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of acupuncture.

Many biochemical and signaling pathways have been identified as playing a direct role in how acupuncture achieves its clinical effects, but perhaps the most central pathway that acupuncture uses, one that helps explain how it is effective in such a diverse array of clinical areas, is that acupuncture has been demonstrated to directly initiate a process called purinergic signaling, a primitive and ubiquitous system in the body using adenosine and ATP for signaling and regulation in all tissues and organ systems. It is now understood that all nerve transmission requires ATP as a co-factor and the that the body uses purine levels as a primary background signal of both healthy function and tissue damage. Studies on mice demonstrate that those that were bred to be unable to bind to adenosine did not have pain relief from acupuncture nor any of the chemical changes associated with acupuncture pain relief, while the normal mice did and this effect was repeated in humans.

Purinergic signaling has been demonstrated to play a central role in such diverse linical areas as migraines and headaches, immune dysfunction and inflammation, cancer, autism, Alzheimer’s, cardiovascular disease, endocrine function , embryological development While pharmaceutical companies are currently attempting to develop drugs in all of these areas to inhibit or enhance purinergic signaling, safety is an issue as the balance of these compounds at the cellular level is delicate, and both too much and too little adenosine and ATP are associated with disease. However, stimulating improved self-regulation of purinergic signaling through acupuncture treatment is likely both effective and safe.

In addition to biochemical actions, studies also demonstrate direct effects of acupuncture on the central nervous system. These include spinal reflex effects, where acupuncture stimulates muscle relaxation and changes in visceral organs. In the brain, acupuncture has been shown to change functional connectivity, decreasing activity in limbic structures associated with stress and illness while improving the regulation of the hypothalamus, pituitary, adrenal axis, the primary system that the body uses for regulating hormones and the physiological stress response. Additionally, acupuncture modulates parasympathetic activity, the branch of the nervous system associated with rest, relaxation, digestion and tissue healing. (11)

Research into acupuncture as a medical treatment has grown exponenti ally in the past 20 years, increasing at twice the rate of research into conventional biomedicine. Over this period, there have been over 13,000 studies conducted in 60 countries, including hundreds of meta-analyses summarising the results of thousands of human and animal studies. With nearly 1,000 systematic reviews of acupuncture, getting a sense of what the evidence shows can be a challenge. Fortunately, the entire literature base was summarized in 2010 by the Australian Department of Veteran Aairs. This review was updated in 2014 by the US Department of Veteran Affairs and then again in 2017 by John McDonald and Stephen Janz, the authors of the Acupuncture Evidence Project.

“It is no longer possible to say that the effectiveness of acupuncture can be attributed to the placebo effect or that it is useful only for musculoskeletal pain.”

STEPHEN JANZ

The Acupuncture Evidence Project reviewed the eectiveness of acupuncture for 122 treatments over 14 clinical areas. They found some evidence of eect for 117 conditions. “Our study found evidence for the eectiveness of acupuncture for 117 conditions, with stronger evidence for acupuncture’s eectiveness for some conditions than others. Acupuncture is considered safe in the hands of a well-trained practitioner and has been found to be cost-eective for some conditions. The quality and quantity of research into acupuncture’s eectiveness is increasing.” Acupuncture Evidence Project, pg 55 (10).

While acupuncture enjoys high-level clinical evidence for dozens of conditions, translating trial research into official medical guidelines can take time. However, a recent review examined clinical guideline recommendations from around the world made by a variety of groups including government health institutions, national guidelines, and medical specialty groups. Over a 27 year period, they found 2189 positive recommendations for acupuncture for 204 health problems, mainly in guidelines published in North America, Europe and Australasia. (11)

Modern research suggests that Acupuncture points that have been used to treat countless conditions in thousands of people are so powerful because these sites are actually neurovascular nodes (Neuro meaning nerve, and Vascular meaning veins, lymph vessels and arteries). That is, that Acupuncture points are areas within the tissue that have greater concentration of sensory fibres, fine blood vessels, fine lymphatic vessels and mast cells[ii], thus pressure or needle penetration at these points will cause greater reaction within the body compared with surrounding areas. We also know that the corneum stratum above acupuncture points is slightly thinner than the surrounding area with a lower electrical resistance.

