Acupuncture

Acupuncture practice is a holistic, individualised treatment. At the initial visit, Birga will take a case history by asking questions about your current health concerns, past health conditions, sleeping patterns, appetite, diet, lifestyle habits, menstrual cycle, stress reactions, allergies and other food sensitivities.

To further identify the ‘patterns of disharmony’ as it is called in Chinese medicine, Birga will assess your health using traditional techniques such as tongue and pulse diagnosis; examining bodily functions, as well as looking for other significant signs and symptoms relating to health problems.

This traditional style of diagnoses creates a complete picture of your illness and its underlying pattern of disharmony. Birga will then develop an individual treatment program, complete with acupuncture points tailored to your health concern and then treatment can commence.

The number of treatments needed depends on the individual’s health problems and varies from patient to patient. Determining factors include; the nature of the health issue, the patients general state of health and lifestyle and whether it is an acute or chronic health problem.

While occasionally single treatments may achieve good results; most conditions require a minimum of 4 – 8 treatments spaced one week apart. Chronic conditions may require ongoing treatments over several months to resolve the underlying cause.

As your health improves, treatments may be reduced to two per week or once a month, until your symptoms are resolved or a healthy balance is established.

Many patients choose Acupuncture as a maintenance treatment every 4 – 6 weeks to prevent symptoms of illness and maintain their ongoing health.

Upon insertion of an acupuncture needle, many people report feeling nothing, a slight sting, a slight tingling feeling or a heavy-weighted sensation.

Acupuncture needles are very fine, disposable needles. They are hair-thin, so they are much finer than those used for injections or sewing and are only used once. Patients will often feel a sensation of well-being and a natural, relaxed state during and after the treatment.

Acupuncture is generally considered to be safe, but occasionally (as with all health treatments), may be associated with possible adverse health reactions in individual cases.

At Perth Hills Acupuncture, Birga uses the highest quality, sterile, single-use needles and maintains strict infection control standards. Birga is a fully qualified Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioner and a member of the Australian Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Association (AACMA) as well as the Australian National Therapies Association (ANTA).

In July 2012 the National Registration for Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture profession was introduced to ensure the safety and protection of the public by regulating practice and ensuring the highest standards of education.

According to the Health Practitioner National Law Act (National Law) only practitioners registered with the Chinese Medicine Board of Australia (CMBA) can use the title ‘registered acupuncturist’. Birga is registered with the CMBA and the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).

Please ask if you have any questions regarding the safety of acupuncture and make sure to inform your practitioner about serious illnesses, especially easy bruising and problems with blood clotting. Always check that you are being treated by a licensed acupuncturist.

Acupuncture and Western medicine work very well together and can even complement each other. Having worked in multimodality practices before; Birga is experienced in working together with medical health providers such as general practitioners, chiro’s, counsellors, naturopaths, Bowen and massage therapists to develop a comprehensive and supportive treatment plan that offers the best out of all medical practice.

Always inform your doctor or other health practitioner(s) if you are undergoing acupuncture treatment.