FAQ | Acupuncture Richmond | Pain Therapy Bridge Road

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Clinic
Acupuncture
Herbal Medicine

What is Acupuncture? How does it work?

Acupuncture is a safe natural therapy that involves the gentle insertion of very fine acu-needles into the skin with the objective of treating your “illness” (imbalance) by stimulating your body to restore well-being – i.e. move towards homeostasis (balance). Acupuncture is widely used to reduce and treat pain however it is also used to treat and manage many other health complaints. There have been hundreds of studies conducted that investigate the therapeutic effectiveness and benefits of acupuncture in the treatment of so many conditions Acupuncture has therapeutic effects on a number of your body systems and functions depending on how the acupuncturist selects and manipulates points which is dependent on your diagnosis.

Acupuncture:

increases oxygen and blood flow to promote cellular repair
stimulates the endocrine and nervous systems,
alleviates pain by blocking pain receptors and stimulating the secretion of the body’s natural pain killers (opiods)

When for example muscular pain relief is the objective of a treatment, acupuncture works in a number of ways. Firstly, on down regulation of the nervous system which is over stimulating the brain with intense and constant pain messages. A part of this process is the stimulation of the release of endorphins (opiods) – your body’s natural painkillers. Secondly, acupuncture increases oxygen and blood flow to the site of pain which is a vital aspect of healing the affected area/body tissue and flushing away neuro chemicals that produce pain messages. This short video by Dr. Stephanie Irzyk from New Direction Natural Medicine pretty much sums acupuncture up

Where is the clinic?

Acupuncture Richmond is located at BodyActive Therapies level 1 246 Bridge Road Richmond - on the corner of Church Street- above the Commonwealth Bank.

Where do I park?

The best place to park is at Gleadell Street which has 2 hours parking. Clinic is located across Bridge Road on the corner of Church Street- above the Commonwealth Bank.

What are Andrew’s acupuncture clinic hours?

Fridays 10am – 6:30pm
Fairfield Clinic - By Appointment

What are the consultation fees?

Initial consultation $120 for 1 hour 10 mins , Follow up $95 for 50mins. Note: herbal medicine is an additional cost.

What payment methods are accepted?

EFTPOS available

Can I claim health rebates?

All acupuncture consultations are claimable if you have extras health insurance. HICAPS is available in clinic

Is Andrew a registered acupuncturist?

Yes. Andrew White is AHPRA Registered and a member of Australian Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Association - AACMA

How many treatments will I need?

That depends on the nature of your injury / pain. All cases require at least 2 treatments. More chronic conditions will require a treatment plan to be developed in consultation with Andrew and yourself.

What is a treatment plan?

A treatment plan is essentially a strategy that is developed in consultation with you with the aim of alleviating your pain in the short term and putting in place recommendations to ensure your pain does not return over the longer term.

A treatment plan may typically include:

Prescribed exercises
Treatment schedule – frequency of treatment
Treatment milestones/targets – progress review
Lifestyle recommendations
Dietary advice

It is important to note that a plan is developed with you and for you. At all times Andrew wants you to feel better and take an active part in the process of staying pain free long term.

How do I make an appointment?

Call the clinic on 03 9443 7903 or submit a booking request via the contact page

How is acupuncture different to dry needling?

Yes. Dry needling is used by many musculoskeletal modalities to release muscle tension. They use acupuncture needles to release “trigger points” in tight muscles. In acupuncture these “local” points are termed “ashi” points and may or may not be used to treat your pain when Andrew treats you. Some dry needling courses are completed over a weekend or two whereas an acupuncture Chinese medicine course is a 4-5 year degree. As a degree trained acupuncturist Andrew has adept needling skills that minimise any discomfort during treatment. Acupuncture is a holistic system of medicine that has a more complex ways of providing a pain relieving treatment with comparatively no post treatment soreness. Acupuncture treatment involves the use of meridians so often acupuncture needles are used in other areas (along meridians) of the body to provide pain relief. Additionally acupuncture treats a much broader range of conditions other than muscular pain such as digestive issues, gynaecology, poor sleep, fatigue and headaches to name a few.

How long is a consultation?

Initial consultation lasts for approximately 1 hour but allow 1hr 10mins. This includes Andrew taking your health details and complaint symptom history, diagnostic methods such as pulse and tongue and your actual treatment. Follow up consultations are 45 – 55 minutes.

Is Acupuncture safe?

Your comfort and safety is Andrew’s highest priority. But it is necessary to be aware that there is minor risk of needling causing pain, bleeding, bruising. Acupuncture is safe modality when you are receiving treatment from a registered degree qualified practitioner. Registered acupuncturists like Andrew White have had hundreds of hours needling training and learnt comprehensive safety guidelines in order to be registered. This is important to note as the increase in dry needling in recent years has meant that inferiorly trained dry needling practitioners are unable to provide as high a level of safety assurance as a registered acupuncturist. At all times sterile single use stainless steel needles are used. Andrew uses only the highest quality needles.

Does acupuncture hurt?

Nervous about needles? This is a very natural concern when you are considering acupuncture for the first time. When most of us hear the word needle we think of the hypodermic needles that are used when injecting into the skin for vaccinations or into veins for blood tests. A standard hypodermic needle used for blood testing is an 18-guage needle which is 1.27 mm in diameter. Acupuncture needles are very different. Firstly they are so much thinner in diameter and secondly not hollow with a razor sharp cutting edge. Andrew uses a maximum diameter needle of 0.25 mm which is designed to glide smoothly into the skin tissue. The photo illustrates that acupuncture needles are so much thinner than a hypodermic. Additionally they are inserted using Andrew’s well developed acupuncture technique making the insertion process almost sensationless.

Is there a cancellation policy?

Yes. The clinic requires a minimum of 24 hours notice if you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment time. This is a courtesy to other clients that are on the waiting list that could be given your appointment time if given sufficient notice. You will be asked for the full consultation fee for failing to provide sufficient notice or not showing up for your appointment.

What forms of Chinese medicine does Andrew prescribe?

At Acupuncture Richmond herbal medicine is dispensed in either raw herbal form or herbal granules.

Raw herbs require you to cook up in water for approx. 45mins to make a tea that last for 4-6 doses over 2 days.

Powdered granules are also available. These offer a little more convenience with only boiling water needing to be added to a spoonful of granules in a cup.

What is the cost of herbal medicine?

On average the cost of herbal medicine for a week is $40-45.