Acupuncture uses ‘hair-thin’ needles to stimulate improved blood flow to the areas of your body that need it.
A long time ago, the Chinese figured out that if you press in a particular place on the body, it will stimulate blood flow and recovery of muscles and organs elsewhere in the body.
Good blood flow leads to better health. This is because everything your body needs to function well is in your blood.
So, in a nutshell, acupuncture stimulates your body’s natural repair and regeneration ability for better health.
Acupuncture continues to grow in popularity in Melbourne. Many are seeking drug-free options to improve their health for a better life.
Although we can help with many health issues, the main areas that people seek treatment for are:
A registered practitioner uses the following techniques in practice:
Gentle muscle and fascia massage and manipulation to reduce pain.
Using glass cups applied to your body. Cupping applies suction to your skin and is used mainly for muscle and tendon pain and injury. Cupping feels strong in the first few minutes and then becomes more comfortable. They are usually left on for around 10 minutes. Cupping will often leave ‘bruise’ marks on your skin. These are not painful and usually clear in a bout a week.
Chinese medicine has a particular view on foods. We will encourage you to eat foods that will help and avoid foods that will cause problems. What we recommend you eat will depend on what our diagnosis of your organ health is.
You’ll often feel the needle when initially inserted, but only for a few seconds. Very occasionally some minor bleeding, swelling or a small bruise might appear where the needle was. But this is not painful and will clear soon enough.
No, only health professionals registered as acupuncturists (or GPs with endorsement) with AHPRA can provide you acupuncture. The Chinese Medicine Board of Australia regulates the industry.
Other Melbourne practitioners may do ‘dry needling’, which uses the same needles as we do but it generally is done for muscle problems in the location of the pain.
Chinese pulse diagnosis is where a skilled practitioner reads your radial pulse at your wrist.
By feeling the subtleties of your blood flow through your radial arteries at different positions on your wrist, that practitioner can determine a lot about your state of health.
We use this incredibly important diagnostic tool in our clinic every day to provide the best treatment possible for our patients.
An acupuncture session typically lasts for up to 45 minutes. Your Chinese medicine practitioner will talk to you about how your health issue is progressing to see if they have to make any adjustments to treatment. Your practitioner will also read your pulse.
You’ll then lie on one of our comfy heated beds. We’ll do your acupuncture and then leave you in blissful quiet to enjoy the deep healing and relaxation that acupuncture can bring.
Many patients say they walk in and then float out!
Doctors of Chinese medicine Bruce Stafford and Sandra Wu have carried out over 50,000 patient visits between them.
This substantial experience helps us in identifying and treating health issues in the most efficient way we can.
If you are looking for acupuncture in Melbourne, here’s some tips about finding a good acupuncturist.
When looking for acupuncture in Melbourne use the above tips to find the right practitioner for you.
According to acupuncture.com.au there are over 200 acupuncturists in Melbourne. Acupuncture has long been available in Melbourne, particularly from Acupuncture practitioners migrating to Australia from China, Taiwan and Hong Kong.
Some of the first acupuncture clinics opened up in Melbourne back in the 1960s and 70s, but were typically in areas with higher Asian populations. Asians were much more familiar with acupuncture and also spoke the same language as practitioners. I sometimes come across people who recall receiving acupuncture in Melbourne back in the 1970s, but these are few and far between.
Acupuncture in Melbourne has grown considerably since the 1970s. Originally dominated by Asian practitioners, more and more Caucasian practitioners have studied acupuncture and Chinese medicine and opened acupuncture clinics in Melbourne. Well regarded and comprehensive acupuncture courses are offered in Melbourne by RMIT and Southern School of Natural Therapies.
There are Chinese medicine practitioners in the Melbourne CBD as well as Melbourne’s Northern suburbs including Moonee Ponds, Essendon, Brunswick and Strathmore. There is a higher density of practices closer towards Melbourne city.
In Melbourne there are plenty of clinic choices so:
Our clinic is located in Moonee Ponds, an inner suburb of Melbourne on the border of Essendon and Brunswick.
We generally provide a free 15 minute Chinese Medicine Health Breakthrough Consultation* for anyone who’d like to come in and discuss their health issue with a Doctor of Chinese medicine.
We will read your pulse and talk to you about your health issue to help you decide if acupuncture and Chinese medicine will help you.
*This service is provided free by our practitioners. There are no conditions and no other paid services subsidise these free appointments.