How We Treat Our Portland Acupuncture Patients

The individual experience of each and every one of our Portland acupuncture patients is of the utmost importance to us.  Our goal is that each patient walks out of clinic with a significant positive change from when they came in.  In order to do that, each practitioner is licensed both as an Acupuncturist and a Chinese Herbalist.  As a practitioner of Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), they have a several tools available to them as they practice.  Some of them are more commonly used than others.

Common Services Portland Acupuncture patients love

Acupuncture

Almost everyone is familiar with the technique of the acupuncture needles.  It is by far the most known and common technique used in TCM.  The needles vary in length and in diameter or gauge.  Each size has it’s own use and purpose.  The needles are about the size of 2 human hairs.   They are very, very tiny.   It’s common that people that have never had acupuncture before, think about needles in terms of the kind of needles that your doctor would give you a shot with or draw blood with.

The acupuncturist inserts the needles in specific points, each with a purpose of moving different energies in our bodies.  Most Portland acupuncture patients find it calming.  However, there are specific treatments that are more energizing.  It’s all about what your body needs at the time of your treatment.

Cupping

Recently, cupping has been much more famous because of the Olympic athletes that were showing up with these black and blue marks of perfect circles on their arms and backs.  Michael Phelps might be the most famous.  The purpose of cupping is to access the tissue at a very deep level and pull the toxin out to the surface, where the blood can easily move them along and get them out of the body.  While Cupping can look painful, our Portland acupuncture patients LOVE it!

Moxa

Is the burning of an herb called Mugwort.   It has warming properties that work at a very deep level.   It can be administered in several ways.  It’s really good to reduce pain, inflammation, it’s good for coughs and colds, and it is also used to turn a breach baby.

Tuina

Pronounced “twee naw”, which  means “pinch and pull,” refers to a wide range of (TCM)  massage and body work that is considered therapeutic.  Tuina is not typically used for pleasure and relaxation.  It is used more as a treatment to address specific patterns of disharmony.

TDP lamps

The components of the head are what makes the TDP lamp different from other far-infrared heating devices. The head is made up of an electrical heating plate, a heat reflector, wire cage insulator, and a mineral plate. It is the mineral plate which makes this lamp unique.  As a result, we use TDP lamps to enhance healing for our Portland Acupuncture patients.  The warming properties go deep into the tissue in a way that is healing and relaxing.