Acupuncturist Lana Marconi inserts needles into her face so as to briefly demonstrate cosmetic acupuncture and later she shows us an example of facial cupping.
Author Archives: info
Electro-Acupuncture
Stimulating the acupuncture needles with electricity feels like a mild tingling sensation and can help improve blood flow, circulation and range of motion as well as decrease pain and muscle tension. Good for knee pain, back pain, tennis elbow and other conditions.
Acupuncture & Herbs in the Town of Oakville
This summer 2021 Oakville featured my local health & wellness business on their Instagram page. It’s a great place to work and practice TCM Acupuncture & prescribe Herbs. Thanks!
TCM Herbs & Formulas for the Common Cold
In this video I talk about TCM patterns for the Western Cold and I show you how we match herbal formulas with various TCM patterns. These are good herbs to have and keep in your medicine cabinet for when the Cold strikes. To book a herbal consultation please contact me.
Acne Herbal Formula
In the video below, I show you an example of a herbal formula for acne. TCM herbs and formulas can help many skin conditions. For a herbal consultation please make an appointment.
TCM Immune Support Herbal Formula
One of my favourite TCM herbal formulas that even I drink and have been using since the start of Covid is called YU PING FENG SAN – 玉屏風散 – JADE WINDSCREEN. It supports immune health and helps to prevent colds and respiratory infections. It also helps with allergies and sinus issues among other benefits. If you’re thinking about herbs for yourself and / or even for your kids you can book a herb consultation on my clinic’s website.
TCM Cupping
In this video, Lana explains the various types of cups used in TCM cupping therapy, such as plastic cups with a pump gun, silicone cups for facial cupping and glass cups for fire cupping.
Acupuncture Demonstration
In this video Lana Marconi, R.Ac., shows us what needling can look like and she highlights acupuncture point Stomach-36. ST-36 can be used for epigastric pain, spleen issues, tonifying qi (energy) and blood, calming the mind, and building immunity.
Science of Acupuncture
The mechanisms of how and why acupuncture works are profound and varied. When you have an injury or ill-health condition, here’s what can happen from a Western Medical Perspective:
1. Circulatory Explanation: Acupuncture stimulates the body’s innate ability to heal, for example bringing blood and Qi to a distressed area. Blood and Qi are filled with nutrients to help heal damaged tissue.
Example: when you are experiencing inflammation of a tendon or a slight strain of a muscle, the Acupuncturist may insert a needle at or near the site of injury. The stimulation increases microcirculation in the area, thus increasing blood to the tissues that are injured.
2. Neurological Explanation: Acupuncture stimulates the brain: Prefrontal Cortex, Limbic Cortex and Sensory Cortex. The Acupuncture Stimulus (AS) travels to the brain and releases neuro-chemicals: Beta Endorphins and Enkephalin (suppresses pain / the body’s natural pain killers).
3. Musculoskeletal Explanation: Some acupuncture points are located at trigger points in the muscles. These often painful areas get relief when they are massaged, or in acupuncture’s case, needled. Some of the important points are at motor points, which is where the nerve innervates the muscle. These sites would point to the effectiveness of acupuncture being mediated through the nervous and musculoskeletal systems.
4. Immune System Explanation: Research shows acupuncture can help to increase white blood cells. It can also help cleanse the lymphatic system through detoxification.
5. Nervous System Balance: Acupuncture effects the relaxation of the fight/flight response, Sympathetic Nervous System, and promotes the restorative Parasympathetic Nervous System.
Research On Acupuncture
Acupuncture needles in a rainbow of colors.
Just some of the numerous research studies done on ACUPUNCTURE, including its benefits for people suffering with anxiety, depression, digestive issues, arthritis, and back pain. Acupuncture is a drugless therapy (by the way).
1. ANXIETY
Source: American Journal of Chinese Medicine, 2007
It is accepted that emotional disturbances lead to immune impairment, and that treatment could restore the immune system. This study looked at the effect of acupuncture on anxiety. The acupuncture protocol involved needling 19 acupoints, with sessions lasting 30 minutes, performed on women aged 30-60 suffering from anxiety as measured by the Beck Anxiety Inventory. Before and after receiving the acupuncture treatment blood samples were taken. The results showed that the most favorable effects of acupuncture on immune functions appear 72 hours after the single session and persist one month after the end of the complete treatment.
2. LUNGS
Source: National Medicine Journal, 2012
This study looked at the effects of acupuncture over 12 weeks on 68 sufferers of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, a form of lung disease. The results revealed far less breathlessness in the group given acupuncture.
3. DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
Source: Cochrane Collaboration, 1986-2015
They looked at 59 studies during this period and found that the effectiveness of wrist acupoint PC-6 for stimulation of postoperative cases of nausea and vomiting to be comparable to that of anti-nausea drugs.
4. SKELETAL SYSTEM
Source: Arthritis and Rheumatology Review, 2008
Looked at eight acupuncture studies involving 536 patients with rheumatoid arthritis and found that, ”five studies revealed a reduction in erthrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), three reported a reduction in C-reactive protein (CRP) and one noted a large decrease in both.” Both ESR and CRP are markers of inflammation in the body. Arthritis is a disease that causes painful inflammation.
5. SPINE
Source: Evidence Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine Journal, 2008
Study shows that electro-acupuncture–a modified form of acupuncture treatment that involves a tiny, pulsating electrical current–was conducted on patients with lumbar spinal stenosis and that those patients experienced varying reductions in lower back pain and the distance they were able to walk increased.
6. BRAIN
Source: University of Arizona
34 women with depression underwent acupuncture targeted at specific points. Reduced symptoms were found in 43% of the women who received acupuncture. Eight weeks after the start of the study, more than half of the women who received targeted acupuncture were no longer experiencing depression. Some credit these results to acupuncture’s potential to release endorphins which act as natural painkillers in the body as well as to its ability to reduce the stress hormone cortisol.
* Studies found in Newsweek: Nature’s Remedies, 2017