Traditional Chinese Medicine, or TCM, combines acupuncture, herbal medicine, diet, and exercise to optimize and balance health. It can be used alone or along with western medicine to treat any health problem for which you would see your regular doctor. In TCM, disease occurs when there is an imbalance of qi (energy) and blood in the body. The techniques used in acupuncture balance the flow of qi and blood to restore health, relieve pain, and reduce stress. Japanese Acupuncture is based on TCM theory. The needles used are extremely fine and needle insertion is very shallow.

Needling is done with sterile single-use disposable needles. In Japanese acupuncture, both the front and back are needled for every treatment.

Be prepared to relax during your treatment. You can ask questions, fall asleep, talk about your day. Treatment time is your time.

There are several needling techniques distinct to Japanese acupuncture. With contact needling, the needle just touches the skin for a few seconds with no insertion. Other common techniques include scatter needling and simple insertion. With scatter needling, the needle is lightly touched to the skin then quickly moved to a point nearby. With simple insertion, the needle is inserted and held at the point, then the needle is quickly removed.

Moxibustion
Moxibustion is the burning of moxa, a product of the mugwort plant. There are many moxibustion techniques.

Rice grain/direct moxa
Loose moxa is rolled into a small cone the size of a rice grain. The cone is placed on a point and lit then allowed to burn down. The cone is extinguished right before it burns completely down. Treatment can be with a single cone or multiple cones, depending on the condition. Direct or rice grain moxibustion is effective on many conditions including, insomnia, sore muscles, stiff joints, and heavy menstrual bleeding. This short video illustrates the technique.

Needlehead Moxa
In this technique loose moxa can be rolled into a bundle and placed on the needlehead. Moxa can also be carbonized to where it looks like a tiny charcoal briquet, which is placed in a small basket atop the needle. The moxa is lit and provides a gentle and precise warmth deeper in the body.