Acupuncture

What does a ’95 Corvette have to do with Integrated Health Care? By Samuel Lo

  • Integrated Health Care and a Corvette

Do Traditional Chinese Medicine, Acupuncture, and Osteopathy seem like jagged puzzle pieces that don’t seem to fit together?   If so, you’re certainly not alone.   I used to practice purely Chinese medicine and acupuncture, and was frustrated to see that my patient’s problem just kept coming back. To bridge the gap in care, I enrolled in a Toronto Osteopathy college and started my journey to become an osteopath.   Why osteopathy?   Well, I always like to use the analogy of a fine-tuned sports car…   …Imagine a beautiful 2005 Red Corvette that has endured wear and tear through its 10 years of use.   First, to keep the car running smoothly and its doors and gas pedals working optimally, you need lubricants. Lubricants are the engine oil, grease in the axil, oil for door hinges, etc.   I like to think of Acupuncture like the lubricants. Lubricants help […]

“Will Acupuncture Hurt?” Toronto Acupuncture Clinic

  • Big Glass syringe. Authentic image. Close up

Nearly everyone who has entered into Toronto Acupuncture Clinic for their first acupuncture treatment wants to know:   “Will Acupuncture Hurt?”   As a Registered Acupuncturist in Toronto, my short answer is “yes and no.”   Yes, because it does hurt – but not in the way they’re asking me about.   See, when most people think about getting an acupuncture treatment, they imagine being poked and prodded with “scary” hypodermic needles. These are the needles that are normally used in syringes to either inject or extract fluids from the body.   Hypodermic needles are “hollow” (with a hole on their tip). They have a sharp wedge or beveled edge used to “cut” into the tissue.   Are you squirming in your seat?   That’s how most people react when they imagine these hypodermic needles. And some people have a phobia to these needles that is called, aichmophobia (fear of pointed […]

Have an injury? Here’s what to avoid! Toronto Acupuncture Clinic

  • Acupuncture needles made of stainless steel

One of the most common questions I get asked is, “should I use heat or cold for an injury?”   And when I answer, “heat,” people often look perplexed…   …They start thinking about all of the times mainstream medicine practitioners recommended they use ice after an injury.   Here’s why it’s best to use heat after an injury: While the cold is good for the temporary relief of pain, you could be inhibiting the injury repair process by using ice.   So unless you’re a performance athlete who needs to function without pain, then you’re better off using heat outside the acute phase of injury (2-3 days after injury).   Mainstream medicine recommends injured patients use ice to “decrease inflammation.” However, the issue with that is inflammation is perfectly normal.   Ice decreases inflammation. However, inflammation is a completely natural bodily response to help the body protect itself so […]