Holistic Approach To Treatment
Acupuncture is the ancient Chinese holistic treatment of pain and illness, where the practitioner diagnoses and addresses imbalances in a persons internal energy tracks or acu-points, as a result of stresses or injury.
The discipline is based on the traditional Chinese philosophy that there are energetic channels that exist within the body. These channels run through internal organs and when blocked or distorted from injury or emotional stress the energy, or qi, cannot flow smoothly.
Think of a disruption to this energy flow as a tree that falls across a river. The tree must be removed in order for the river to flow smoothly again, just like the energy to all organs.
Directly Addressing Pain, Discomfort & Emotional Stresses
The Selph Acupuncturist will seek to address the pain or discomfort within the body of a patient by addressing the imbalance of energy within the body, and restore the internal energy channels by inserting sterilised needles into the meridian points of the body.
By restoring the energy flow and thus clearing the meridian pathways, acupuncture calms the energy and allows for the smooth release of pathways in the body. Acupuncture can assist in a number of physical and emotional health conditions such as:
- Muscle & structural pain and injury
- Insomnia
- Headaches
- Fertility / Infertility
- Pregnancy
- Stress
- Weight loss
- Gut and nutritional issues
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Menopause
Your acupuncturist will begin with an in-depth consultation to learn about your medical history and health concerns. They will be able to create a personalised treatment plan to improve the areas of your life that need support. Along with acupuncture treatments, this may include nutritional advice, lifestyle adjustments, exercises, herbal supplements and mindfulness techniques.
Collaborative Approach
As with all treatments at Selph Health Studios, your Acupuncturist will be able to see and discuss your past and current treatments with any other of the Selph practitioners you are being treated by. This ensures that your treatments and wellness plan are both cohesive and collaborative across all disciplines.
Acupuncture for Pregnancy & Labour Induction
Pregnancy
We use acupuncture to target specific goals at each week of your visit during the final stages of pregnancy:
Week 36: Ideally, birth preparation treatment should begin around week 36, when the baby typically begins to engage.
Week 37: In week 37 our goal is to support hormonal shifts and tissue softening.
Week 38: In week 38 of pregnancy we use acupuncture to promote cervical ripening.
Week 39: If the baby is still high by week 39, we strongly promote engagement and tissue softening. If the baby is engaged, we focus on promoting cervical ripening.
Week 40: If the baby is engaged and mum has a ripe cervix we promote contractions, otherwise we work to strongly address cervical ripening or previous targets as necessary.
Our key goal regardless of week is to facilitate relaxation and calm, as emotional wellbeing and preparedness is a big barrier to your body relaxing and welcoming labour and birth.
Labour Induction
During those final moments of pregnancy, if the mother is close to or past her due date, and her contractions haven’t started, there’s often a reason why. Our Acupuncturists identify and address these reasons and then allow labour to progress naturally.
Acupuncture does not induce labour, it facilitates the body transitioning through stages if mother and baby are ready for birth. Acupuncture during this important time can support the body to relax enough for the mother and her body to be ready for the next step of birth.
You can read more about our Labour Induction process and how Acupuncture can help during this time in our Journal article here.
Acupuncture for Anxiety
Stress and anxiety can become evident in obvious but also less obvious ways, such as; poor focus or mental acuity, irritability, anger, frustration, poor energy, recurring injuries & pain, an inability to shift weight and restless sleep. Stress and anxiety in the body begins to compound if nothing is done to release it. In each Acupuncture session we pick specific points to act as a release valve that decompresses and calms the body and returns the baseline to normal. It is at this balance point that everything in life falls into flow.
Our Acupuncturist utilise the strategic meridian points in your body to stimulate the nervous system, triggering the release of chemicals and hormones such as endorphins and serotonin which, in turn, encourages the body to self-heal and regulate internal imbalances.
Acupuncture also improves circulation, function and healing and the ability to take your body out of the fight-or-flight mode. This is important because when suffering from anxiety, your body activates the sympathetic nervous system as a survival mechanism even though no real danger is present. Acupuncture takes you out of this stress response and into the parasympathetic rest-and-relax mode.
Acupuncturists focus on easing tension and stress and restoring inner balance to manage anxiety. The release of endorphins, your body’s natural pain killer, promotes relaxation and helps reduce anxiety.
Through the use of acupuncture for anxiety management, you may experience other benefits such as more restful sleep and increased energy.
Your practitioner will aim to treat the underlying cause of your anxiety as well as the symptoms. They can guide you to make better lifestyle choices that will improve your overall health and wellbeing.
Meet Acupuncturist Yu Zhang (Joseph)
Yu Zhang (Joseph) decided from a young age that he wanted to master the arts of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) after suffering a severe chronic illness at just 6 months of age. He was treated and cured of his illness by a TCM practitioner which inspired his growth into the field in China and now in Australia.
Joseph obtained a bachelor degree of health Science in TCM from Chengdu University TCM in 1994 and later became a national registered acupuncturist upon relocating to Australia in 2001. To compliment his treatments Joseph went on to obtain a degree in Herbal dispensary.
With over 20 years of experience practicing in Sydney, he has developed a broad understanding of the treatment of illnesses and diseases from chronic coughs and insomnia, to menopause complications. Joseph believes in a holistic approach to treatment, and is accredited in massage which he is able to apply in consultations.
