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ACUPUNCTURE

If you’re looking for acupuncture treatment in St. Albert or Edmonton, you’ve come to the right place.

At the Maloney Elkassem Chiropractic we have been providing rapid, effective relief for our valued patients since 1997. You'll see that we utilize a variety of state-of-the-art healing methods to give you individualized care that's right for you. 

Nhu Ton, R.Ac is our registered acupuncturist on staff. Nhu provides both acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine services. Find out more about Nhu below…

NHU TON
REGISTERED ACUPUNCTURIST

Nhu is a licensed acupuncturist in good standing with the College and Association of Acupuncturist of Alberta. She has been passionate about healthcare from an early age. Through her travels she quickly gravitated towards the more natural and holistic avenues of health. While attending her acupuncture studies at Grant Macewan University, Nhu had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to partake in an internship with the acclaimed Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine in China. Through her international studies, Nhu has always aimed to bridge the timeless traditions of Acupuncture with modern advances within the practice. Nhu’s practice is rooted in the foundations of preventative and maintenance care to avoid injuries and ailments before they occur.  

Nhu has special interest in treating pain management, stress relief, mental/emotional wellbeing, women’s health as well as offering facial rejuvenation acupuncture. Her practice focuses on addressing her interest in a holistic and organic fashion.

Nhu has nearly a decade of experience working alongside allied health professionals from the field of chiropractic, physiotherapy and massage therapy. She offers the following: acupuncture, cupping, guasha, tuina massage, auricualar therapy, moxibustion and TCM nutrition counseling. Nhu is eager to work with patients from all walks of life as a guide along their journey in health. Nhu is passionate to continue to gain knowledge in the field of acupuncture and is beyond grateful to be living her dream as an acupuncturist in the St. Albert community. 

Nhu Ton

WHAT IS
ACUPUNCTURE?

Acupuncture is one of the oldest health disciplines in the world, originating in China over 2500 years ago. Acupuncture involves inserting thin needles into specific points on the body in order to encourage natural healing and normalize body function.

HOW DOES
ACUPUNCTURE WORK?

According to the classical Chinese explanation, channels of energy flow in regular patterns (called meridians) through the body and over its surface. Along the meridians are specific points that can block the flow of energy. Acupuncture is a treatment that serves to remove the block of energy and therefore activates the body's innate ability to heal. The needles stimulate the normal flow of the body's energy, or "qi" (chee), to flow and function normally, thus bringing the body back into a state of health. 

The modern scientific explanation is that needling the acupuncture points stimulates the nervous system to release neuro-chemicals in the muscles, spinal cord, and brain. These chemicals will trigger the release of other hormones which influence the body's own internal regulating system.

WHAT CONDITIONSCAN
BE TREATED BY ACUPUNCTURE?

Acupuncture can reduce or eliminate pain and improve overall bodily function, promoting both physical and emotional well being. 

Acupuncture has been successfully recommended to treat many ailments including:

  • Musculoskeletal Disorders

  • Sports Acupuncture

  • Sports Injuries

  • Pain Management

  • Neck and Shoulder Pain

  • Low Back Pain/Sciatica

  • Knee and Leg Pain

  • Headaches

  • Migraines

  • Tennis/Golfer's Elbow

  • Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

  • TMJ

  • Arthritis

  • Whiplash

  • Stress

  • Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

  • Constipation

  • Insomnia

  • Fibromyalgia

  • Nausea/morning sickness

  • Hip and muscle pain

  • Depression and anxiety

  • Facial Rejuvenation

DO THE NEEDLES HURT?

Individuals with an aversion to medical needles are generally pleasantly surprised at how minimal the sensation is, as acupuncture needles are barely thicker than a human hair. 

People experience acupuncture differently, but most feel either no pain or very minimal discomfort as the needles are inserted. A dull, mild ache is often an indication of the therapeutic benefit of a treatment. 

Treatments are generally pain free with very little potential for complications.

Did you find yourself wondering what all these marks were on the athletes in the Summer Olympics?

These purple marks are from an ancient Chinese healing practice called “cupping”.

Cupping

WHAT IS CUPPING?

Cupping is one of the oldest forms of traditional Chinese medicine and has been around for thousands of years.

Specialized cups are placed on the skin, and either heat or an air pump is used to create suction between the cup and the skin. This results in pulling the skin slightly up and away from the muscle.

Cupping increases circulation, which relaxes and increases blood flow to the muscles. This usually causes purple circles on the skin as shown on some athletes in Rio 2016. 

WHY CUPPING?

Cupping is thought to draw blood to the affected area, reducing soreness and speeding healing of overworked muscles. Athletes who use it swear by it, saying it keeps them injury free and speeds recovery.

Drawing up the skin in the cup is believed to open up the skins pores, which helps to stimulate the flow of blood and create an avenue for toxins to be drawn out of the body. 

Michael Phelps holds 23 Olympic gold medals and is a big advocate of cupping. He has talked about using cupping on his sore muscles and more specifically his shoulders.

He posted this photo on Instagram of cups along his legs during the 2016 Olympics. There are also marks along his shoulders from previous treatments. 

“I’ve done it before meets, pretty much every meet I go to”

-Michael Phelps

Cupping
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