At Advanced Women’s Health, we approach acupuncture as a foundational aspect of healing, recovery and balance. Sean Quigley, our practice lead, focuses on reproductive health and fertility for women and men, IVF/IUI support and preparation, pregnancy, PCOS, endometriosis, stress relief, sleep and pain management.
How Acupuncture Works
Research suggests that acupuncture’s mechanisms affect your body’s internal systems of healing, regulation, homeostasis, and allostasis. This means there is a wonderful system of healing that works with the body’s natural systems and gives you simple tools to improve your health.
1. Acupuncture stimulates the body’s built-in healing mechanisms
Acupuncture restores the body’s ability to naturally heal injuries to the tissue.
2. Acupuncture releases natural painkillers
Acupuncture stimulates the nervous system to release the body’s powerful natural painkillers such as endorphins.
3. Acupuncture relieves pressure on joint structures and nerves.
Acupuncture works to release and relax shortened muscles to promote blood flow and stimulate healing.
4. Acupuncture reduces stress
Acupuncture has been shown to stimulate the release of endorphins, some of the body’s own ‘feel-good’ chemicals. They play an essential role in the regulation of physical and emotional stress responses such as digestive function, heart rate, pain, and blood pressure.
5. Acupuncture promotes blood flow
Acupuncture improves blood circulation. Blood delivers nutrients, transports oxygen/carbon dioxide/hormones/ and waste products, maintains temperature, defends against injury and infection via the inflammatory response, defends the body against attack through the immune system, and delivers analgesics.
Benefits of Acupuncture:
- Elevated energy levels
- Hormone regulation
- Improved sleep quality and quantity
- Reduced stress response
- Pain reduction and management
- Stabilized moods
Acupuncture Can Treat:
- Fertility: Male and Female
- Women’s Health: menstrual cycle issues, menopause, pregnancy, hormone regulation, PCOS, endometriosis
- Men’s Health: ED, PE, fertility/sperm health, BPH
- Pain: back, shoulder, knee, hip, neck, sciatica, migraine, headaches
- Stress, anxiety, depression
- Insomnia
Research has recognized several physiological effects of acupuncture, including increased blood flow, decreased inflammation, relief from pain, relief of muscle spasms, and increased T-cell count. These mechanisms of action are why acupuncture is a useful treatment for many situations including reproductive health and fertility, mental health, and pain and inflammation.
We make sure all our patients feel welcome, safe, and taken care of.
“My primary goals are always safety and comfort. Everyone that comes in for treatment requires a different approach, and it is my job to meet you where you are and supply the best and most successful treatment that my clinical experience and research supports.”
During your first visit Sean will review your medical history, discuss your specific health goals and how acupuncture can help, and outline what to expect during treatment.
Treatment Modalities
Acupuncture
- Classical and modern techniques
- Gentle and relaxing, versatile and effective
- Moves stagnation and restores flow
- Restores homeostasis
Electroacupuncture
- Electrical stimulation to acupuncture needles
- Increased stimulation and blood flow
- Improved treatment efficacy for many conditions and situations
- Comfortable, modern and effective
Cupping
- Reduces pain and inflammation
- Clear pathogens and stagnant blood
- Myofascial decompression and release
- Ancient technique adopted by modern elite athletes
First Appointment
Following the initial interview, you will lie on a comfortable massage table. For certain treatments it is more convenient to remove some articles of clothing and use a sheet for draping purposes, but generally loose pants and a loose top are most comfortable and it allows your practitioner to access all the points necessary for the treatment.
There is a therapeutic far infrared heat lamp for warmth and circulation, and the temperature in the room is comfortable.
Sean may feel your pulse, look at your tongue or palpate your skin, depending on what your health goals are. From over 400 acupuncture points located all over the body, he will then carefully choose the appropriate acupoints for your situation and clean each point to be treated with alcohol. A treatment generally includes 8-12 points – sometimes more and sometimes less. Feel free to ask questions at any time if you are curious about why certain points are chosen and their specific function for your treatment.