So simply put by gentle needle penetration into these areas within the body will cause complex electrical and chemical messages to be conducted through the body via the nervous system, hormonal system, lymphatic and immune system. In clinic I like to refer to Acupuncture points as reactionary points, meaning that needling this point will create a reaction within the body.

A great example of this is the famous Acupuncture point which in the west we term Liver 3 (Tai Chong) which among its many uses can be used to treat eye pain or eye headaches. And guess what, it is nowhere near the eye!

As you can see Liver 3 is located on the foot in the depression proximal to the first metatarsal space. Interestingly enough needling this point increases blood flow to the choroid of the eye[iii]. Although more research is needed on each individual Acupuncture point, in clinic we are constantly amazed at how brilliantly these Acupuncture points work, and even more stumped at how the Chinese Acupuncturists discovered these amazing functions of these neurovascular nodes over 1000 years ago.

At Balanced Life Health Care we offer several different types of Acupuncture; Traditional Chinese Acupuncture, Electro-Acupuncture, Motor Point Sports Acupuncture & Distal (balance-Tung) style Acupuncture. Part of our role as Acupuncturist’s is to use the most effective style for your condition, in many cases it involves a blend of styles. Lets explore these different types.

Traditional Chinese Acupuncture; 

Traditional Chinese acupuncture is a healing practice that involves inserting very thin needles into specific points on the body to balance the flow of energy, or Qi (pronounced “chee”), through pathways called meridians.

It’s part of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), which has been used for thousands of years to treat various physical, mental, and emotional conditions. The core idea is that illness arises when Qi is blocked or unbalanced, and acupuncture aims to restore harmony by stimulating certain points, called acupoints, along the meridians. This is the most common form of Acupuncture practised in Australia.

Electro-Acupuncture; 

Electro-acupuncture is a modern twist on traditional acupuncture. It uses the same fine needles, but once they’re inserted into the body, the practitioner connects them to a small device that delivers gentle electrical pulses.

Here’s how it works:

• The electric current is usually applied to two needles at a time, creating a mild tingling or tapping sensation.

• The frequency and intensity of the pulses can be adjusted depending on the condition being treated.

It’s often used to:

• Enhance pain relief (especially for chronic conditions like arthritis or sciatica)

• Stimulate healing in injured tissues

• Boost the effects of regular acupuncture when a stronger or more consistent stimulation is needed

It’s generally safe when done by a trained professional, though it’s not recommended for people with pacemakers or certain heart conditions.

Motor Point Sports Acupuncture; 

Motor point acupuncture is a specialized technique that targets motor points—specific spots on muscles where the motor nerve enters the muscle and causes it to contract. By needling these points, practitioners aim to:

• Release muscle tension or spasms

• Re-activate weak or inhibited muscles

• Improve neuromuscular function and movement

It’s often used in sports medicine, physical therapy, and rehab for:

• Chronic muscle tightness

• Injuries like tendonitis or muscle strains

• Neurological issues like post-stroke weakness or nerve damage

Unlike traditional acupuncture (which focuses on energy flow), motor point acupuncture is more rooted in Western anatomical understanding—but it’s still performed using acupuncture needles. It is often combined with Trigger point Acupuncture. 

Distal (balance-Tung) style Acupuncture;  

Distal or sometimes called Balance or Tung Acupuncture, which is a particular acupuncture method over 2,500 years old, popular in Hong Kong and Taiwan. This method varies widely from the typical treatments one can receive in Australia, with the results being far more effective and sustainable, particularly for pain relief.

Distal Acupuncture produces instantaneous pain relief, which is likened to “turning on a light switch”, enabling pain to be treated instantly and effectively. The Acupuncture points used involve areas of the scalp and ears; elbows to the fingers; and from knees to the toes. Consequently, the patient does not need to remove any clothing, and can lie comfortably while receiving an efficient and effective treatment. This style of Acupuncture also helps to create a treatment matrix for some of the more difficult conditions which are resistant to other types of treatment, as not only can pain be eradicated, but internal disorders also corrected.

