Services

Wilson Acupuncture offer a range of healing and beautification services:

Acupuncture
What to Expect on Your First Visit:
To prepare for your visit, wear loose-fitting, comfortable clothing. It’s best if you are rested, your hair is dry, and your stomach Man with hand painis neither empty nor very full.

At each visit, we do a thorough evaluation of your health. We listen carefully to what you have to say, ask questions about your health, and examine your pulses and tongue. We treat you with acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, nutrition, or a combination of these methods.

When receiving acupuncture you may feel a small pinch as the needles are inserted, followed by a feeling of pressure, warmth, tingling, heaviness, or numbness around the point. This sensation is called qi sensation, and it means your body is responding to the treatment.

Once the needles are in, you rest quietly for 20 minutes to an hour. People often fall asleep during treatment. After treatment, you will normally feel relief from your symptoms, and a sense of relaxation, or renewed energy. Chinese medicine works the way your body works to restore health and prevent illness. It relieves symptoms, but can also address their source. To protect your health and safety, we use only single-use, pre-sterilized disposable needles.

After the treatment, we’ll talk some more, answer any questions you may have, and discuss your herb prescription, if you are receiving herbal treatment. We generally use granular herbs, which are quick and easy to take, while preserving the potency and customizability of traditional preparation methods.

Appointment Times
Appointments are available every day except Sunday. Some days or times may not be available during holidays or busy times. We also offer evening appointments, for your convenience.

Massage
Tui Na Massage
Tui Na is the form of Asian bodywork most closely resembling conventional western massage. Many of the techniques are Man with back painsimilar — gliding (known as effleurage or Tui), kneading (petrissage or Nie), percussion (tapotement or Da), friction, pulling, rotation, rocking, vibration, and shaking. Despite the similarities, the intent of Tui Na is more specifically therapeutic than the simple relaxation of a Swedish-style massage.

One of Tui Na’s advantages over simple massage is its ability to focus on specific problems, especially chronic pain associated with the muscles, joints, and skeletal system. It’s especially effective for joint pain (such as arthritis), sciatica, muscle spasms, and pain in the back, neck, and shoulders. It also helps chronic conditions such as insomnia, constipation, headaches (including migraines), and the tension associated with stress.

Tui Na does not simply work on the muscles, bones, and joints. It works with the energy of the body at a deeper level. As the practitioner senses the client’s body with their hands, they are able to assess the distribution of energy and affect its flow.

As with other styles of Asian bodywork, Tui Na is designed to prevent problems, not just correct them. By keeping the body’s energy in balance, health is maintained. This is true not just for physical health, but for mental and emotional well-being as well.

Food Cures
Traditional Chinese medicine has shown for centuries  that foods not only provide nutrients for the body, but can also cure or Food curesrelieve health problems. TCM physicians ask their patients how they eat, and give dietary advice along with treatment. The knowledge of which foods to eat or which to avoid is very important. Foods serve many purposes in TCM: to repair damage and regain vitality for recovery; to combat external seasonal influences, to fight early signs of diseases; to lessen the adverse effects of harsh drugs during treatment, and to delay degenerative processes or aging. With proper selection and preparation of food, diet can be part of  promoting health on a regular basis. The treatment program includes a list of foods to be used for food cure.

Herbal Medicine
Herbal medicine is an integral component of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). It is also one of the oldest (and most popular) Herbal medicineforms of health care. Studies have shown that as much as 40% of all Canadian adults use herbal products, with the amount of money spent on herbal remedies in this country each year in the billions. The use of herbal medicine is even higher overseas, with some countries reporting a usage rate of 75% or greater.

The term “herbal medicine” refers to the use of a plant’s seed, berries, roots, leaves, bark or flowers for medicinal purposes. While the scientific study of herbs in the Canada began just over two centuries ago, herbs and botanicals have been used to treat a wide range of health problems in Asia for thousands of years.

When used to facilitate healing in chronic, ongoing problems, herbal medicine has a great deal to offer. Studies have shown that herbal products can treat a variety of conditions, including colds, digestive disorders, insomnia, headaches, arthritis, skin disorders, asthma, and a host of other problems usually treated with pharmaceuticals and prescription medications.

Facial Beautification
Erase years and bring a glow to your face , without surgery.

What is facial rejuvenation acupuncture?
Facial BeautificationAcupuncture is most effective in facial rejuvenation. Acupuncture is a painless, non-surgical method of reducing the signs of the aging process. Though facial beautification treatment can sometimes be referred to as an ‘acupuncture facelift’, it is more than a cosmetic procedure. It is a rejuvenation and revitalization process designed to help the whole body look and feel younger.

The facial beautification treatment is based on the principles of TCM and involves the insertion of hair-thin needles into particular areas of the face, ears, neck, hands, trunk, and legs along channels or meridians of energy called Qi (pronounced chee). Specific points are chosen to manipulate the movement of energy in the body according to the individual’s needs.

