Acupuncture

Traditional Chinese Medicine places emphasis on treating each individual as a whole in order to address the underlying issues of a patient’s illness/injury. A full consultation is necessary to explore each patient’s individual needs and to build a personalized treatment plan, however, acupuncture is able to treat a wide variety of different conditions.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a system of health care that includes acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, massage (tuina), exercise and breathing therapy (qigong). The most popular forms of TCM are acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine.

Traditional Chinese Medicine dates back thousands of years. The primary feature of modern TCM is the premise that good health relies on the restoration and maintenance of harmony, balance and order of the individual.

TCM takes a holistic approach to understanding normal function and disease processes and focuses as much on the prevention of illness as it does on the treatment.

Acupuncture is very safe and rarely causes any side effects. In some instances, an individual may feel a slight sting when the needle is first inserted, similar to that of a mosquito bite. Other times one may feel a dull achy sensation upon insertion. Most times the needles are not felt at all. The thickness of an acupuncture needle is comparable to that of a cat’s whisker.

Your initial consultation and first treatment can take between 60 – 90 min. Repeat visits will be 45 – 60 min.

This all depends on how each individual responds to treatment and what condition is being treated. Typically if your condition is chronic, more treatments are needed. If your condition is acute, fewer treatments are usually needed. It is difficult to give an exact number of treatments you will need. After evaluating your first few treatments, we will have a better understanding of the course of treatment.

Try to be 5–10 minutes early to give you the chance to relax before treatment. Wear comfortable clothing. Have a meal or snack within a few hours of treatment.

Stay hydrated. Patients usually comment on a great night’s sleep the night of their acupuncture treatment.

Most likely you will feel relaxed. Depending on the condition being treated, it may take up to 24 hours to feel relief or change, but some feel do improvement right away.

Acupuncture is completely safe during pregnancy. It is a great therapy to relieve some of the undesirable pregnancy aliments such as morning sickness, low back pain and other pregnancy-related concerns. It gives an overall sense of relaxation. There are some acupuncture points that are avoided during pregnancy except during labour or for the purpose of inducing labour.

Acupuncture is not covered under Alberta Health Care but most extended health benefit plans do cover acupuncture. We also can direct bill most benefit plans for you. If you would like to know if you have coverage, call the number on the back of your health benefits card.
Don’t forget to bring your benefit card with you to your first appointment!

At Six08 Health, we take a team approach to treatment ensuring the best possible care. All of our acupuncturists work closely together and discuss treatment for each individual. Throughout your course of treatment, you will or may see any of our three acupuncturists.