Acupuncture
Experience the benefits of acupuncture to reduce stress, relieve pain, improve fertility, balance hormones and manage a wide range of health conditions.
Receive gentle, effective treatment from a registered practitioner with 20 years experience helping women, men and families using acupuncture in Melbourne.
Acupuncture for women’s health
I support women with:
- Period pain, PMS & PMDD
- Irregular cycles, PCOS
- Endometriosis, adenomyosis
- Fibroids
- Preconception care
- Fertility, IVF support
- Pregnancy, birth and postpartum care
- Perimenopause, hormonal issues
Acupuncture for general health
I also help individuals experiencing:
- Stress, anxiety, and low energy
- Insomnia
- Digestive issues
- Headaches and migraines
- Pain and musculoskeletal issues
- Allergies and lowered immunity
- Acne, eczema and rosacea
Acupuncture for balance
Acupuncture stimulates your body’s self-healing and repair mechanisms, making it useful to support a wide range of health conditions.
Wondering if acupuncture can help with your specific health concern? Get in touch to learn more.
What to expect
Your first appointment begins with a detailed consultation where we explore your health history, symptoms, energy and stress levels, and more. We create a personalised treatment plan to address both your main health concern and overall wellbeing.
2. Time for acupuncture! If it’s your first experience, I’ll guide you through the process.
You’ll relax while fine, sterile needles are gently placed at specific points on your body and work their “magic” for 25 minutes, leaving you feeling rejuvenated and refreshed.
3. In follow-up visits, we’ll track your progress, adjusting your treatment as needed. Treatment can range from a few sessions for a recent acute condition, regular weekly or fortnightly visits to resolve a chronic condition, or monthly sessions for maintenance and prevention.
How does acupuncture work?
Acupuncture seems to stimulate the vagus nerve, activating the parasympathetic nervous system – the “rest and digest” response, in which repair, relaxation and healing occur.
Acupuncture points are areas with a high concentration of sensory fibres, capillaries, lymphatic vessels and mast cells. When needles gently penetrate these areas, they send complex electrical and chemical messages throughout the body via the nervous system, endocrine, lymphatic and immune systems restoring homeostatic balance.
From a traditional perspective, acupuncture points lie along meridian channels, corresponding to different nerve pathways and fascial planes. Inserting tiny needles along these channels is thought to enhance the circulation of blood, lymph, and energy, stimulating healing. The concept of bioelectricity, understood by the Chinese as qi or life-force energy, underpins this practice. Acupuncture is far from a placebo; it harnesses your body’s natural physiological response to promote healing.
Frequently Asked Questions.
This is the most common question asked about acupuncture, because many people associate needles with pain.
Acupuncture is generally painless as the needles are very thin, from 0.14 to 0.20mm – thinner than a single strand of human hair! At Four Gates Chinese Medicine we use smooth, fine needles and gentle acupuncture techniques to make sure you feel comfortable and relaxed while the treatment works.
After insertion the practitioner will gently activate the points and you may feel some warmth, heaviness, tingling, or a slight radiating sensation, followed by a feeling of relaxation as the needles are left to do their “work” for 20-30 minutes.
Yes! We have HICAPS available at the clinic, and all our practitioners are registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA), so if your private health insurance covers acupuncture then you can claim on the spot and only pay the gap.
We generally expect to see noticeable improvements within the first two to three treatments, and will assess progress and make any necessary adjustments at each visit. As Chinese medicine addresses the underlying cause you can expect to feel “better in yourself” – calmer and more energized – as your condition also improves.
Of course it depends on the severity, duration and nature of your health issue – acute issues can resolve after one or two treatments, while more chronic health conditions can require a longer course of treatment. Taking prescribed herbal medicine, supplements, and following nutrition and lifestyle advice will help you reach your health goals faster.
Yes and no – dry needling is actually one of the many needling techniques of acupuncture. All acupuncturists are dry needlers, but not all dry needlers are acupuncturists.
Dry needling is local needling into trigger points (tender spots) in the muscles and fascia, to release tight muscles and treat pain.
Acupuncturists usually treat more comprehensively, combining both local dry needling of tender spots, with distal points along fascial and nerve pathways (“meridians” in Chinese medicine) that can address the painful area. It’s a bit like turning off a light at the light switch (acupuncture), vs just unscrewing the light bulb (local dry needling)!
I am trained in all types of needling, and can assess which techniques are best suited to you. Generally acupuncture will be more comfortable than just dry needling, as the amount of training an acupuncturist has to do is much more extensive. Because dry needling can be learnt in a short course, so it’s important to make sure that whoever you see is properly trained!
You can wear whatever you like, but loose fitting clothes are great, so we can easily and comfortably access the arms, legs, neck and torso. Try to avoid wearing tight clothing that restricts your circulation.
No worries if you’re coming from work or need to change, we have towels and warm rooms to keep you comfortable during your treatment.