At Balanced Life Health Care we practise Distal Acupuncture, which can be known under several different names; “Tan Style Acupuncture”, ” Balance method Acupuncture”, or ” Advanced Neurological Acupuncture”. Despite the different names the technique is very similar and is practised around the world. Simple put Acupuncture needles are placed in areas of the body that are not in pain but have a neurological relationship to the area of pain. The benefits of this technique over local needling is that;

• The area of pain will not be aggregated or further damage through treatment
• Pain can be reduced anywhere from 50-100% immediately after the session
• Receiver of distal Acupuncture can remain fully clothed as most points are located from the knees to the toes and elbows to fingers
• Better treatment outcomes
• Longer lasting results or total resolution of problem once a course of treatments is followed

Distal Acupuncture is one of the most advanced treatment methods for chronic pain and rarely mastered in the west. It is highly suited to chronic pain conditions that have neurological involvement because it is one of the only treatment methods that addresses midbrain involvement in pain.

Acupuncture is a very safe treatment when performed by a qualified Acupuncturist. It takes 4-5 years to study Acupuncture in Australia and all qualified Acupuncturists are recognized by AHPRA; the same governing body of all registered health practitioners. Only Acupuncturists that hold a minimum of a bachelor qualification are recognized by AHPRA. All Acupuncturists at Balanced Life Health Care hold a bachelor degree or higher qualification.

The needles used by an Acupuncturist are single-use, sterile needles and the risk of contamination is virtually nil. When performed by a qualified Acupuncturist – Acupuncture is side effect free

This is the most common question asked about Acupuncture because many people associate needles with pain. Acupuncture needles are about the thickness of a cat’s whisker, so they are virtually painless when inserted. After insertion, the practitioner will bring the needle to the appropriate depth. You will then usually feel a very unique sensation that can vary from tingling, to heaviness, to warmth, or nothing at all; this is the body basically starting its “work”. Each person’s experience is different, so if you ask your practitioner they will explain to you what is going on. Should you experience any discomfort, inform the practitioner, and they will adjust the needles accordingly.

In some cases, the needle will cause a small and mild bruise, which typically disappears in a few days. This is a very individualised occurrence and depends on the issue, health and medical history of the patient. For example those on blood thinners such as warfarin and aspirin may bruise easier than clients not taking these medications.

However, if cupping therapy is part of your treatment, it will leave bruises or marks on most skin types. This treatment is not painful. If you are receiving cupping therapy your acupuncturist will explain the process and bruising prior to treatment.

Yes. Because there are some points, which are contraindicated during pregnancy, make sure you inform your practitioner if you are pregnant, become pregnant during the treatment, or trying to become pregnant. Acupuncture can be used safely during pregnancy, and poses no threat to you pregnancy if used by a qualified practitioner.

The initial consultation goes for 60 minutes; this is where a complete history and detailed evaluation of your condition will be completed, as well as the required treatment. With repeat sessions, patients will be in-and-out within 45 minutes.

A light meal should be eaten before Acupuncture so that the body has some energy to work with, as sometimes a person who has not eaten could feel lightheaded or weak when receiving an Acupuncture treatment. Coffee directly before and after your Acupuncture is not recommended as it can actually block some of the anti-inflammatory effects of Acupuncture so wait at least 20 minutes before your caffine hit. It is best to wear loose clothing, which is comfortable, with the knees, elbows, and stomach region easily accessible. 

We recommend that afterwards not perform any overly strenuous activities, drink alcohol, smoke excessively, or ingest heavy meals before or after your treatment.

One of the most important things to do both before and after your treatment is to DRINK WATER. If an adequate amount of water is not put into the body, then optimal results will not be reached in the optimal time.

Yes, Balanced Life Health Care is partnered up with all Health Funds. We have a TYRO terminal on site so eligible health funds can be claimed back instantaneously. We recommend bringing your physical card or digital card in wallet as some digital cards provided in health fund APPS currently do not work with TRYO.

However, Chinese Herbal Consultations and Chinese Herbal Medicine is currently not covered all health funds and not eligable for onsite claiming. We will provdie you a recip for claiming if you are eligable for rebates.

To find out the exact coverage by your fund we recommend that you contact your health funds directly as these can vary from policy to policy.

Never. All of our Acupuncturists use sterile, single use needles. We strictly follow infectious control guidelines in our clinic as per Chinese Medicine board of Australia guidelines