How does it work?

A qualified acupuncturist will insert very fine needles into affected points along the meridians in order for energy return to its homeostatic level. It may be released or increased, depending on what is needed. In general, Acupuncture is a way to reinstate harmony and balance to your body as a whole. It can be used as a preventative therapy or as a way to relieve painful symptoms.

Did you know?

Acupuncture is one of the oldest health care techniques known to man, and is recognised by the World Health Organisation

So what is involved in a session?

Acupuncture sessions begin with a visual assessment. This may involve your therapist looking at your tongue, eyes and complexion and by taking into consideration any presenting symptoms you have. The combined diagnosis will help your therapist ascertain where the blockages are stemming from. Once assessed, the practitioner will insert a number of very fine needles into the blocked areas for a length of time between 5-20 minutes. You will usually be lying on a massage table but acupuncture can also be performed while seated.

How many sessions will I need?

As with all therapies one session is rarely enough to ‘cure symptoms. An effective treatment plan will probably involve a minimum of three sessions.

Does it hurt?

You may experience mild pain as the needle is inserted but any discomfort should be short-lived. Acupuncture may sometimes induce feelings of mild nausea.

Do I have to undress?

Only the body parts being worked on need to be uncovered, so you may be asked to lift your sleeves or trouser legs. Many points are in the ears/face and hands, so undressing is not necessary.

Acupuncture and headaches

Acupuncture is recognised by the World Health Organisation for having great success with headaches and migraines.

Acupuncture and back pain

Blockages within the meridian system can be the cause of a number of ailments including back pain, neck pain and other muscle-related issues, so acupuncture can certainly bring immense and sometimes immediate relief from many back problems.

Acupuncture and depression

Acupuncture can be very successful at treating depression and is also useful for conditions like phobias, low self-esteem and chronic fatigue.

What is acupuncture best for?

* digestive issues i.e. diarrhoea/constipation/IBS

* headaches/migraines

* skin disorders i.e. eczema/psoriasis/acne

* menstrual and/or fertility issues.

Is it safe during pregnancy?

A qualified acupuncturist can work on women throughout their pregnancy, but there are some points that should be avoided, so you must always inform your therapist if you are pregnant.

Is it safe for children?

Children can certainly receive acupuncture, in fact studies show that acupuncture can assist children with a low immune system, skin rashes like impetigo and also allergy-related asthma.

Safety tips

Always inform your therapist of any prescribed medicine you are taking, as it may have an adverse effect on your treatment.

Warren Buffet, the brilliant investor and businessman, once said, “Somebody’s sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.” Put another way, if we have the foresight and discipline to take appropriate action, we will reap the benefits in years (or even decades) to come. I think he was referring primarily to finances, investments, and the accumulation of wealth, but the quote can be applied to other aspects of our lives, as well. In fact, I think the quote can apply equally well to becoming healthy as it can to becoming wealthy.

There is no simple shortcut available to attain health. We are largely responsible for our own health based upon the lifestyle choices that we make. There are a few external factors which influence our health landscape, such as the genes that we inherit from our parents and the healthy or unhealthy behavior that we learn from those around us. Yet despite these factors, we have the opportunity to become healthier and more balanced by way of making healthier, more mindful decisions. The best way to improve upon your current health situation is by making healthier choices, so that in years to come you are able to enjoy the shade provided by your wise and prudent action today.

This entire concept underscores the importance of preventive health care, or health care aimed at promoting health and reducing our risks of health problems before they occur. As a society, we tend to be more reactive, seeking medical care when our problems can no longer be ignored, than proactive, taking preventive measures and making healthy lifestyle choices that may reduce or eliminate our risks before problems actually arise.

Whether you are aware of it or not, you make myriad decisions every day that affect your health. Do you fuel your body with natural foods, including vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, and essential fatty acids? Does your diet include processed foods, junk foods, or fast foods, often containing sky-high levels of sugar, fat, or sodium? Are you getting adequate and appropriate levels of exercise? Do you forego exercise completely because there’s not enough time? Are you a weekend warrior, exercising infrequently, too intensely, and without warm-up, only to lead to injury? Do you take time out to reduce stress and anxiety in your life? Are you constructively expressing your feelings or keeping them bottled up to avoid potentially uneasy situations? Are you allowing yourself to get enough sleep? Do you set aside time to take part in activities that make you feel good, such as walking, gardening, being in nature, or spending time with a beloved pet? Do you smoke? Do you drink alcohol to excess? Do you require stimulants, such as caffeine, to get you through the day? All of these choices that we make, sometimes unconsciously, can positively or negatively affect our health today and for years to come.

In addition to making healthy lifestyle choices, there are also a variety of preventive health care modalities which promote wellness and balance, including acupuncture, massage, and yoga. A well-trained acupuncturist recognizes subtle imbalances in an individual and focuses treatment on returning that individual to a state of balance by using Chinese medicine techniques such as acupuncture and Chinese herbs. In addition, most acupuncturists make lifestyle recommendations that are custom-tailored to an individual patient’s unique situation. For example, an acupuncture specialist may recommend that one patient consume more cooked vegetables and fewer raw vegetables to address a constitutional imbalance, while another patient with a very different imbalance may receive the opposite advice.