The sterile, single-use needles are held in a guide tube which holds each needle in place and allows for precision of placement. You will feel the guide tube on your skin before the needle is gently tapped. After the needles are in place and Sean ensures that you are relaxed and comfortable, electrical stimulation may be included with the treatment. This modern twist to an acupuncture treatment has been shown to improve health outcomes and success rates for many situations without adding any discomfort to the experience.
Needle Sensation
With acupuncture there is often a sensation felt around the area of the needles during the treatment. This is called “deqi” and it is a good sign that the treatment will be successful and an indication that your nervous system has recognized the needle. Very occasionally there will be a small pinch or sharpness with a needle, and more common sensations to expect include distention, energy, numbness, heaviness, or a feeling of moving electricity. Often people will experience a sensation far away from the area being needled.
Acupuncture point selection may vary from treatment to treatment, depending on the situation and goals. For certain patients, the acupuncture points may be the same from treatment to treatment.
Once the acupuncture points have been needled and Sean makes sure you are comfortable, you will be left alone in the treatment room and with low light and relaxing music for 25-45 minutes (depending on the treatment protocol). Before or after the acupuncture treatment other modalities such as acupressure or cupping therapy may also be used.
About our Acupuncture Treatments
How many sessions should I expect?
- 2/week or weekly treatments are recommended to get started for 1-3 weeks.
- We can expect to see results within 4-6 treatments, or sooner. Acupuncture treatments are cumulative, but it is more beneficial to have an initial course of treatments in closer succession if possible.
- Once symptoms have obviously decreased, it is recommended to continue treatment on a weekly, biweekly or monthly basis for maintenance and as required.
- People respond differently to acupuncture. As you receive more treatments you will get to know how it works for your situation and can plan your treatments accordingly.
For many people a 3-stage plan is often a good choice:
- Stage I: One-hour treatment, 2 times/week over the first 1-3 weeks. Once the symptoms have obviously improved, then go to stage II.
- Stage II: 1 treatment/week for 1 month.
- Stage III: 1 treatment /1-2months as maintenance.
Reproductive Health Treatments:
- Reproductive health and fertility treatments for men and women often require 12 sessions.
- A common treatment plan for a single complaint would typically involve 4-6 weekly treatments.
- More complex complaints often require 8-12 sessions over several months.
- Acute complaints including pain, insomnia, or mental health are often treated twice weekly until symptoms improve.
- Maintenance treatments every 2 weeks or monthly are often beneficial after an initial course of successful treatments
What can Acupuncture Treat
Fertility and Reproductive Health
Studies have concluded that acupuncture supports better blood flow to the reproductive organs. It can also support the body’s natural tendency towards balance and homeostasis of the endocrine system, and it can down-regulate the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight stress response) and stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest / reproduction and healing).
Pregnancy
In early pregnancy, acupuncture can often successfully reduce symptoms such as morning sickness/nausea, fatigue and anxiety. It is frequently used to manage pain (pelvic pain, shoulder/neck pain, sciatica, carpal tunnel, lower back pain) throughout a pregnancy, and it has been shown to support good baby positioning before labour. It can help a woman to prepare for labour by improving sleep, boosting energy and softening the cervix and pelvis. It can also support primary treatments for high blood pressure and more serious body pain.
Anxiety / Stress / Depression
Acupuncture is well known for its relaxing effect and its ability to calm the fight or flight response in the nervous system – leading to better sleep, reduced anxiety and feelings of depression or hopelessness, especially when used in conjunction with other therapies.
Pain
Acupuncture’s analgesic effects are well known and documented. By using carefully chosen acupuncture points (both local to the area of pain and distal to the area of pain), we are able to interrupt the pain signal, initiate the body’s own natural pain killing chemicals, and release muscle tension and spasm to improve circulation and the body’s own anti-inflammatory response.
Note:
Acupuncture is a regulated profession in Ontario. The College (CTCMPAO) is the governing body established by the government of Ontario, under the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991 and the Traditional Chinese Medicine Act, 2006.
The law in Ontario requires that every practitioner must be a registered member of the College (CTCMPAO).
