Complementary and alternative therapies became popular for the pregnancy journey because they include natural ingredients but are less invasive. Traditional Chinese herbal medicine combined with acupuncture treatment can be a pampering experience for women who are planning to have a baby and also for health restoration after having a baby. A healthy pregnancy journey can […]
Tag: acupuncture
Acupuncture and conception– natural and assisted (IVF)
If you are having difficulty conceiving, Traditional Chinese Medicine – acupuncture and Chinese Herbs – may be the answer. Acupuncture can regulate the menstrual cycle, and helps to lessen the effects of stress on the body, which can otherwise cause problems with ovulation and thus be detrimental to conception. Ideally treatments are carried out for […]
Acupuncture for Pregnancy and Birth – and Beyond – with Clare Donnelley
I have been helping women during pregnancy through acupuncture, acupressure and Chinese herbs for over 20 years. Even though we know pregnancy is a natural state of being, not an illness, we do know that many pregnant women experience some physical discomfort and emotional changes during this time. Because Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is based […]
How does Acupuncture Work (Part 2)
Following up on my previous blog on the local mechanisms of acupuncture, here we will discuss how acupuncture affects the bio-chemistry in the brain. What does this mean? Think of the acupuncture needle as the nail in Frankinstein’s head (but less painful or scary). Let out the happiness For most of us, what do we […]
How does Acupuncture work?
What is the first thing you think of when someone says they had acupuncture? Its probably either 1. It sounds like chocolate? Or 2. Needles! Scary! Acupuncture is a relatively new modality in Australia and unfortunately not many people are familiar with the concept. Etymology (what the word means) To start with, what does the […]
Acupuncture for the relief of pain, inflammation, and anxiety
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) treats the mind and body as a whole system – not separate parts. Conventional Medicine has come to accept that the mind affects the body. Stress is a perfect example of the interrelated connection between the body and mind – any perceived threat triggers a fight or flight response in your […]
Women’s health and pregnancy: enrich the experience with acupuncture
This month is the women’s health month at Healthspace with a focus on fertility and pregnancy. With the lockdown, we have been spending more time at home with our partners and many of us are thinking more about starting our own families. Many others who are already pregnant are looking for ways to enrich and […]
How Present Periods affect Future Fertility
In TCM, when treating women, we always take and keep records of the menstrual cycle as a guide to their general health, as well as their reproductive health. This enables the practitioner to be aware of the possibility of different disorders occurring in the future. So, of course, observing these patterns – from adolescence – […]
Mental Health in Lockdown: Can Acupuncture Help?
How are Australians managing: Lifeline Australia is a non-profit organisation that provides 24 hour telephone crisis support service in Australia. Reportedly, the phones have never been busier than August 2021 (this month) in its 57 years of history. Calls to Lifeline have skyrocketed with calls approximately 40% higher than before the lockdowns in 2020. One […]
Pregnancy support with Chinese Medicine
The strength of Chinese medicine is in preventative health and the most ideal scenario leading up to pregnancy is to bring the health of both the mother and father up to a good level before starting a family. But every couple that is starting a family has very different circumstances and situations surrounding this process. […]
A Chinese Medicine Take on Winter
Winter is now fully upon us! Have you ever wondered why you feel more sluggish and want to stay in bed all day during this time? Winter is the time where your body goes into a state of storage to prepare for the start of the next season (Spring – a season of growth and […]
Immune up with Acupuncture
Shielding out winter with our immunity! Freezing winds, pouring rain. Many of us are now struggling with the coming winter which feels like its hitting us stronger than ever. The scary part is: winter’s only just started. This is why we must consider our health and immunity now, to prepare our body so we can […]
An Acupuncturist’s Take on Acupuncture and Immunity
This paragraph from this article* by Liang et al. summarises my understanding of acupuncture and it’s possible effect on immunity. “The characteristic that acupuncture enhances resistance is closely related with the immune system, which functions in defense, homeostasis, and surveillance. More and more research has revealed that acupuncture can regulate immunity, for example, to enhance […]
Take control of your Brain Health with Acupuncture
For many Australians, Dementia is an encroaching fear in our senior years. Australians are self-confident, self-sufficient and highly educated. Hence, the notion of losing control of our own actions and thoughts is widely dreaded. This is why it is critical for us to start taking care of our health in antecessum for healthier and fuller […]
How acupressure can be used at home or work for managing anxiety and depression
Eyes darting left and right. Your neck sore from constantly looking over your shoulders, chasing the shadow of pedestrians going about their business. Agitated. Sensitive. Wanting to hole up in a secluded dark corner at your workplace. Maybe its not as bad as the description above. Maybe it is. If it is, I recommend that […]
Acupuncture for cancer rehabilitation
Cancer is one of the leading health burdens in Australia (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2020). For most people, the news of cancer diagnosis is quite devastating, and few things can prepare them for the arduous journey that is to follow. Fortunately, with awareness for early screening and advances in medical technology, the survival […]
What is PCOS and can Chinese Medicine help deal with It?
PCOS stands for polycystic ovary syndrome –- is characterised by the growth of multiple small follicles on the ovary. It is often undiagnosed as the person may still menstruate, but usually very irregularly, for example, having six week or a few months in between periods. The actual blood flow can also be quite scanty, so […]
How acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine may help PMT and period pain.
Research – and millennia of use — has shown that acupuncture has an anti-inflammatory effect on the body, that it improves blood flow, relaxes the muscles, and stops pain. One of the reasons for pain at period time, according to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theory, is constraint of liver* energy, as its role is to […]
Anxiety-Gut connection: why one affects the other
Have you ever felt nauseous, desperately trying to push down the contents of last nights dinner before giving the bad news to your boss? Or the churning inside your stomach when something you have been preparing for a long time falls apart? You were probably experiencing anxiety. Anxiety, though classified as a mental disorder, is […]
Acupuncture for Mental Health
This past year has perhaps been the most chaotic period of our generation. Despite our best efforts, the virus has proven itself to be very, very resilient. Unfortunately, this has proven to be fatal to us bi-pedal vertebrates. In addition to the obvious physical and social toll, COVID has demanded a prolific mental health toll. […]
