We specialize in the treatment of sports injuries, pain, and musculoskeletal disorders. We use an integrated approach of the most effective techniques of traditional Chinese medicine within a context of structural alignment and western orthopedic medicine. We have found that, when needed, applying biomedical knowledge of trigger points and motor points, have significantly increased our success.
Our Integrated Therapies
- Sport & orthopaedic acupuncture
- Trigger and motor point acupuncture
- Assessment and treatment of pain due to postural imbalances
- Electrical stimulation specifically for pain management
- Therapeutic cupping and Gua-sha techniques
- BEMER sessions to increase micro-circulation
Acute and Chronic Pain
Millions of people struggle with acute and chronic pain on a regular basis, and it often has a devastating effect on their life each and every day. Whether you are having problems related to an accident, sports injury, a disease, or some other chronic condition, acupuncture and Asian medicine can provide relief by focusing on the root cause and treating it properly. Numerous research studies support that acupuncture is an effective modality in the treatment of almost all types of pain conditions.
Acupuncture is great at relieving muscular tension. It also stimulates the spinal cord and the brain to release self-made pain killers, the endorphins. Our endorphins not only reduce pain, but also remove emotional stress. The brain, stimulated by needling, releases biochemicals to normalize immune reactions and endocrine activities. All this leads to restoration through self-healing and results in pain relief without side effects.
Conditions Treated
Trauma and Sports Injuries- Are usually best treated with collaborative care. It is often important to obtain imaging to know the extent of your injury. Acupuncture is best started early in your care to provide pain relief, speed up your healing, help with sleep and soothe emotions associated with your pain.
Arthritis – involves pain, achiness, swelling and/or stiffness of a joint. This is due to damage and inflammation of the joint. Acupuncture often provides relief by treating the surrounding tissues, increasing micro-circulation at the joint and addressing other metabolic and structure issues. It may also block inflammatory pathways and stimulate healing.
Neck and shoulder pain – Many people suffer from chronic neck pain. It may be mild pain or severe and negatively impacting their quality of life. Strain and muscle tension in the neck and upper back respond very well to acupuncture. If there is a more serious injury, relief may occur more slowly only with mild pain.
Dr Christie has successfully treated hundreds of patients with shoulder pain. Acupuncture treats the shoulder by normalizing muscle tension increasing blood flow through it. Acupuncture can help with bursitis, rotator cuff problems and frozen shoulder.
Back pain -can be caused by injury, accident, degenerative disc disease, arthritis, and sometimes it’s just a mystery. Back pain is the number one reason people visit an acupuncturist. Chinese herbal medicine can be used topically or internally for stubborn or chronic pain of a deficiency nature.
Sciatica is lower back and gluteal pain that travels down the leg usually to the knee and possibly into the foot. Acupuncture can often effectively resolve the pain associated with this sciatic nerve impingement.
Knee pain is often treated effectively by acupuncture. And like back pain, Chinese herbal liniments can also be used to move the qi and relieve pain. Torn or very damaged ligaments often require surgery, though acupuncture can be used as an adjunct to hasten recovery.
Fibromyalgia - It is estimated that fibromyalgia syndrome affects at least 6 million Americans. It is a complex condition that is characterized by pain in the muscles and soft tissue fibres and often occurs following trauma and is associated with a history of insomnia. It is the third most common rheumatologic disorder after osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Recent studies suggest that a multi-faceted health plan including acupuncture and Chinese herbs show great promise for those diagnosed with FMS. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has funded studies and concluded that acupuncture is a useful therapy for fibromyalgia and provides “significant improvement “ in the reduction of pain symptoms.
TMJD – TMJ can be caused by a combination of muscle tension, teeth grinding, anatomical problems, or injury. By understanding the source of the problem, as done in Chinese medicine, you get better treatment. Acupuncture is helpful at relieving the inflammation, pain and tension commonly associated with the condition. As a highly skilled manual therapist, Dr Christie is able to release and normalize constricted muscles and help normalize the jaw.
Headaches & Migraines - Recent studies have demonstrated that your own internal pain relievers, which are stimulated by acupuncture, work better at relieving headache pain than NSAIDs such as aspirin. In Chinese medicine, a headache is diagnosed according to location, intensity and quality. Other contributing factors are diet, lifestyle and emotions. Chinese medicine takes all these factors into consideration to achieve the best way to treat your headache.
Tension headaches often have associated muscular pain, which acupuncture excels at relaxing.
Migraines cause severe pain and are often long-lasting and repetitive. They are often accompanied by other symptoms such as nausea, sensitivity to light and noise and may be preceded by visual auras. Because of their severity, migraines are especially debilitating. Recent studies have shown that acupuncture can help reduce the frequency and duration of migraines.
Other Pain Conditions – It is not possible to list all conditions for which acupuncture is effective.
Please call our clinic if you have questions about a condition or injury that is not listed here.