It is important to recognize the numerous choices that we make which affect our health and also the importance of making mindful, healthy decisions. Your state of health is an accumulation of your actions and decisions over a long period of time. There is no way to circumvent the laws of nature and become healthy overnight. When making healthful choices becomes part of your daily life rather than a quick fix scheme to create a temporary outcome, you will naturally and inevitably migrate towards a healthier state. Making healthy lifestyle choices on a consistent basis, combined with preventive health care modalities such as acupuncture, massage, and yoga, can allow your tree of health to provide you with adequate shade today and well into the future.

In this interview, you will get answers on how acupuncture works to reduce wrinkles, how to use acupuncture for the maximum benefits, and if this is an effective and safe natural alternative. Discover what Nancy has to say on this subject.

Cosmetic acupuncture sounds a little bit trendy. It is said that cosmetic acupuncture is far less expensive than cosmetic surgery, a safe technique, and that is actually works to reduce signs of aging. How come we didn’t hear about it before? Acupuncture is not recent…

Cosmetic Acupuncture does sound trendy but it has been practiced in Asia for decades. According to one doctor I spoke with before I decided to invest in the training, prior to the use of cosmetic surgery, there were a number of celebrities in Hollywood that used Acupuncture to maintain a “younger” profile. It is rumoured that Bob Hope used it regularly to keep his skin smooth. I was very sceptical myself when I first saw the course advertised, however one doctor I spoke with confirmed that she herself did indeed use acupuncture to reduce her fine lines.

So how does it work to improve the appearance of skin?

The concept is based on physiology. When the skin is injured, no matter how small the injury, the body’s response is to send collagen to the area to repair. Cosmetic Acupuncture technique requires the insertion of between 50 and 60 fine needles. The effect is a migration of collagen to the area which is deposited and “plumps” the specific areas where the “micro-injury” has occurred. The insertion of needles also stimulates the muscles to contract. Multiple treatments results in a “toning” of the muscles which reduces the sagging that develops as a part of the aging process.

What kind of results can you really expect?

Results vary depending on the current integrity of the skin, i.e.: sun damage, poor diet, inherited skin conditions, etc. Mature skin that has been well maintained responds the best. Age does play a factor, those in their 40′s or 50′s will get faster results. I have had good results with women in their 60′s, however they require more treatments to achieve the same results as someone younger.

When you say faster results, do you mean one month, one year, more?

The skin, as you know has many layers and the effects of the increased blood and nutrient supply to skin does not really become overly noticeable during the first couple of months. Typically at three months you begin to see a difference. Usually women report back to me that they notice they can wear lip stick again without always having to use liner to keep it from “bleeding” into the lines. In some cases collagen pads can actually be seen around the lateral aspect of the eye where laugh lines can become deep. The effects of cosmetic acupuncture are cumulative, I have clients that have been with me for four years and the laugh lines do not reappear. The mouth area is harder to maintain, but an extra treatment or two during the year usually will maintain enough extra collagen.

Can you get these results only with facial acupuncture or do you advice other therapies at the same time?

I always incorporate dietary recommendations; you can only work with what you have. A poor diet lacking in essentials fatty acids, vitamins or minerals will not deliver a good repair kit to the area. I always advise my clients if they want the best results, I can deliver the blood to the area, but it is up to them what is in it. I do recommend they use as close to natural for any product they may put on their face on a regular basis. A lot of “high end” products have chemicals which are toxic and are absorbed through the skin. I have had a number of clients who have gotten eye infections from high end night creams that do not absorb and become a hosting platform for bacteria. I have seen extreme break outs in clients who have used very expensive facial creams.

So cosmetic acupuncture is not completely safe…

Anybody who is considering acupuncture for any reason should have a total health consult first. Any procedure that breaks the skin has the potential to introduce infection. Cosmetic Acupuncture compared to other forms of anti-aging procedures has a very high safety record. There is no use of foreign matter being introduced under the skin and risk of infection compared to surgery is very small, in fact I am not aware of any reported cases. Individuals with conditions such as diabetes, bleeding conditions, certain thyroid conditions, shingles or hepatitis should definitely not consider Cosmetic Acupuncture.

Is there any medical research that supports cosmetic acupuncture?

I don’t think there has been any relevant scientific study in this area.

I understand cosmetic acupuncture is used mainly for wrinkles and fine lines. Could it also be used for other skin conditions, such as acne, dry skin, or facial scars?

Cosmetic acupuncture can be effective in reducing adult rosacea, repair of small broken capillaries and dry skin. I would not recommend it for extreme acne conditions as risk for infection would be an underlying issue. I would have to say in my experience it does not reduce the appearance of facial scars significantly.

Is there anything you would like to add about cosmetic acupuncture?

There is one other benefit cosmetic acupuncture provides; a psychological support that you cannot find in any other anti-aging product. During the procedure not only is collagen released, but endorphins and natural opiates. Clients leave feeling rested, rejuvenated and that hormone release is reinforced every treatment and the “calming effect” becomes as cumulative as the collagen.

Nancy Winlove-Smith’s biography:

* Graduate of the McMaster Contemporary Medical Acupuncture program 2004

* Kulhay Wellness Clinic & Education Centre – Cosmetic Acupuncture & Non-Surgical Face Lifting 2004

* Diploma of Phytotherapy Mohawk/McMaster Health Sciences 2006

* Herbal Technician Certificate Mohawk College 2003

* Recognized Resource for Complementary Therapy Wellwood Resource Centre for Supportive Cancer Care. Key Note Speaker for Centre January 2007

* Key Note Speaker for Occupational Health & Safety Committee Hamilton Halton Secondary School Board April 2008