Acupuncture and Manual Therapies
Receiving acupuncture is a safe and relaxing form of treatment that works by stimulating the body's healing and self-balancing capacity. Acupuncture relieves pain, reduces inflammation, and helps regulate neurotransmitters, hormones, and the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. For these reasons, it treats a broad range of problems. We use the tiniest of needles to maintain patient comfort and relaxation. Sessions range from more in-depth work that includes bodywork, cupping, herbs and nutrition to simple return appointments that will get you the results you desire quickly. Generally, longer-held chronic conditions take more time to resolve, and acute conditions or new injuries take less time.
Patients often ask how acupuncture works.
While most practitioners of Chinese medicine are thrilled to explain things within the terms of our tradition, it can also be useful and more familiar to look at how Western medical science describes acupuncture. Here is a link to a series of blogs explaining how acupuncture works in that view, including, this one specifically about how acupuncture treats pain. If you want to explore evidence-based science on Acupuncture, check out this website.
The benefits of acupuncture and most holistic therapies are cumulative.
In our initial consultation and after your first treatment we will go over your treatment plan and discuss how soon you can expect relief. For some issues, we may find relief very quickly, for others, like fertility, migraine headaches, autoimmune conditions, and menstrual cycle shifts changes can take longer, often many months. Some conditions are also best treated with acupuncture as well as herbs and we can discuss what to expect from treatment. Take a look here to see pricing and average treatment plans for how acupuncture and Chinese medicine work on common conditions brought to our offices. Appointments include acupuncture as well as bodywork, cupping, herbal medicine and nutritional consults in individualized, one-on-one care.
What to expect from your first appointment at our Durham Office:
We will discuss the primary and secondary reasons for your visit and go through your health history from both Western medical and traditional Chinese points of view. After traditional pulse and tongue assessment diagnosis of your constitution and patterns giving rise to your condition is made and you will be invited onto the table for your first acupuncture treatment. Towards the end of our first session together we discuss a treatment plan To book an initial consult and acupuncture treatment, click here
If you don't feel confident yet to book for a full intake and treatment, feel free to book a 20 minute consult to learn more about Chinese medicine, what and how we treat and see if acupuncture or the other forms of traditional medicine we offer, will be right for you. We can also make recomendations at this time for a health care modality that might suit your condition in addition to, or instead of those offered at the clinic.
"Tong zhi bu tong, bu tong zhi tong"
Where there is free flow there is no pain, where there is pain, there is no free flow.
Bodywork at the Center
Both Tara Bianca Rado and Jon-Erik Lido offer manual therapies (gua sha and cupping) and bodywork inside long and extended acupuncture sessions and sometimes in regular returns as well if there is time! Jon-Erik focuses on traditional Chinese Tui-Na, while Tara utilizes more cross fiber, muscle energy orthopedic massage as well as SMRT, gentle positional holds that allow for spontaneous muscle release, feel free to email us to know which style might be right for you.
What we do:
Tui na (pronounced "twee-nah") is an ancient form of therapeutic medical bodywork and one of the eight fundamental branches of Traditional Chinese Medicine . The name translates literally to "Tui" (to push) and "Na" (to lift and squeeze). Guided by the same energetic principles as acupuncture, Tui na utilizes dynamic manual manipulations—such as rolling, kneading, and pressing—to stimulate specific acupoints and meridians. This clears blockages, promotes the flow of vital energy (Qi) and blood, and restores physiological balance. Rather than a generalized relaxation massage, it is an invigorating, targeted medical system used to treat both internal and musculoskeletal conditions
Jon-Erik originally trained in tui na and internal martial arts with the North American Tang Shao Tao, and then more extensively with Jen Resnick, education dean at the Jung Dao school in Boone NC, and a senior instructor in the Zheng Gu Tui Na style, and a student of Tom Bisio and Frank Butler.
Tara trained also tui na and qi gong with ony Della Croce, a primary student of Vince Black's in the North American Tang Shou Tao lineage, who is the clinic director and runs the Tui Na program at ASAOM in Tucson
Tara also practices Hendrickson Method, an an advanced system of orthopedic massage and manual therapy developed by chiropractor Dr. Tom Hendrickson to treat acute and chronic pain by targeting the joints, nervous system, and soft tissues simultaneously. Unlike traditional deep tissue massages that can sometimes rely on forceful pressure, this clinical modality is highly relaxing, completely pain-free, and designed to address the root source of musculoskeletal dysfunction rather than just masking symptoms.
Tara combines these two aforementioned modalities with SMRT (Spontaneous Muscle Release Technique), a painless positional release modality. The therapist moves the client's muscle or joint into a position of maximum comfort or "ease" for 20 to 45 seconds. This gentle technique signals the nervous system to relax. She finds SMRT especially useful for pregnancy and postpartum pain but it can be applied and work well for any phase of injury.