In the history of human thinking the most fruitful developments take place at those points where two different lines of thought meet
Chinese Medicine in the Modern World
Chinese Medicine has developed over the last 2500 years with scholars from every age contributing to its development and refinement. This continues into the modern age with the theory of Chinese medicine being adapted to accommodate modern western medical conditions whilst maintaining the integrity of the ancient Chinese classics.
Nowadays there is strong scientific evidence as to efficacy of and mechanisms behind, the ancient foundational concepts of qi, yin and yang, the elements and the meridian systems with more than 12,000 systematic reviews and randomised control trials having been done to date. Investigative studies utilizing MRI machines and light microscopes to measure brainwave activity and electrical impulses during acupuncture treatment have helped western science to unlock components of how acupuncture causes specific changes in the body, and yet…much of the mystery remains.
In 2012, Acupuncture and Chinese medicine became nationally regulated under the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). AHPRA is the body responsible for regulating and registering health care practitioners in Australia to ensure the practitioner you visit has the appropriate level of training and skill required to ensure the best and safest possible care.
All practitioners at Byron Bay Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine are Australian trained, have a minimum 4 year Bachelor of Health Science Honours degree and are registered with APHRA and AACMA.
It is by virtue of the 12 channels that human life exists, that disease arises, that human beings can be treated and illness cured.
Byron Bay and Bangalow Acupuncture
Acupuncture is an important part of Chinese medicine.
The study of the meridian pathways in Chinese medicine can be said to be the equivalent of the study of anatomy in western medicine. Chinese medicine describes in minute detail the complex pathways of channels that circulate qi and blood to every part of the body. The channels penetrate to the deepest parts of the body, through every tissue and every cell, they even encompass the mind and spirit, linking all of the structures into an integrated whole.
Acupuncturists are able to access this complex network by inserting hair-thin needles into specific acupuncture points around the body, to correct areas in which qi and blood flow has become impaired. Impaired qi and blood flow can be caused through injury, by contracting an illness, from genetic factors, poor diet, stress, emotional trauma, exposure to harmful substances and otherwise. Healing occurs when balance and harmony is restored to the flow of qi and blood in the body.
From a western scientific perspective, the therapeutic effects of acupuncture have been attributed to various physiological and psychological processes, such as activation of endogenous descending pain inhibitory systems, deactivation of brain areas that transmit pain-related signals, interaction between nociceptive impulses and somato-visceral reflexes, and the expectation of symptom relief (1).
Acupuncture is virtually painless when done by an experienced practitioner. And yes, it is natural to feel scared or apprehensive on your first visit – we understand.
Only single-use, sterile, high quality needles are used.
1. Xu Y, Zhao W, Li T, Zhao Y, Bu H, Song S. Effects of acupuncture for the treatment of endometriosis-related pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS ONE [Internet]. 2017 Oct 27;12(10) - Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5659600/
Byron Bay and Bangalow Chinese Herbal Medicine
Herbal medicine is another pillar of Chinese medicine.
The Chinese pharmacopoeia (herbal library) contains thousands of different herbs.
This immense array ensures that herbal prescriptions are able to treat an extraordinarily wide range of health concerns, even when other options have failed.
Herbs are often prescribed in combinations of 4 to 20 different herbs, hand-picked for your unique condition and mixed into a formula. As your condition changes, your prescription also changes to reflect where you are up to and to keep you moving forwards towards wellness.
Our formulas are available in pills, capsules and powders.
At our Bangalow practice rooms, all of our Chinese herbs, naturopathic herbs, vitamins and supplements are of the highest quality, meeting Australian TGA (Therapeutic Goods Association) standards which adhere to rigorous controls. And of course, we don’t use endangered species or products that have been tested on animals.
Chinese herbal medicine is powerful, and complex to prescribe correctly. It should only ever be prescribed by a university educated and licensed practitioner.