Non-Needle Treatments

Acupressure

Acupressure-BellinghamAcupressure is a branch of traditional Chinese medicine which involves the stimulation of acupuncture points with finger pressure using the power and sensitivity of human touch, rather than inserting needles. This form of healing is non-invasive and gentle. The indications include the vast array of conditions that Chinese medicine has proven to treat effectively. Because acupressure stimulates the body’s natural self-healing abilities, it also works as a great preventative therapy. Generally, the effects of acupressure are less potent than those of acupuncture, and as a result more treatments are needed to get the same results.

Acupressure is ideal for children. It is gentle, safe, and effective for many conditions, including relief and prevention of colds and flu. Parents can also be taught self-help techniques to use on their child at home.

Acupressure is also suitable for the elderly suffering from conditions including arthritis, mobility problems, constipation, and poor circulation.

Certain acupressure points must be avoided during pregnancy. Be sure to tell your practitioner if you are or may be pregnant.

Nutritional Therapy

Nutritional-Therapy-Bellingham, WANutrition is a very important element of the complete Traditional Chinese Medicine system. It is one of both healing and disease prevention.  Many diseases and symptoms can be treated with dietary changes alone; however it often takes longer and requires the utmost compliance and dedication on the patient’s behalf. Unfortunately, today’s population has a poor concept of what constitutes a good diet. The fast paced lifestyle often gives nutritious eating a low priority. At the same time, mind-boggling numbers of different diet fads and controversial dietary regimes add even more confusion to modern day eating habits. As a result, we see deterioration in the quality of people’s lives in the form of obesity, depression, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, arthritis, etc.

Chinese nutrition uniquely differs from modern Western nutrition in that it determines the energies and therapeutic properties of foods instead of analyzing the chemical constituents of them. The advantage of this approach lies in its ability to customize to every individual’s needs.  Furthermore, Chinese nutrition takes into consideration such factors as method of preparation, body type, season, and one’s geographical location in determining the appropriate diet. Schedule an appointment for a nutritional consultation today and begin your healing journey with your next meal.

Auricular (Ear) Acupuncture

Auricular-Acupuncture-BellinghamAuricular acupuncture involves the stimulation of the acupoints located on the ear with tiny seeds or pellets. The seeds are no larger than the tip of an unsharpened pencil, do not pierce the skin, and are painless when affixed. The client will leave these seeds in for up to 1 week and re-stimulate the points by massaging the ear several times each day. 

There are over 200 acupoints on each ear that represent the anatomical parts and functions of the human body. These points are arranged on the ear in the image of an inverted fetus. By observing points of tenderness, coloration changes, protrusions or depressions, and skin variations, a trained practitioner can not only treat a wide range of diseases using only the ear, but can diagnose them as well. When we stimulate these points we access the central nervous system through the cranial nerves on the auricle of the ear. This sends a direct message to the brain that results in a healing response.

This therapy is most often used for addiction, smoking cessation, and weight loss.