Eleanor Henderson
BSc (Hons) Lic. Acupuncturist
Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner
Cupping, Electro-Acupuncture,
Moxibustion & Gua Sha
“Where there’s stagnation, there will be pain. Remove the stagnation, & you remove the pain.”
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Cupping is a technique used when cups are suctioned onto the skin by creating a vacuum to disperse & break up stagnation by breaking down congested blood, muscle fibres, scar tissue, fluids & by increasing new blood flow to the area. It is an extremely quick & effective way of relieving muscle tension.
If there is a lot of (stagnation) then the cup will leave a deep red mark which disperses over about 3-5 days.
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In recent years cupping has been growing in popularity, with celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Aniston, David Arquette, & athlete Michael Phelps drawing public attention to the traditional benefits of Chinese cupping therapy techniques.
Electro-acupuncture is simply applying a current to the acupuncture needle to utilise the body's own electrical impulses
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It provides a gentle vibration that can produce long & short-term opiate-mediated pain relief & blocking nerve pathways. Evidence indicates that it is particularly effective regarding neurological issues, chronic pain & spasms.
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Electro-acupuncture is contraindicated for patients who are pregnant, experience seizures or have a history of heart disease, strokes, or epilepsy. Patients with pacemakers should not receive electro-acupuncture.
Moxibustion is a form of heat therapy in which the dried plant, mugwort is burnt near the surface of the skin. The intention is to warm the tissues, invigorate the flow of Qi & blood flow in the body, & dispel certain pathogenic influences.
I prefer using a more modern version which produces less smoke & smell in clinic.
In cases of helping to turn breech babies, I educate clients how to use moxa & give them a stick that can be used at home.
Gua sha (translated to 'skin scraping') is a traditional Chinese medicine therapy that involves scraping your skin with a soft edged tool to stimulate & improve microcirculation of the soft tissue, which increases blood flow.
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Gua sha is similar to cupping in that it addresses stagnation by breaking down congested blood, muscle fibres, scar tissue, & by increasing new blood flow to the area. It may be used to ease muscle tension & inflammation associated with chronic pain.
It can be be applied anywhere on the body but is most commonly applied to the neck, shoulders & back.
