Our approach is to always look for the root cause of your health issue. We treat a wide range of conditions including, but not limited to, the following:
Achilles Problems
The Achilles is a thick and strong tendon that attaches the two calf muscles to the heel bone. Many Achilles problems originate from a problem with the calf muscles. With all tendon problems, my approach is to relax the muscles, which takes the pressure off the tendon and will usually heal within two or three days. Pain relief is generally felt straight away.
Anxiety
Most serotonin – the chemical that makes the brain feel calm and relaxed – is made in the gut. Western medicine aims to increase serotonin in the brain with SSRI medication. Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine can increase the amount of seratonin in the gut as well as sending messages through the vagus nerve to calm the brain to reduce feelings of worry and anxiety. Acupuncture is one of the most effective treatments to move your nervous system from “Flight & Fight” to “Rest & Digest” within about 10 minutes.
Back Pain
Studies have shown 61 per cent of people have bulging discs or vertebral pathologies that don’t cause them any pain whatsoever. Muscular tightness and spasm is the most common source of lower back pain. If your pain has come on slowly over 12 or so hours, it is likely to be caused by tight muscles. It can often feel like it’s more than just tight muscles, but if you’ve ever had a calf cramp and you can imagine that level of pain happening in your back, you can understand how muscular spasm can render you unable to even stand upright. Tim’s combination of stretching, massage and acupuncture is often the most effective remedy for this situation and gives almost immediate, long-lasting relief.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
This is a complicated scenario that can either be caused by a deficiency of Qi (energy) in the body or when energy is not being well distributed around the body. The focus of treatment is different in each case but acupuncture is extremely beneficial in both cases. Chinese herbs are also extremely good to rebuild energy and create harmony in the nervous system.
Digestive problems
Bloating and wind pain are due to an imbalance in the intestinal flora, stemming from a disruption in the acidic balance in the gut. Acupuncture can restore the correct balance in the stomach and intestines, which not only digest our food but also help process our mental and emotional states. Acupuncture helps normalise the release of stomach acid as well as pancreatic enzymes and bile from the liver and gall bladder which will create an environment in the digestive tract which supresses the bad bacteria and stimulates the good bacteria to thrive.
Headache/Migraine
A combination of acupuncture is used to open the blood vessels into and out of the head, reducing pressure and promoting oxygen flow, and to calm the nervous system to reduce brain stimulus.
Insomnia
A common form of insomnia is the type that has you lying awake around 2am with your mind racing. This is seen in Chinese medicine as a liver problem because this time of day is when the energy is predominant in the liver. This causes the liver to heat up and stimulate the part of the mind associated with planning. Acupuncture is very effective at treating this and can be enhanced with herbal medicine to make you more relaxed and grounded.
ITB Problems
The illiotibial band is a long tendon that joins a short hip muscle (tensor fasciae latae) to the outside of the knee. With all tendon problems, my approach is to relax the muscles, which takes the pressure off the tendon and will then usually heal within two or three days. Pain relief is generally felt straight away.
Leg Pain
Whether it is calf cramps, shin splints, recurrent hamstring injuries, knee, thigh or hip flexor pain, we will not only reduce the pain ,but help you understand what is the underlying cause of the dysfunction.
Menopause
Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal medicine is useful to assist smoothing the hormonal fluctuations during this sacred transformation.
Menstrual Problems
Pain associated with the menstrual cycle is very effectively treated with acupuncture. We can help you understand why it happens and what you can do to minimise PMT in your next cycle.
Neck Pain
Acupuncture is an excellent remedy for neck pain. It will relax the muscles, create space and freedom between the vertebrae in the neck. It will increase range of motion and allow the blood to flow through the neck and shoulders once again.
Nerve Pain
Acupuncture is excellent in reducing tension in soft tissues when the pain is due to a nerve being compressed. Acupuncture can also help when there is peripheral neuropathy due to chemotherapy.
Reflux
Reflux is caused by the stomach energy moving in the wrong direction. Acupuncture is very good at correcting this, especially in babies.
Sciatica
Sciatica is often said to be caused by compression of the sciatic nerve at the level of the spine. In my experience, it is usually compression of the sciatic nerve by the piriformis muscle in the hip that causes the problem. If your pain feels like a knife in your buttock, aching down the back of the thigh and some nerve sensation (tingling, numbness) below the knee, it’s probably the piriformis that is the problem. A combination of stretching and acupuncture is usually the most effective remedy for this situation and gives quick and long-lasting relief.
Shoulder Pain and Dysfunction
The shoulder is such a complicated joint, when it is dysfunctional, it may manifest as neck, upper back, shoulder joint or arm pain. If its been going on for a long time it can be all of the above. Accurate diagnosis is so important to get the right treatment. We test range of motion, strength and flexibility to get to the root of the problem. Acupuncture is excellent for getting the normal function restored to enable pain free full function.
Plantar Fasciitis
23 years of experience has shown me that most people that have been diagnosed with plantar fasciitis do not actually have plantar fasciitis. It is usually tendonitis of the long toe flexors, the achilles tendon or the quadratus plantae muscle. Correct diagnosis is imperative as the treatment is different in each case.
Tennis Elbow/Golfers’ Elbow
These injuries are caused by inflammation of the tendon (tendonitis) that attaches the muscles to the bone in the inside or outside of the elbow. With all tendon problems, including these two elbow injuries, my approach is to relax the muscles, which takes the pressure off the tendon and will then usually heal within two or three days. Pain relief is generally felt straight away.