Thousands of years ago the Chinese discovered that many meridians either begin or end on the face while some have internal branches that go to the face. At Wilson Acupuncture we know how to apply this knowledge to treat the face while simultaneously treating the underlying factors that contribute to the aging process.

What are the effects?
Facial beautification treatment may erase as many as five to fifteen years from your face, with results apparent after just a few treatments. Fine lines may be entirely eliminated and deeper wrinkles diminished. Bags under the eyes can be reduced, jowls firmed, puffiness eliminated, droopy eyelids lifted and double chins minimized.

Other likely results include: moisturizing of the skin with increased local circulation of blood and lymph to the face; increased collagen production, muscle tone, and dermal contraction; tightening of the pores; brightening of the eyes; improving of hormonal balance to help with acne; reduction of stress evident in the face – bringing out the innate beauty and radiance of an individual.

Who would benefit from facial rejuvenation acupuncture?
Anyone concerned with looking and feeling young and slowing down the aging process. The decision to begin treatment may be professionally or personally inspired or a combination of both. Facial beautification treatment is suitable for those with deep wrinkles, fine lines, bags under the eyes, sagging, puffiness, drooping eyelids, double chin, large pores, dry skin or acne. Different methods are emphasized and specific points stimulated according to how an individual is aging. A person with excess puffiness, for example, would require a different treatment than someone with dry skin. The whole person is treated and evaluated on the body-mind continuum–the foundation of holistic medicine.

What is the course of treatment?
Generally, it consists of 12 treatments. The effects become most noticeable and lasting on or about the seventh session. Each person responds differently, depending on his or her condition and lifestyle prior to treatment. Following the initial course of treatment, maintenance sessions can prolong the results for five to ten years. It is often recommended to supplement the facial rejuvenation program with facial self-massage and/or acupressure, facial exercises, herbal and nutritional supplements, pure and authentic aromatherapy blends for the skin, and a healthy diet.

Does it really make a difference?
Many sources indicate that acupuncture has been used for almost 5,000 years to treat a wide range of conditions. Having proven itself with literally billions of people, acupuncture has survived the test of time. The use of acupuncture in cosmetology – especially in preventing and reducing wrinkles – has already attracted great attention in Japan, Hong Kong, and Sweden.

The effectiveness of acupuncture is due to its direct manipulation of the body’s energy system – balancing, removing blockages or adding energy when necessary. A 1996 report in the International Journal of Clinical Acupuncture reported that among 300 cases treated with facial acupuncture, 90% had marked effects with one course of treatment. The effects included: the skin becoming delicate and fair, improvement of the elasticity of facial muscles and leveling of wrinkles, a ruddier complexion, and overall rejuvenation – not confined to the face.

Is facial beautification treatment a new and trendy technique?
Hardly. For thousands of years, the Chinese have known that beauty comes from the inside. At least as early as the Sung Dynasty (960AD-1270AD) acupuncture rejuvenation practices were employed for the empress and the emperor’s concubines.

The Chinese discovered and used methods to change the energy flow within the body to initiate the healing process for rejuvenation. According to a famous Chinese axiom, “Where qi goes, blood flows.” Even for those unfamiliar with the principles of Chinese medicine, it is known that increased circulation helps the body to look and feel better. Common sense would tell us that treating the underlying cause of why someone is aging is preferable to masking the outward symptoms and allowing further decline and dysfunction to continue within the body.

Why choose facial beautification treatment over a surgical face-lift?
While not a replacement for surgery, acupuncture facial rejuvenation is an excellent alternative. It is far less costly than cosmetic surgery and is safe, virtually painless, has no side effects or risk of disfigurement. Unlike surgery that may have an extended recovery period with swelling and discoloration, there is no trauma from facial rejuvenation acupuncture. While it cannot reshape one’s nose or chin, it is a more subtle rejuvenation that takes years off one’s face – safely and naturally while improving overall health.

Are there any contraindications?
Facial beautification treatment is contraindicated for some pituitary disorders, heart disorders, diabetes mellitus, high blood pressure, individuals who have a pacemaker or who have a problem with bleeding or bruising, or who currently suffer from migraine headaches. Facial beautification treatment should not be done during pregnancy, during a bout with a cold or flu, during an allergic attack or during an acute herpes outbreak.

Who administers facial rejuvenation acupuncture?
The treatment should be performed by a licensed acupuncturist, with training in the specialization of facial rejuvenation acupuncture. Not many acupuncturists are specially trained in facial rejuvenation acupuncture. Optimally, one should seek out a practitioner trained by an expert in this field.

As an experienced teacher and practitioner of facial rejuvenation, Dr. Marlin Wilson, Dr. TCM, is a recognized expert. Dr. Wilson has over a decade of clinical professional experience in the healing arts, with B.C. licenses in Tui Na Massage Therapy and a Doctors degree in Herbal Medicine and Acupuncture. He has studied extensively with many masters of the healing arts.