Acupuncture is the most often practiced component of Chinese Medicine. It involves inserting filiform, sterile disposable needles into the skin at certain acupuncture points along the meridians. It is believed that acupuncture can activate our body’s self-healing mechanism and is able to guide the body’s energy system to heal itself in the most holistic natural way.
Acupuncture doesn’t hurt once needles are inserted, but it is normal to feel an ache upon needle insertion; however, this sensation should go away immediately. If needle phobia is a problem, I can go really slowly and make sure you are aware of where I insert needles.
I may ask to observe your tongue (coating, colour, shape) and to take your pulses (energies of internal organs) on both wrists. I will also ask questions about your past medical history, digestion, sleep, emotional quality, stress/anxiety level, urination, bowel movement, menstrual pattern, etc. I will do my best to explain my diagnosis to you and you are welcome to ask any question you may have.
For physical pain or sports injury related acupuncture sessions, I will most likely to use manual muscle testing and orthopaedic assessments as my main diagnostic tools to understand your ailments. We will likely to discuss about how your injuries occurred in detail as well.
A facial cosmetic acupuncture session includes acupuncture on the face and body. A general assessment of your body constitution with Traditional Chinese Medicine diagnostic methods will be done. Then we will go over your facial cosmetic needs in detail to create a treatment plan to tackle areas of concern on the face.
Your experiences with acupuncture can differ each time. Here are some common expectations: feeling grounded in the body, reduced anxiety level, better mood, optimism, improved sleep, increased bowel movement, stronger appetite, increased bodily awareness, emotional release, less pain, more flexibility, improved menstrual symptoms, less hormonal fluctuation, etc. However, there are also times when people experience tiredness or extreme fatigue after a session. These symptoms happen to people who burn the candle at both ends and power themselves with stress hormones and pure adrenaline. You should drink plenty of water and take your day easy. I don’t usually recommend taking a bath or doing hot yoga afterward but a warm shower and eating healthy protein in your diet are good for recovery.
During needle insertion, you may feel a tiny prick that mimics a small ant bite. You may find yourself sensitive to needling when you are emotional, tired, on medication, near/on your period, recently recovering from medical treatments or have a very sensitive nervous system, etc. In general, I tell my patients that lingering sharp pain after needle insertion is not good. Please let me know if you feel any pain, I can adjust my technique to make it better.
Once needles are inserted into your body, you want to look for these five types of “energy arrival “needling sensations, which are called De Qi in mandarin: swelling, heaviness, soreness, numbness and expansion. In addition, any emotional release, seeing colours while eyes are closed, a deep relaxed feeling or a sense of internal calmness are all positive responses to look out for.
It is a temporary symptom that your body experiences to adjust to a treatment done. You can totally manage the soreness or ache with rest and applying warmth to local areas.
I would not suggest vigorous physical activities or exercises right after. It is important to rest for a day or two for full recovery.
Sports Acupuncture is the most advanced trainings available to acupuncturists who want to focus their practices on treating general bodily pain, neurological conditions, orthopaedic and sports injuries and motor vehicle accident injuries. This type of acupuncture integrates Traditional Chinese Medicine’s techniques, treatment principles and western sports medicine’s diagnostic approaches. This type of acupuncture helps people recover quickly from sports injuries, muscle sprains and strains, muscle soreness, tendonitis and inflammation.
Absolutely! Acupuncture needles stimulate the nervous system to release chemicals or hormones into your muscles, spinal cord and brain. These chemicals either change the experiences of pain or positively change the body’s response to pain. Most importantly, acupuncture improves mind-body connections to reinforce positive muscle behaviours, aka self-regulation. From Chinese Medicine’s perspective, bodily pain can be caused by Qi/energy stagnation, aka painful obstruction and from malnourishments that create tissue and ligamental weakness.
In our society, we have seen a rise of back pain in the workplace over the last ten years. The main attributions are prolonged sitting, repetitive tasks, poor neck and upper back posture. Overtime, most office workers develop musculoskeletal disorders, such as neck, shoulder, upper back, low back and buttock pain.
On a daily basis, I treat a ton of neck, shoulder and back pain for desk-workers. Most of the time, people suffer from postural injuries due to having their arms on a desk and sit all day! Usually, desk-workers suffer pain at top of shoulder, back of neck, between shoulder blades, at low back, on buttock and in hamstrings.
In addition, I also see many sports injury cases from hiking, biking, winter sports or water sports. In recent years, I have seen an increase in patients recovering from surgical procedures, with scar tissues and suffer neurological conditions too.
Based on my experiences treating pain, I usually recommend you to come in 3 or 5 sessions consecutively. Afterward, I will re-assess to see where things are at. Once your pain has gone down, I strongly recommend you to form a regular routine of stretching or strengthening muscles so that your body does’t fall back into old patterns of pain.
Based on my experiences treating pain, I usually recommend you to come in 3 or 5 sessions consecutively. Afterward, I will re-assess to see where things are at. Once your pain has gone down, I strongly recommend you to form a regular routine of stretching or strengthening muscles so that your body does’t fall back into old patterns of pain.
Acupuncture is a very safe and holistic healing modality for the human body. Some common side effects that you can expect are soreness, slight ache, bruising, tiredness and sleepiness. When you receive acupuncture from me to treat pain, you will be a bit achy afterward but please trust that this is a sign of bodily adjustment and symptoms of reboot.
