What to Expect in a Treatment
Your complaint and medical history will be discussed with you on arrival. Mary Jo will then palpate the abdomen, chest and neck to ascertain areas of the body where you may be experiencing pressure pain, as well as checking your pulse. Taking all these findings into account will enable her to diagnose your condition and determine particular acupuncture points to use that will release any areas of pressure pain. The points needled are left for approximately 20-30 minutes, following which a similar process is repeated on the back. Moxibustion may also be used, in which the points needled are warmed with a special herb, or other techniques may be used (see below). Please allow 1.5 hours for your treatment.
Needling
Emphasis in the Japanese style is very much on patient comfort. This makes for a very patient-friendly yet effective style of acupuncture, with patients often being pleasantly surprised by how painless it is. A gentle needling technique is achieved using very fine needles. Other options include press tacks and intradermal needles.
Needle and Direct Moxa Technique
Cupping
Cupping involves the use of various cupping instruments which apply suction to the body surface, thereby stimulating the blood circulation and the underlying musculature.
Tiger Warmer
This device is essentially a heated incense ‘pen’ that allows variable heat and pressure to be applied directly to the body at precise points or larger areas. It is one of the easiest, safest and most patient-friendly methods of applying heat and pressure to the body.
Ion Pumping Equipment
Invented by Dr Yoshio Manaka in the 1950s, this method of treatment represents a modern understanding of the healing mechanism of Qi. Special cords ‘pump’ the ion flow of the body between connected needles, rebalancing the body.
Sometimes also called direct or rice grain moxa, this technique is used frequently in the Japanese style to emphasise particular aspects of the treatment. This technique is also used when oedema is present or when patients experience coldness. Research in Japan has shown it also boosts red blood cell production and immunity as well as strengthening connective tissue such as ligaments. It is used either at the base of the needle or on its own. It involves lighting tiny ‘threads’ of super pure grade moxa placed on top of a thin layer of anti-burn cream.
Kyutoshin Moxa
Needle moxa is used to warm larger areas. Specialised needle moxa with longer threads is used, enabling the moxa to grip the handle of the needle better.