CAN I HAVE AUPUNCTURE IF I AM NEEDLE PHOBIC?

Yes! At Amena Wellness – Tweed Heads we use Japanese style filiform needles: unlike hypodermic needles a filiform needle is solid (no hole through the middle) and is the thickness of a hair strand. We pride ourselves on being gentle & Dr.Amena Clark has had 13 years experience prior to being an Acupuncturist as a Phlebotomist in local hospitals. If you absolutely don’t wish to have needles or for babies and small children then acupressure & Tui Na (Chinese medical massage) can be used instead.

WHY SHOULD I HAVE AN ACUPUNCTURE INSTEAD OF DRY NEEDLING?

A registered Acupuncturist is licensed to perform acupuncture & use acupuncture needles. Your Acupuncturist has completed a 4 (four) year Health Science degree(BHSc.) in order to safely use these tools. Many people doing dry needling have completed a weekend course or at most week long course which is not enough clinical hours to safely use them in all areas of the body. All registered acupuncturists complete in excess of 1000 clinical hours before practicing. Acupuncture works best because of  its holistic approach that, the disease or problem manifest differently in every human body; therefore the treatment will be different every time in each individual. Your Chinese Medical diagnosis involves pulse, tongue, channel theory, dietary advice, abdominal palpation and inspection to eyes, limbs and a lot of questions before 1 SINGLE needle is gently placed.

WHAT IS CUPPING AND DOES IT WORK?

Chinese medicine cupping has through out history been used in almost every major culture as a medicinal therapy. Copper, clay, bone, bamboo and most widely used today is glass. Fire cupping is used predominantly with glass cups. The flame is inserted inside the cup to produce vacuum; massage oil & liniment are quite often applied for a gliding effect. Cupping is unlike massage because vacuum allows the muscle tissue, blood and lymph to be moved and irrigated. With all injury, nutrient dense blood carrying oxygen allows for greater  healing. Cupping is also used as a diagnostic tool, the temperature, colour, and pattern underlying can inform you of many things. It can be used to get rid of tension headaches, speed recovery of cold and flu, muscular tension and old injuries. Cups can be applied in varying strengths for patient comfort & therapeutic effect. We favour gliding glass fire cupping for its health benefits and relaxing feel at Amena Wellness – Tweed Heads.

WHY CHOOSE DR.AMENA AS YOUR COSMETIC SKIN PHYSICIAN?

Dr.Amena has completed specific units of study within her BHSc for the Integumentary system (skin) and also undertaken separate education for CIT (collagen induction): including EBM (evidence based medicine) studies of what speeds & depths to different areas of the face, neck & décolletage need to be needling for efficacy. She is currently designing a boutique skin care range for mature skin and has completed tuition and the chemistry associated with creating skin care. Each client is given a take home pack to support optimal skin nutrition for the week post procedure. All products are created onsite & custom made items can be formulated. Each client is asked to fill out a specific questionnaire also for topical anaesthetic; we have a local pharmacist formulate for us with your safety in mind.

RESEARCH REFERENCES

[1] Infertility [Also 2,3,5,6]

Effectiveness of acupuncture on pregnancy success rates for women undergoing in vitro fertilization: A randomized controlled trial. Taiwan J Obstet Gynecol. 2020 Mar;59(2):282-286). –

[2] Menopause [Also 3, 5, 6, 14]

Saunders, N. C., & Berry, K. (2021). Acupuncture for Menopause: Evidence Summary. Journal of Chinese Medicine, 125, 56

[3] Hot flushes, night sweats

Li M, Hung A, Lenon GB, Yang AWH (2019) Chinese herbal formulae for the treatment of menopausal hot flushes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS ONE 14(9): e0222383

[4] Migraine
Musil F, Pokladnikova J, Pavelek Z, Wang B, Guan X, Valis M. Acupuncture in migraine prophylaxis in Czech patients: an open-label randomized controlled trial. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2018;14:1221-1228

[4] Headache
Effectiveness of Acupuncture as Auxiliary Treatment for Chronic Headache, Journal of Acupuncture and Meridian Studies, Volume 11, Issue 5, October 2018, Pages 296-302

[5] Insomnia, night sweats, HPA axis

Zhao FY et al. Acupuncture: A Promising Approach for Comorbid Depression and Insomnia in Perimenopause. Nat Sci Sleep. 2021;13:1823-1863

[6] vasomotor symptoms-menopause

Befus D, et al. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. Apr 2018.314-323.

[7] Nausea & vomiting

Smith C et al. 2002, Acupuncture to treat nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy: A randomized controlled trial, Birth 2002; Vol 29, pp 1-9.

[8] Allergic Rhinitis

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27156748

[9] Alzheimer’s Disease

Huang, Q., Luo, D., Chen, L. et al. Effectiveness of Acupuncture for Alzheimer’s Disease: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. CURR MED SCI 39, 500–511 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11596-019-2065-8

[12] Insomnia

Zhao FY, Fu QQ, Spencer SJ, Kennedy GA, Conduit R, Zhang WJ, Zheng Z. Acupuncture: A Promising Approach for Comorbid Depression and Insomnia in Perimenopause. Nat Sci Sleep. 2021;13:1823-1863

Effect of Acupuncture on Pregnancy-Related Insomnia and Melatonin: A Single-Blinded, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial. Nat Sci Sleep. 2020;12:271-278 https://www.dovepress.com/effect-of-acupuncture-on-pregnancy-related-insomnia-and-melatonin-a-si-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-NSS

[14] Vaginal Dryness

Saunders, N. C., & Berry, K. (2021). Acupuncture for Menopause: Evidence Summary. Journal of Chinese Medicine, 125, 56