Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a system of preserving health and curing illness by treating the body as a whole universe. Its goal is to maintain or restore harmony and balance to every aspect within the human being and between human beings and our surrounding environment. Acupuncture is the art and science of redirecting the flow of Qi and blood through the body’s channels, the invisible aqueduct system that transports essential substances to our organs, tissues, and bones. Redirecting the flow of Qi and blood is accomplished by stimulating specific acupuncture points along the channels where essential substances flow close to the skin’s surface. Our practitioners at Sun Wellness Acupuncture use many different methods for stimulating acupuncture points, including electro-stimulation and moxa as well as the traditional fine metal needles. Regardless of the technique, acupuncture is relatively painless and is often accompanied by feelings of heaviness or warmth and the movement of energy. These sensations occur because acupuncture points are the equivalent to the valves in an aqueduct system. When the points are stimulated, they open a valve, so that excess or stagnant Qi can disperse. If Qi or blood is deficient, stimulation of certain points may close a valve, so that the essential substances can accrue as needed. Once this is done, the distribution of essential substances throughout the whole system of channels becomes more evenly balanced, allowing a smoother flow into all areas of the body. This adjustment of the body’s Qi and blood can be used to restore and maintain balance between Yin and Yang, and thereby alleviate emotional disorders, protect the organs, moisten tendons and keep the joints healthy. Acupuncture replenishes energy on both a physical and spiritual level.

Eastern Herbal medicine

Eastern herbal medicine is the practice of combining individual herbs into customized formulas to promote health and well-being. The Chinese pharmacopoeia lists over 6,000 different medicinal substances in terms of their properties and the disharmonies with which they are helpful, but only about 400 are in common use. Although a single herb is sometimes used, a combination of herbs, typically five to fifteen, is more common. The unique characteristic of Chinese herbal medicine is the degree to which formulation is done, in order to meet the needs of your symptoms. The variety in temperature and taste give herbs – the properties that influence the yin and yang energy patterns of the body. For example, sour, bitter and salty tastes are related to yin, whereas acrid and sweet ones are attributed to yang. There are herbs that will warm, herbs that will cool, herbs that will tonify, and herbs that will bring you out of stagnation. It is also important to understand that herbs do not possess one quality. Western herbal medicine is limited precisely because it draws on herbs in isolation or in small combinations with other herbs serving the same function. Eastern herbal medicine, in contrast, reflects the reality that herbs always embody a combination of properties and temperatures, and that when used properly, they may reach one to as many as with other twelve organ systems.

Eastern Nutrition

In Eastern Medicine, food is treated as medicinal therapy. Food can either support the healthy functioning of the body or add to its dysfunction. Diet and nutrition play an extremely important role in health and well-being. A balanced diet sustains not only physical health but also mental and spiritual well-being. Like herbs, all foods have different properties and perform different functions in the body. The tastes and temperature unique to each food gives it specific therapeutic properties. During your visit to Sun Wellness Acupuncture, you will learn which foods may or may not be beneficial to you and your health condition. You will learn which foods to avoid and those to include in your diet to support you. Proper nutrition and a healthy diet are considered the first step towards desirable health.