At Metro Health, we aim to make your acupuncture a pleasant, relaxing experience.
Acupuncture involves the insertion of fine, sterile single-use needles into specific sites (acu-points). During the treatment you should feel a sensation such as tingling, numbness, dull ache or heaviness in the area or traveling around your body. Many people experience a an acupuncture high after treatment. This is typically a pleasant, deeply relaxed, light headed or floating sensation. We encourage you to tell your practitioner how you feel during treatment, so to make the experience as pleasant as possible. Practitioners follow strict hygiene principals and only use single-use sterile needles.
It’s important to understand there is a difference between traditional acupuncture and a newer 
practice called “dry needling”. At Metro Health, we believe acupuncture should be practiced in it’s traditional context, i.e. points are chosen according to the Chinese medicine diagnosis. Dry needling is based on Western medicine and there is no utilisation of Chinese medicine theory. The techniques of dry needling are sometimes used by Acupuncturists / Chinese Medicine practitioners, although we wouldn’t use the techniques of “dry needling” alone. Dry needling by itself can be effective for certain conditions, however don’t confuse it with Acupuncture!
One argument purported by dry needlers is that they are doing the treatment according to a scientific understanding of the muscle, ligaments, fascia and other physical structures of the body, while this is true, it is also true of acupuncturists – we just use both the Western (biomedical) and Chinese medicine (energetic, channels and points etc) understanding. These can be overlapped and for an experienced practitioner integrated for the best practice outcomes in treatment.
More about the difference between Acupuncture and Dry needling is explained by fellow Acupuncturist in the US, Kristen Horner Warren in this great chart. Bear in mind, PT or Physical Therapist is like a Remedial massage therapist, musculoskeletal therapist in Australia.
Watch this video made by Metro Health’s acupuncturist here,
At Metro Health, Marie is the senior Acupuncturist. Marie uses many techniques where appropriate, or needed. Marie uses Dr Tan or Distal needling (where needles are inserted on 
the arms, legs, feet and hands that balance the area of pain, restoring function and blood flow to the injured or hurt area of the body) and Marie also practices local point needling – this is where acupuncture needles are used on the affected area itself. A course of treatment will be outlined to each patient at the initial consultation, where Marie will explain the style of treatment that will be used and answer any questions that you have.
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- Dry Needling & Acupuncture
- Is there more to my back pain?