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Acupuncture for Ischemia

The patient came with necrosis on her fingers. Pain started on the fingers after an injury of the shoulder and elbow. In a couple of months, the index finger turned into purple and slowly it spread to the middle finger within two months.  

The pain was extreme (10/10) when she first came. She couldn’t sleep well because of the burning pain and sometimes she had to scream when the pain is too much. The doctor first wanted to give blood thinner to the patient but discovered her blood was already thin. Another solution by Western medicine is amputation. However, the patient had a trust in Traditional Chinese Medicine and other natural healing methods. 

In TCM, the disease is often caused by Yang deficiency (not enough Yang energy to push the blood to the extremities). The patient often feels cold in her hands and feet but at the same time a strong burning sensation in the fingers, which are caused by the dying nerve cells. In some situations, the pain could make some patients suicidal. It is a very difficult situation to Western Medicine. If the dead tissues are not cleared, they may poison the blood thus the whole body. If they are amputated, the surgery won’t guarantee to stop the ischemia (inadequate blood flow). Thus, it is possible that more amputations may be needed. Some patients may feel the continuation of pain even after surgery (phantom pain). The root cause, which is Yang deficiency must be dealt with. 

The picture shows a progression from the 1st to the 8th treatment with acupuncture. During the treatments, the patient felt tremendous energy movement (Chi), which is key to the success. After the third treatment, pain medication was reduced by 50%. In six treatments, the old skins started peeling off and pain continued to lessen. In eight treatments, there were almost no pain and burning sensation. The patient came for 2 treatments per week for the first 8 treatments. Now she only comes for one treatment every 2-3 weeks, which is not ideal. Her condition remains at the last picture. 

The condition could be cured with the dead tissues felt out if the patient follows the treatment plan.

Acupuncture for Vertigo

Vertigo is a sensation of feeling off balance. The patient might feel like he/she is spinning or that the world around him/her is spinning. Other symptoms that may accompany vertigo may include nausea, vomiting, jerky eye movement, headache and tinnitus. Symptoms can last from a few minutes to a few hours or more and may come and go. Vertigo may be associated with high blood pressure, cerebral arteriosclerosis, anemia, neurosis and Meniere disease.

In Chinese medicine, the disease can be classified into two types, which are excessive type and deficient type. The excessive type is attributed to the Chinese element of wind (related to the liver), which can manifest in the body as spasm, shaking and/or poor coordination. The deficient type is attributed to the invisible phlegm, which is caused by stomach, spleen and kidney energy deficiency. Bloating stomach, poor digestion/appetite, feeling heavy, pale skin and lack of energy often accompany the deficient type.

Acupuncture is proven very effective for vertigo. Depending on the severity and stages of the condition, it is usually recommended to come once or twice a week for five times as one course of treatment. Improvement can usually be seen in 1 to 2 treatments. The longer the treatment, the better the result. An acute condition may be improved right away. One to two courses of treatment may be needed to be symptom free with a great prognosis, which means the patient will feel normal for a long period of time though maintenance may be needed every once in a while. There is a 95% total effective rate with a 75% symptom free rate within 10 treatments. Treatment modalities may include body acupuncture, ear acupuncture, bleeding and cupping therapy. In Duncan Wellness Center, we combine the necessary modality to achieve optimal result.

Meniere disease falls into this disease category therefore it is treated the same way with a similar effective rate.

Come before April 1 2017 and receive 20% off!

Welcome to the Duncan Wellness Centre!

Helping you stay well, for the whole journey

At Duncan Wellness Centre our desire is to help you achieve your health and wellness goals. We offer both treatments and education through Acupuncture, Massage Therapy, Somatics, Tai Chi Gong, and Yoga. We encourage clients to explore these gentle methods of keeping the body comfortable, supple, strong and functional.

Whether you are recovering from an injury, suffering from stiffness or chronic pain, or just want to improve your health, we can help.

Our practitioners provide professional, caring services to help you feel better. They look forward to working with you! Our practitioners are listed below:

  • Heather Fergus
    RMT since 2011 and is currently studying to become an Acupuncturist.
  • Jet Li
    A traditional Acupuncturist and Tai Chi Instructor. He has been studying the field for 10 years and has focused his practice on utilizing the body’s natural energy system to optimize health.
  • Kyla Mortil
    She has been an RMT since 1993 and wishes to help clients improve their heath by incorporating Applied Somatics with Massage Therapy in individual sessions.
  • Violet Reynolds
    RMT since 1996. She is a Certified Applied Somatics Educator and a Yoga Teacher RDYT 500 hours. Violet teaches classes in our movement room and sees clients for individual appointments.
  • Andrew Teufel
    RMT since 1992. Andrew a former RN, has trained as a Hanna Somatic Educator, RDYT500, and Somatic Yoga Teacher. He offers private sessions for clients and teaches in our movement room.

Our services can help people manage pain and improve strength, balance, posture, mobility and flexibility. We offer Acupuncture, Massage Therapy and Clinical Somatics. Our class schedule includes Somatics, Somatic Yoga, and Tai Chi Gong Classes. We host educational group workshops on a variety of wellness topics.

We stock a selection of books on Somatics and Yoga. We also have our own Pain Management CDs which are designed to be gentle enough for anyone to use.

Our practitioners are looking forward to working with you and helping you heal yourself.

Call 250-748-6600 to book your appointment today!