chronic pain

Discovering Dry Needling vs. Acupuncture: What You Need to Know Hey there! If you’ve been exploring ways to manage pain or boost your overall wellness, you might have come across two needle-based therapies: dry needling and acupuncture. These techniques are often confused, but they offer unique benefits and serve different purposes. Let me walk you through what each one is all about and how they differ. What Is Dry Needling? I’ve found that dry needling is a fantastic technique for tackling muscular pain and discomfort. Here’s a bit about how it works: Technique: Dry needling involves inserting very fine needles into specific spots in your muscles called trigger points. These are tight knots within your muscle tissue that can cause pain and limit movement. Purpose: The main goal here is to release these muscle knots, reduce pain, and improve your muscle function. It’s particularly effective if you’re dealing with issues […]

What type of pain does acupuncture help?

Acupuncture has been used for the management of various types of pain, both acute and chronic. While individual responses may vary, acupuncture has shown efficacy in relieving pain associated with the following conditions: Musculoskeletal Pain: Acupuncture can be effective in treating musculoskeletal pain, including back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, knee pain, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, and sports injuries. Headaches and Migraines: Acupuncture has been used to alleviate tension headaches, migraines, and other types of headaches. It may help reduce the frequency, intensity, and duration of headaches. Postoperative Pain: Acupuncture may be utilized as an adjunctive therapy to manage postoperative pain and reduce the reliance on pain medications. Dental Pain and TMJ Disorders: Acupuncture can be beneficial for dental pain, including toothaches, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders, and jaw pain. Menstrual Pain: Acupuncture has been shown to help relieve menstrual pain (dysmenorrhea) and associated symptoms such as abdominal cramps and lower […]

The Truth About Medication – Toronto Acupuncture Clinic – Samuel Lo

  • Acupuncture Needles - Toronto Acupuncture Clinic

In my practice, I see a lot of patients with long histories of medication for multiple diagnosed conditions. In fact, by the time I have seen these people, they have consumed 50>=100% of their body weight in medication.   These medications are often prescribed by a variety of specialists for things like pain, hypertension, cholesterol, digestive issues, and more. And for the most part, they are prescribed to stabilize the condition – and not to “cure” the condition.   Of course, it is critical to take your meds when prescribed by a doctor. The medication has been prescribed to you for a reason. So if you are not compliant, your health could be at risk! But it is also important to be aware of the side effects… …Most of these medications actually have very similar side effects, like:   Broad short-term effects, including: gastrointestinal issues, nausea, constipation, and diarrhea. This […]

“How long will the pain last?”

  • Acupuncture Technique

When patients are in pain from an injury, the first thing they want to know is: “how long will the pain last?” and “will it ever get better?”   I always tell them that recovery time depends on how severe the injury is and how long they’ve had it for.   As a general rule of thumb, injuries can take the same amount of time to heal (undevelop) as they did to develop. So if you succumbed to an injury 3-4 days ago, then it could take 3-4 days to fully recover if you get the right treatment. But if you’ve had an injury that has been lingering around for years, or even decades, then we have to shift gears to control and maintain the issue. In fact, those are our two goals: first, we need to control it, then, we need to maintain it.   To achieve our first […]

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 […]

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 […]