“Old” analog devices have become de rigueur – Polaroid cameras, typewriters, and vinyl records. These are popular again for their nostalgia, simplicity, and possibly for not being digital.
I like to think of Acupuncture as “analog” medicine. Acupuncture is so old that no one knows how old it is. Its flagship ‘analog device’ is the humble acupuncture needle.
May I propose to you acupuncture as an “analog” medicine for this digital and overloaded age.
If you’re feeling overloaded, you don’t need to look very far to find reasons why.
We know we are not machines but it is difficult, or seemingly impossible, for many of us to unplug.
Feeling overloaded can be manifested in different ways. Common examples are feeling stressed, experiencing anxiety symptoms, and physical body discomfort like a tight neck or shoulders.
How can acupuncture help with these concerns?
To the needlephobes out there, I understand you deeply as I am a (mostly) recovered needlephobe. This is the reason why my treatments are gentle and easy-going.
Most of my acupuncture treatments for stress and anxiety use tiny needles that most patients do not feel. Treatment for stress and anxiety, and the points I select (typically on the forearms), are focused on dialing down your fight-or-flight mechanism.
Based on a patient’s intake, I may choose to incorporate Acutonics into treatments for stress and anxiety. Acutonics are tuning forks that can be used to “ground” a patient’s body and also to relax muscles. The experience of an Acutonics treatment is unique and memorable. Weighted tuning forks are applied on the skin and transmit the vibrations into the body with the particular therapeutic effect intended from the fork. For some patient’s the vibrations help bring their mind into focus on the present moment and by extension relax their mind and body.
For neck and shoulder tension, my acupuncture treatments focus on treating an analogous ‘resonant’ map on the body dubbed a ‘microsystem’ in Chinese Medicine. In a treatment for neck and shoulders, areas treated are usually located on a wrist, ankle, or even the abdomen to yield a great result. It is always amazing to witness the outcome of a treatment of these ‘resonant’ areas as the body parts where the needles are applied appear to be unconnected to the problem area. From this experience you can see in fact the wonder of your body and that you are not a machine.
Finally, another favourite therapy to use to help with overload is a gentle manual therapy called Yin Tui Na. The practitioner’s hands move minimally and the focus is on soft tissue support for areas like the neck and shoulders and it can be used to facilitate a relaxation in the body.
Every patient is unique and finding the right combination of therapies for a patient is my goal. We live in a digital age, in an overload time. Take the time to escape, and visit your ‘analog’ being.
-Laura Gauthier, Doctor of Acupuncture, Registered Acupuncturist, PhD.
