Modalities We Employ

MODALITIES WE EMPLOY

ACUPUNCTURE, GUASHA, CUPPING, EAR SEEDS

Guasha

Gua sha is a traditional Chinese healing method in which a trained professional uses a smooth-edged tool to stroke your skin while they press on it. This motion raises small, red, rash-like dots that show under your skin called petechiae.

People use gua sha to treat chronic pain all over their body.

What Happens

To prepare you for treatment, acupuncturist will put oil/oinment on your body. She will then use the stone-like gua sha massage tool to scrape to your skin in long, downward strokes. This is when you’ll notice areas of petechiae on your skin. The petechiae will fade away in several days.

Most people get gua sha on their:

This process helps blood flow, creates a “lifting” effect on your skin, and helps lessen toxins in your body and promote healing. Very effective in pain conditions, especially when there is radiating pain.

Cupping therapy

Cupping therapy is an ancient form of alternative medicine in which a therapist puts special cups on your skin for a few minutes to create suction. People get it for many purposes, including to help with pain, inflammation, blood flow, relaxation and well-being, and as a type of deep-tissue massage.

Cupping therapy might be trendy now, but it’s not new. It dates back to ancient Egyptian, Chinese, and Middle Eastern cultures. One of the oldest medical textbooks in the world, the Ebers Papyrus, describes how the ancient Egyptians used cupping therapy in 1,550 B.C.

Ear seeds (Auricular Therapy)

What Are Ear Seeds?

Ear seeds are seeds placed on your ear to serve as tiny acupressure devices. They are a type of auriculotherapy, a traditional Chinese medicine technique that focuses on areas in your ear. Your ear is a microsystem, meaning that the whole body can be treated by using points in the ear (knee, shoulder, back, uterus, blood pressure etc). They are also often used to treat pain, insomnia, substance abuse, and mental issues ranging from anxiety to grief.

These seeds traditionally come from an herb called vaccaria but can also be made of ceramic or metal. They’re placed on the outside of your ear over certain acupuncture points. They’re usually held in place by waterproof tape and stay on your ears for up to a week.

What happens

After cleaning your ear with an alcohol swab, a practitioner places the seeds on the outside portion of your ear. It doesn’t hurt, but you may feel some tenderness or warmth. Here are just a few examples auricular therapy is helpful for:

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Modalities We Employ