Physiotherapy & Acupuncture
There are many people who approach alternative medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine with a certain level of skepticism. This is perfectly understandable, particularly if the patient has only engaged with Western medicine in his or her life. However, these same people may have already partaken in alternative medicine without realizing it.
In fact, if you’ve visited with a chiropractor to help re-align your spine and reduce back pain, you have used alternative medicine. If you have had herbal tea for medicinal purposes, you have used alternative medicine. Massage therapy can be considered alternative medicine too. As such, you might consider combining your current physiotherapy treatments with acupuncture as well.
Vancouver Physiotherapy Clinic
Electra Health – 970 Burrard Street, Vancouver BC
Open 7 days a week from 8 am to 8 pm
604-685-4325 (HEAL)
It is important to consult with a professional before starting any kind of treatment, but physiotherapy and acupuncture are naturally complementary. This is because both practices have a strong focus and background in musculoskeletal concerns. Acupuncture has been shown as an effective treatment for pain, which might be the same reason why you may be visiting a physiotherapist in the first place.
Acupuncture comes with a very long history, having been used and developed in China for thousands of years. Its popularity has only recently expanded to North America in the last few decades, but it comes with a strong pedigree of effectiveness. Acupuncture involves inserting very thin needles into specific points along the body.
The traditional basis for acupuncture comes from the concept of qi (“chee” or “chi”). This life energy flows throughout your body via the fourteen meridian pathways. The acupuncture needles are placed in specific locations along these pathways to help improve the flow of this qi and to ensure that its flow is properly balanced. This viewpoint is maintained by traditional practitioners, but a more modern, scientific explanation has emerged in the Western application of acupuncture.
In a more contemporary context, acupuncturists believe that the inserted needles can help to stimulate certain nerves in particular ways. This can lead to the restoration of health and mobility. The needles can also stimulate muscles, connective tissue, and other important parts of the body.
This stimulation can elicit and boost the body’s natural ability to increase blood flow and produce natural painkillers. The body can then produce a different mix of internal chemicals and hormones, achieving an improved biochemical balance. These natural processes are less jarring to the body than synthetic alternatives, because they make use of the body’s natural healing abilities.
Beyond the treatment of pain, acupuncture can also be effective for managing headaches, dealing with osteoarthritis, addressing neurological concerns, and reducing chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. The risks associated with acupuncture are very low, though patients may experience some soreness or bruising at the needle insertion points.
As there is a trained acupuncturist on the same at Electra as the physiotherapy clinic, setting up an appointment for an acupuncture session is easy and convenient. A holistic approach to health and wellness is highly encouraged, just as an exercise regimen should be followed in tandem to a diet plan to best achieve weight loss goals.
Combining acupuncture with physiotherapy could provide synergistic benefits not provided by each treatment plan alone.
Vancouver Physiotherapy Clinic
Electra Health – 970 Burrard Street, Vancouver BC
Open 7 days a week from 8 am to 8 pm
604-685-4325 (HEAL)
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