What Tania can do for you
The effectiveness of acupuncture may be enhanced by the use of supplementary techniques such as Moxibustion, Gua Sha and Cupping. Moxa gently warms the body to stimulate circulation while Gua Sha and Cupping gently release stagnation or blockages to relieve pain and release pathogens.
A little more about Gua Sha
Gua Sha is a gentle scraping of the skin that causes a light reddening that fades within a week and indicates the releasing of stagnation and the restoration of the flow of blood and qi to the area. It is used in combination with acupuncture for the type of pain that is helped by massage but immediately returns, for chronic pain, sudden stiff neck, awakening with a kink in your body, and pains that come and go. It is used primarily over the back, neck and shoulders but can also be applied to arms, legs, and joints. Gua Sha only brings to the surface what is trapped below, if there is no stagnation there will be no surface marks. You know there is stagnation if you press your skin and quickly take your fingers away and the blanched skin takes a while to colour.
A little more about Cupping
Cupping therapy involves the attachment of special cups onto specific points on your body. Suction is created by briefly introducing a flame into glass cups or using a special suction tool for plastic cups to create a vacuum immediately before application. The cups can be left in place for up to ten minutes. You should experience a warm, pulling, stretching sensation, not pain, and any marks that appear on the skin will fade within a week. Cupping is often integrated with acupuncture to treat swelling and pain by promoting the expansion of blood vessels within the skin and muscles in areas such as the back, shoulders, and legs. This increases the circulation of blood and lymph within the joints, improves energy flow to the muscles and tendons and reduces local pressure on the vertebrae of the spine. Cupping also helps draw out and eliminate pathogenic factors from the superficial levels for colds, flu, and coughs as it opens the pores so pathogens can be released through the skin.