FAQs for Oriental Acupuncture Treatments

Oriental Acupuncture Clinic FAQs

Feel free to email any additional questions to OrientalAcupuncture@outlook.com

What Sets Our Clinic Apart From Other Medical Practitioners?

• Jarry Liu(R.Ac/RMT) is from 3-generation TCM family, with painless acupuncture technique handed down from his ancestors and 26-year clinical acupuncturist experience both in China and in Canada. Acupuncture is our primary form of treatment for various health conditions. We take pride in making tremendous changes in our patients' life. He is also Registered Acupuncturist of Ontario and Registered Massage Therapist of Ontario.
• A comprehensive diagnosis is clearly communicated to you.
• We educate you about what's wrong, why and how it can be healed according to Chinese medical principles.
• When you get acupuncture treatments, at no extra charge, we give nutritional counselling, cupping and shiatsu as needed.
• Your treatment is personally tailored to your needs. Many acupuncturists use the same protocols on all of their patients. At Oriental Acupuncture Clinic, your treatment specifically reflects your unique individual dynamics.
• Evening and Weekend appointments are available.

Is acupuncture painful?

Some people may assume that acupuncture is very painful. That's a misconception. The needles used for acupuncture are solid and extremely fine - much thinner than those used for injections and blood drawing. When the needles reach the acupuncture points, there is a sensation that could be described as tingling or numbing, rather than "painful." Sometimes the sensation may transfer to other parts of the body.

Is acupuncture safe?

One of the striking advantages of acupuncture is that there are rarely any side effects. Only sterile needles are used for treatments. The needles are used only once and then are disposed of. Therefore, there is no risk infection, such as AIDS, strains of hepatitis, etc. 

What if I'm afraid of acupuncture?

We can provide acupressure and herbs instead of needles. However, a longer treatment period is usually expected. 

What has the World Health Organization stated about acupuncture?

WHO has stated: "Generally speaking, acupuncture treatment is safe if it is performed properly by well-trained practitioner. Unlike many drugs, it is non-toxic, and adverse reaction is minimal."

WHO also states that numerous laboratory studies have provided further evidence of the efficacy of acupuncture. Many acupuncture patients utilize this method of treatment because "its theraeutic actions are achieved by mobilization of [an] organism's own potential; acupuncture does not produce adverse effects, as do many drug therapies."

Is there anything I should do to prepare for my appointment?

• Tongue diagnosis is an important part of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Please refrain from brushing your tongue before an appointment.
   
• Bring a list of any medications/supplements/herbs, etc. that you are currently taking.
   
• Wear loose-fitting clothes that is convenience for accessing to areas (such as arms, legs, abdomen, and back) of the body for treatments. 

Are there any adverse side effects?

Occasionally the original symptoms of your condition may worsen for the first few days following your initial treatment, this is not uncommon. However, it is important for you to inform your practitioner of this reaction at your next visit. Appetite, sleep, bowel, or emotional patterns may also change. This should not be a cause for concern, a change in patterns are a sign that the treatment is working. The most common side effect is deep relaxation during and after your treatment.

How Many Treatments are expected?

The total number of treatments required depends upon the conditions of the symptoms. For acute conditions, 80% of patients can see some improvement after 1-2 treatments; after 4-6 treatments, they will notice significant changes in their conditions.

For complex or prolonged conditions, more treatments may be recommended. It usually takes 4-6 sessions to see the improvements, and It may take 2-3 months for a chronic condition to be completely cured.

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西医西药的怪圈 - 摘自刘医师手记

上周开始接手一本地西人病人，79岁，骨质疏松、胃痛、返酸和烧心，3年病史。只给她针灸3次后，脾胃症状已得到控制。

只是在问诊时得到一有趣信息：

3年前身体感觉一切正常，体检时发现骨质疏松，医生开药 Fosamax, 需服2年，定期检查。几个月后，老太太出现胃痛、返酸和烧心，医生开药 Prevacid, 服用3个月。在此期间，她意外摔倒手腕骨折，医生又开药骨质疏松药，并暂停胃药。一段时间后，胃病再发作。 

不断如此循环，家里攒了好多这两种药的空瓶子。

近期，老太太的孙女学西药专业的一朋友，看了那些药瓶后说：

骨质疏松药 Fosamax 的副作用是 胃痛；

         胃痛返酸药 Prevacid 的副作用是 骨质疏松！

至此，老人感悟到进入了一个西药的 Vicious Circle, 决定转身来寻求古老神秘东方医学的帮助。

【Case Report】Tylenol Over Dose Led to Vegetable & Epilepsy

By Jarry Jiu (R.Ac/RMT: Registered Acupuncturist/ Registered Massage Therapist)

I got a house-call patient last month, 30 years old, female, being in vegetative state and epileptic for 10 months。
As her father said that she got tooth removed and got the continuous ache, so she took Tylenol for killing the pain. Suddenly one day she got non stop vomiting, her father called 911 to get her into hospital for emergency treatment, the next day, she turned into a vegetable and every 2 hours she got epileptic attack.The doctor informed her family that she was in critical condition. So she was transfered to ICU(Intensive Care Unit), after half day in ICU, her father didn't see any effective treatment, so he took her home and had family doctor and some specialist to give her treatments. Their diagnosis was Tylenol Overdose cause cerebral hypoxia，unconscious and stiff limbs.She got the Calmative，lenitive medication, before I started the acupuncture treatments on her.