Acupuncture can treat a variety of pain syndromes. Some common conditions I treat on a daily basis are the following:
Didn’t see your pain pattern in the list? You are more than welcome to contact me for a free 20-min consultation to find out if acupuncture for pain is right for you: [email protected]
Using a combination of traditional Chinese acupuncture points and muscle motor points on the face, cosmetic acupuncture aims to rejuvenate the skin, reduces signs of aging, firms the jowls, boosts collagen production and many more! In addition to the cosmetic benefits you will receive, facial cosmetic acupuncture also helps release signs of stuck emotions from negative life experiences and stress/anxiety.
Although facial cosmetic acupuncture is a natural healing therapy with many incredible benefits for your facial skin and muscle tissues, it is not a quick fix, such as Botox or dermal fillers. Your results may vary depending on your lifestyle, living environment, past and current health conditions and even your emotional state. However, you can always expect to feel a more rejuvenated, toned and calmer skin.
At each treatment, you will be offered complimentary LED (light emitting diode) light therapy to enhance the natural abilities of your skin to generate collagen.
To wrap up your session, I will perform a mini Gua Sha (skin scrapping) facial, without bruising you, to promote lymphatic drainage on the face and décolleté.
No. Facial acupuncture needles are very thin and have very smooth texture. You might feel a tiny prick at certain areas on the face, such as the upper eyelid (for droopy eyelid), but the sensation will definitely subside once the needle is insertion. No worries at all!
The number of treatments differ from person to person. If there is a targeted area on the face you want to focus on, I usually recommend an initial course of 8 to 10 treatments to start. Once we have gotten a momentum going, you can follow up with one or two treatments a month for maintenance to ensure long term results.
Good news! Recently, I have discovered that certain facial yoga movements can effectively improve the appearances of jowls, boost circulation, reduce eye strains and strengthen facial muscles. I happen to know a couple of facial yoga movements and would be happy to share my experiences of doing them.
Using a combination of traditional Chinese acupuncture points and muscle motor points on the face, cosmetic acupuncture aims to rejuvenate the skin, reduces signs of aging, firms the jowls, boosts collagen production and many more! In addition to the cosmetic benefits you will receive, facial cosmetic acupuncture also helps release signs of stuck emotions from negative life experiences and stress/anxiety.
I usually begin your session with a thorough body constitutional inquiry with Traditional Chinese Medicine diagnostic methods, such as tongue checking and pulse analysis to assess your general health needs. Your body constitution definitely influences the tone of your facial muscles. I use a combination of Traditional Chinese Medicine acupuncture points from the Stomach, Gallbladder and Small Intestine meridians and muscle motor points that innervate facial muscles for better facial expressions. Acupuncture needles will be inserted in your facial muscles and also in your body for an overall health tone-up. I will complete your experience with a mini facial sculpting Gua Sha massage to promote lymph drainage on the face and decollete.
LED (light-emitting diode) light therapy treats various skin conditions and pain in the body. Proven red and near-infrared wavelengths are utilized in the LED light device to combat the signs of aging. The energy delivered by the LED light has been shown to enhance cellular metabolism, stimulate collagen production and improve skin texture, etc. This complimentary treatment is suitable for all skin types and is non-invasive and painless. My device emits a combination of red light (penetrates deep into the skin) and blue light (reduces inflammation).
Although we can not completely eliminate wrinkles, fine lines and crow’s feet on the face, we are able to soften these lines and slow down their further progression. In addition, I will recommend a weekly routine of facial Gua Sha massage to smooth out lines.
Facial acupuncture is one of the most effective healing modalities to lighten dark circle appearances by invigorating energy and blood flow under the eye.
This type of acupuncture benefits those who suffer from health ailments that are not related to musculoskeletal injuries. Commonly treated ailments are digestive disorders, depression, hormonal fluctuations, anxiety, menstrual problems, migraine/headache and sleep issues, etc. At each session, I will ask a lot of questions about a patient’s condition, check their tongue and pulses, and observe their physical symptoms, emotional state, and complexion. I will explain my diagnosis in detail and offer a comprehensive, customized treatment plan at each session.
It is an ancient form of therapy that creates suction on the skin with either glass, bamboo or plastic cups. It stimulates Qi (energy) and blood flow in the body to reduce pain, relax muscles and tissues and promote healing of traumatic injuries. It is also known to detox the body by drawing up the old, non-circulating, stagnated blood to the surface. Otherwise, the stagnation will create pain, stiffness and tension in the body. Many people describe cupping therapy like a deep tissue massage and feel more relaxed afterwards.
It is a traditional Chinese Medicine therapy. It warms the body and promotes smooth flow of Qi/energy and blood in the body. Moxa cones and sticks are made from mugwort, an ancient herb known for its stimulating and warm properties. Some commonly treated problems are weak immunity, poor digestion, chronic and acute pain condition, cold hands & feet, obstructed blood circulation, cold sensations in the body and breech presentation of fetus.
It is an ancient detoxification technique in which the skin is scraped to produce light bruising. It is believed that this technique releases toxic, unhealthy substances that stagnated underneath the skin and between muscles causing pain, tension, tightness and discomforts. The words “Gua” means scrapings and “Sha” means the stagnated blood blocking proper flow of meridians. Chinese Medicine practitioners believe that “Whenever there is a blockage, there is pain”. Through scraping, we can effectively remove the “Sha” to achieve detoxifying effects. Patients usually feel lighter, more flexible and definitely less pain after the treatment.
Lillian is a highly trained and experienced acupuncturist, having completed her formal acupuncture program and advanced training in Traditional Chinese Medicine at a renowned hospital in Nanjing, China.
