REGISTERED ACUPUNCTURIST
MEMBER OF
The  College (CTCMPAO) is the governing body for registered acupuncturists in Ontario. In order to have the privilege of billing insurance companies acupuncturists must have specialized training to become a registered member of the College (CTCMPAO).
Acupuncture has been incorporated into medical practices all over the world, combining traditional knowledge with recent scientific studies from the biomedical sciences.
Acupuncture involves the insertion of sterilized needles into acupuncture points. These needles are about the thickness of a hair and are hardly felt when inserted.
How does acupuncture work?
The human body can be looked at from three different perspectives. They are Mechanical, Biochemical and Electric/Energetic.
Mechanical is what we can see with our eyes, your knee for example. Biochemical has to do with the study of biochemistry and consists of all of the chemical reactions that take place in our body. These reactions can not be seen but we do know that they take place. Electric/Energetic perspective is one that like the biochemical reactions taking place in our body, cannot be seen however we know that it is there. Our body has micro currents of electricity running through it, which is a result of electrons moving around from all of the biochemical reactions that take place in our body. Without the movement of these electrons we would not be alive. These currents of electricity are measured in common tests performed by medical doctors. For example an EKG is used to test for heart function or an EEG to test for brain function. The meridians through which this electrical energy flows have been mapped out in eastern cultures and they flow on Meridians and the flow is referred to as "chi". When Acupuncture needles are inserted into specific points, they affect your body on this electrical/energetic level and have an effect on the flow of "chi" or energy in your body.
Your body has 20 of these meridians ( 12 primary and 8 secondary) there are as many as 2000 points on the surface of your body that can be used to affect the flow of chi in these meridians.
What is the evidence for acupuncture?
Considerable scientific evidence supports that natural painkillers or opioids are released during acupuncture, which explain its pain killing effects. Changes in blood flow due to altered secretion of neurotransmitters and neurohormones have also been documented.
What is cupping therapy?
You have likely seen professional athletes with red circles on their body.
Cupping Therapy involves the use of specialized cups that are made out of thick round lipped glass or durable plastic used to create a vacuum on treated tissue. The suction cup(s) stays on the tissue for 5-20 minutes and the suction draws blood and other fluids to the surface of the skin, and when removed leave circular red marks that are visible for a few days to a week.
The Effects of Cupping Therapy
- Create relaxation of muscles in the treated area.
- Disrupts adhesions and trigger points in the connective tissues and muscles.
- Promotes circulation by creating blood flow to the treated area.
- Detoxifies tissues by promoting the removal of lactic acid.
History of Cupping Therapy
The oldest recorded use of cupping was by the Egyptians at around 3000 BC and it has been documented to have been used by the Ancient Greeks around 400BC, the people of the Sahara Desert, the ancient Chinese and by Eastern Europeans.
Types of Cupping Therapy
In Chinese Medicine, there are two ways to create suction to apply Cupping Therapy to a patient
- The traditional technique is called fire cupping and the vacuum for the suction is created by lighting a small fire.
- The modern method of creating the same suction without a fire is called dry cupping.
At Target Therapeutics our Registered Acupuncturist uses dry Cupping technique where the suction is created by a small pump located on each cupping device and the amount of suction created can be specifically controlled.
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