After  4 sessions acupuncture treatments, she has shown significant improvement:

1. Epileptic attack times reduced to 3 or 4 times a day from more than 10 times a day;
2. Fingers and toes became softener, stiff limbs have been improved;
3. Her eyes started searching around and tears when she didn't see her parents around.


【病例】止痛药服用过量而导致植物人加癫痫

上月 Markham 诊所接到一要求出诊的病人，女，30岁，植物人加癫痫大发作，病史10个月。

她爸代作主诉：去年拔牙后，牙痛持续，私自服用 Tylenol 止痛，可能过量，一日突发呕吐，拨打911后在医院急诊科住院一晚，第二天变成了植物人，并且每隔2小时左右，癫痫大发作一次（咳嗽咆哮，哭喊，怪叫，表情痛苦、恐怖）。医院书面通知病危，建议转入 ICU 观察，观察了半天后，她爸看到没有什么有效治疗手段，决定搬回家里，同时请家庭医生和一脑神经专家到家里诊治。

病人爸爸出示给我的专家诊断结果：Tylenol 过量服用导致的脑缺氧，丧失意识，并发全身尤其四肢僵直。
直到目前，病人所接受的药物只有三种：镇静，止痛和缓解肌肉关节僵直。

我以中医理论诊断，上门给她针灸4次后，症状目前已出现三大改进：
1，癫痫大发作，从原来每天十多次，降到了3到4次；
2，手指、脚趾显著变松；
3，眼睛有时会主动向四周慢慢张望。

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Why Acupuncture is a Great Choice for Anxiety

Every year, new studies show that anxiety among otherwise healthy men and women is on the rise. While a small amount of anxiety every once in a while is normal, persistent anxiety is a serious problem – it affects behaviors, it creates stress, and it hurts your overall quality of life.

Some of the solutions to anxiety are simple. Exercise, for example, is an important first step. More and more people are working in careers that involve little physical activity, and that inactivity creates misplaced energy that can turn into stress and anxiety.

But if basic lifestyle changes don’t work, and you find that your anxiety continues to impact your life, the solutions become more complicated. Pharmaceutical medications should generally be avoided, because in addition to their addictive properties and dangerous side effects, they also only numb the issue temporarily. Once you stop taking the medications the anxiety comes back; potentially stronger than ever. In addition, while several therapies exist, these solutions are generally prohibitively expensive for the modern family. It’s for these reasons that acupuncture is such a good option as an anxiety treatment.

Reasons to Consider Acupuncture

Acupuncture is an affordable, safe, non-addictive and effective way to treat anxiety. It has none of the side effects of modern medications, and has been used for centuries as a way of curing mental health issues and other health symptoms.

What makes acupuncture so effective, however, is the following:

• Anxiety Points

First and foremost, there are several points that an acupuncturist can target that are designed to counter your anxiety. Acupuncturists place needles in the GV20, He5, and other points in order to balance your chi and help your body cope with anxiety. Each of these points has been tested by generations of practitioners for the past thousands of years, and is known to have a profound effect on the way you experience anxiety.

• Tangential Points

Anxiety is not usually caused by any one issue, which is why when you really want to reduce anxiety you need to do more than simply place needles at anxiety reduction points. You also need to place needles in areas that may relate to stress, health, and other issues that could, in theory, contribute to further anxiety in the future.

•  Accompanying Lifestyle Changes

Acupuncture is also not considered a standalone treatment. Those that use it combine the effective techniques with anxiety reduction herbs, a healthier diet and lifestyle, and more. Because anxiety can be caused by so many different aspects of a person’s life, and because it’s so important to approach anxiety reduction from a more holistic manner, this type of treatment is underrated as a potential option for anxiety sufferers.

Choosing Acupuncture as an Anxiety Option

Those that suffer from anxiety need to depend on natural treatments if possible, because modern medicine is simply too addictive with too many side effects to make it worthwhile. Since anxiety represents such an important factor in a person’s short and long term happiness, it’s also important that you select an option that is effective right away, and lasts long enough to help create real changes in your quality of life. Acupuncture from a reputable acupuncturist has the potential to do just that, and should be considered by those looking for natural treatment options.

Call Oriental Acupuncture Clinic at 416-800-3978 to set up your first appointment!