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NINE Acupuncture & Wellness Center
Ashley S. Goddard, MS, Licensed Acupuncturist
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What is Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine?”
In its simplest form, acupuncture is the process
of stimulating particular areas of the body (acupuncture points) with
thin, sterile needles to encourage healing, relieve pain, unblock
congestion and strengthen chronic deficiencies. Acupuncture is one
aspect of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), which also includes
herbal therapy, moxibustion, Tui Na (medicinal massage), etc.
TCM is a body of knowledge that has evolved over thousands of years. It
is a pre-scientific, rational body of thought which utilizes the
understanding that human beings and the Earth are part of a system of
interconnectedness.
Say, for example, that you have a pain in some part of your body. This
pain represents a blockage of energy or “qi.” Relief will
be obtained when the body relieves this blockage. An analogy found in
nature is water flowing naturally down a stream. Suddenly, an avalanche
of rock falls into the stream, diverting the path of water. This means
that the water must flow outside its channel, creating disruption on
the land. The energy of your body is similar. When this energy (or Qi)
gets blocked, it creates disruption or pain. One of the ways the
acupuncture works is by helping the body regulate the channel(s).
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What is Acupuncture and TCM used to treat?
The World Health Organization recommends the following disease patterns be treated using this holistic modality:
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- Sports injury
- Infections (cold, flu, bronchitis)
- Internal (colitis, diarrhea, constipation, ulcers, high blood pressure, hypoglycemia)
- Musculoskeletal & Neurologic (arthritis, back pain, tendonitis, Bell’s Palsy, headache, stroke, sprains)
- Mental-Emotional (anxiety, depression, stress, insomnia)
- Ears, Eyes, Nose, Throat (ringing in the ears, earaches, dizziness, sinus infection, sore throat, allergies)
- Reproduction & Genitourinary
(premenstrual syndrome, pelvic inflammatory disease, impotence,
infertility, irregular periods, morning sickness, menopause, urinary
problems)
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TCM also treats a variety of addictive conditions including substance abuse with remarkable efficiency.
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What can I expect from a session?
After reviewing your case history, you can expect
to lie quietly on a massage table with the needles inserted for
approximately 20 minutes. Upon insertion minimal or no discomfort is
felt. Client responses include a deep, relaxed, dreamy feeling where
they desire to rise slowly, to any energetic bouncy feeling where the
patient is eager to move quickly and lightly.
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How many sessions will I need?
The number of sessions needed depends on the individual and the
severity of the illness. The practitioner will assess with you the
number or treatments she thinks you may need over a period of time.
Generally speaking, acute conditions take fewer treatments than chronic
ailments.
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SPORTS ACUPUNCTURE
The
goals of sports acupuncture treatment are simple: increase performance
and decrease injury rehabilitation time. In her practice Ashley strives
to always consider the underlying health and habits of the individual
so I may treat the person and not just the injury.
By supporting an individual on the root level--one's basic tendencies
in health and living--it is her belief that all aspects of that patient
will improve.
As a sort of weekend warrior herself, she became
familiar with other local cyclists, runners, skiers, etc. and quite by
chance fell into sports acupuncture as a focus for her practice. This
is a population she has greatly enjoyed working with over seven years
of practice and she has found success in not only the treatment of
strains, sprains, tendonitis and overuse injury but also in general
performance enhancement and overall balance in terms of the athlete's
general well-being.
Depending on the athlete's presentation the focus of treatment may be
on an injury itself, balancing opposing muscle groups or injury
prevention. Typically a patient will be seen one to two times per week
in the injury phase and somewhat less frequently for maintenance and
performance enhancement.
For more information please call to speak to Ash in person.
WOMEN'S HEALTH
Women of any age benefit from the use of acupuncture and Traditional
Chinese Medicine for a variety of ailments including PMS or
irregular cycles, other menstrual disorders, endometriosis, fertility and
subsequent pregnancy issues or women suffering from hot flashes and mood changes during menopause.
FERTILITY:
Fertility is of special interest lately
with the recent publication of a study on the impressive effects of
acupuncture to improve the success rate of IVF (in vitro
fertilization). [Acupuncture & IVF article] Chinese Medicine has successfully treated infertility
for thousands of years and continues to prove highly effective for both
women and men. Acupuncture is able to increase the chances of pregnancy through natural conception and often in conjunction with
IVF, IUI, and other ARTs because it has been clinically shown to:
- Regulate and stabilize hormone levels
- Help produce more follicles
- Increase blood flow to the uterus and ovaries by lowering impedence
- Thicken the endometrial lining
- Reduce the chance of miscarriage
- Strengthen the immune system and the overall health of the body
- Reduce stress
- Absorb nutrients and maintain ideal weight
- Faciliate relaxation
- Improve the quality of sleep
- Be free from side effects that may introduce toxicity to you and your baby
MENOPAUSE:
Acupuncture relieves the most common symptoms of menopause primarily by regulating
the drastic changes in hormone levels women experience during menopause. This leads
to a significant decline in hot flashes and an increase in energy, appetite and
sense of well-being without the harsh side-effects of hormone replacement therapy.
Acupuncture can help:
- Significantly Reduce hot flashes
- Overcome fatigue and insomnia
- Improve symptoms of depression
- Increase your appetite
- Improve your body's circulation and cardio-pulmonary functions
- Regulate menstruation
- Relieve aches and pains
MASSAGE THERAPY
We no longer offer massage services in our Bellingham location.
In Bellingham, please contact Roberta
Lee directly, 360-527-2326.
In Seattle, please contact Loryn Kezer at Be Good Massage, (206) 856-3530.
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