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Can I get Acupuncture under ACC?
Yes! If your provider has given you an ACC claim, you can come to Acupuncture Health to help your recovery. You can use acupuncture alone or with other modalities like your physio.
- come with your claim number
- you can have 12 treatments in 12 weeks
- you can get acupuncture, electro-acupuncture, cupping or heat therapy
- your acupuncturist has been registered with ACC for over 20 years
- you can have physiotherapy, osteopathy and chiropractic along side acupuncture but preferably not on the same day
- ACC covers injuries on the sports field, in the home or office/work place
- there is charge of $35, ACC will cover the rest of the cost
- please allow an hour for treatment
Neck PainThe neck is a particularly common site of pain that I see in my clinic. I suspect neck pain has always been a frequent problem, but with the increased use of screens such as computers, cell phones, television and laptops we are putting more strain than ever on our necks. These stressed and tight muscles are more prone to accidental injury when strained by activities such gardening or lifting.Whatever the cause, it does appear that as neck muscles have tightened and blood supply restricted, pain and stiffness results. If intervertebral nerves become trapped, more pain can arise, potentially alongside tingling down the arms.Treatment time - Acute - One to six treatmentsChronic - should see good results with six treatments and a further six to get full relief.
Shoulder PainInjury is the most common reason for shoulder pain that I see in clinic, but it can also arise from osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Often patients will come in with what they have been told is a Frozen Shoulder. I was reading in Stephens Lee’s textbook on musculoskeletal problems is that there are three stages to Frozen Shoulder. The first is the ‘freezing stage’, which is the most painful stage and lasts anywhere from three to six months. The second stage is the ‘’frozen’’ stage, characterized by more stiffness or immobility and can last four to nine months. The final stage is the ‘’thawing’’ stage, when stiffness starts to abate and movement starts to return, taking five to twenty-six months. Here you can see the problem with shoulder pain. It takes a long time to heal!The goal of acupuncture is to decrease that lengthy healing period. Patience and perseverance are needed, but well worth the time and investment.Treatment time – try six treatments to see results. If happy with results continue until you are happy with pain relief and movement of the shoulder.
Tennis ElbowAlso known as lateral epicondylitis, this is pain on the outside of the arm at the bony region. This condition is probably caused by micro tears at the tendon attachments and can arise from all sorts of activities, not just tennis! Golfers elbow on the other hand affects the medial epicondyle or inside of the arm and can also be caused by many activities. The slow healing of this condition is probably due to poor blood supply to the tendon and continued activity of the arm.Treatment time varies widely, and exercises are needed along with stopping some activities. Acupuncture can be helpful in six treatments, but I’ve noticed it often takes longer.
Carpal tunnel syndromeThis problem is where a nerve gets entrapped through structural changes in the arm and hand but can also be caused by problems higher up the arm. This condition is worse at night, with pain, tingling and numbness. These sensations can vary widely, and the grip usually becomes weaker. Treatment therefore depends on the individual symptoms to be treated. Surgery is an option to relieve pressure off the nerve, but acupuncture can also be very effective.
Arthritis of the fingers and thumbsOften patients will ask if I can help with their sore hands, and they tell me that needling is most effective. This is not a cure for arthritis, just pain relief and patients usually come back for the odd treatment from time to time.
Lower back painAcupuncture is an excellent way to treat low back pain, whether it is confined to the central back or going down the leg, into the groin or affecting the sacroiliac joint. This is an area where two or three treatments in a week are necessary to start, with treatments tapering off with improvement.Treatment time varies widely on degree of injury and due to factors, such as weight, nutrition, underlying stress and age to name a few.
Knee painPatients often learn that their knee pain is due to damage to the cruciate ligaments. However, tears in ligament whether medial or lateral are only one of many causes of knee pan. Other causes include pain from muscular insertions around the knee joint, damaged cartilage that can also float free in the joint and, of course, arthritis of some kind.Treatment time -usually good results are seen in six treatments with follow up treatments afterwards. Angelique finds people often seek acupuncture when other modalities have failed.
Hip painHip pain can be caused by trauma, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and bursitis. As the person’s movement changes to alleviate pain, they develop strange walking, standing and even sitting habits. This causes an imbalance in muscles, tendons and ligaments exacerbating the hip pain further. Therefore, besides acupuncture, looking at posture and exercises is just as important.Treatment can vary but stick at it and usually there is a breakthrough and good pain relief is achieved. The number of treatments is similar to back pain, written above.
Groin StrainA groin strain usually refers to a strain, tear or rupture of one of the adductor muscle tendon attachments to the pubic bone and is often accompanied by back pain. Pain can linger even after the area should have healed.Treatments – Six treatments are recommended and then tapering off after that. Two to three treatments in the first week increases the treatments effectiveness. I find acupuncture has a good effect where other treatment methods fail.
Achilles tendonitisNo matter how minor or severe, this painful condition takes a long time to heal and easily regresses. The tendon in question attaches the calf muscle to the calcaneus, and damage can feel like the area is on fire. As we get older this tendon doesn’t stretch as well, so prevention by stretching is a must for all of us ”oldies”, myself included.Treatment time varies on severity but well worth the perseverance.
Planter fasciitisA complicated condition that usually takes educating patients about the structure and mechanism of the foot. The plantar fascia is a thick, fibrous band of connective tissue that originates from the medial tubercle and anterior aspect of the calcaneal tuberosity and inserts at the base of the toes.Treatment time -good results usually in the first treatments but you must do your homework!
Scar tissueMy patients often are amazed how well scars heal after scar therapy! The problem with scars, apart from being unsightly, is that due to their nature of healing in one direction they don’t stretch easily. Raised scars are easier to treat because getting rid of the excess collagen is easier than promoting the tissue build-up needed to fix sunken scars.
Jaw clenching and tooth painAcupuncture relaxes the muscles of the face and jaw. In some circumstances if the condition becomes chronic, acupuncture can help.Treatment- long term treatment needed infrequently when pain becomes severe.
No words can fully encapsulate the pain relief, pain release, muscle release, in that concentrated area that had been troubling my sleep, my posture, my ability to move, and emotional imbalance intensely over the previous two weeks. Thank you Angelique! Cherylayn S
Bachelor of Health Science (BHSc) includes a 4 yr full-time degree in Chinese Medicine
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182 Mt Albert Rd, Sandringham, Auckland 1025
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