What is shingles?

Shingles occurs when the dormant chickenpox virus in the body becomes active, irritating one or more nerve roots in the spine. This results in an unbearably painful rash that follows the nerve pathway - often along the ribs, shoulder or face. It is not...

Research on over 400 patients shows that acupuncture can relieve symptoms of hay fever and reduce antihistamine use (1).

It's spring, there is pine tree pollen everywhere, and soon the summer grasses will be seeding too. For some, this means itchy red eyes, a runny nose...

Feeling unreasonably cranky at the moment?

Let's face it, we've either been in hibernation over winter, or wish we could have been in hibernation.

We need to come out of hidey holes, all while wishing we could stay in there just a little longer. (Sounds like me some morn...

An anecdotal recount of treating an arthritic finger.

When I was studying in my fourth year at acupuncture school, my best friend Lisette booked her mum in for acupuncture with me. 

Lisette's mum Kath is an amazing piano player, and she has students throughout the Hutt V...

Some people take a bit of convincing to let another person put pins in them, which is totally understandable!

SO - Why should you try acupuncture?

Most people experience these 5 great benefits after treatment:

1. A Great Sleep

Lots of my patients come back after t...

I am so thankful I've never experienced a migraine, I really feel for those that get them regularly.

I have seen a number of patients here at Community Acupuncture Oamaru for treatment of migraines and headaches. Some have had great results after the first tre...

It's cold! 

Let's warm things up.

Now is the time of year when arthritis and old sports injuries flare up, and poor circulation is at it's worst. Acupuncturists love heat and there's a simple reason why we're always telling people to use hot water bottles and wheat bags....

Lower back pain: Acupuncture. The two could be married.

A lot of my patients come in for lower back pain, or have had acupuncture previously for their back.

Because it is such a commonly treated condition by acupucturists, there has been plenty of research conducted on t...

People often ask me how long I studied for to become and acupuncturist, and are surprised to find that to become qualified it is a 4 year Bachelor of Health Science Degree.

Let me tell you, there is a lot more to learning how to practice acupuncture than just finding ou...

Fire cupping is part of Traditional Chinese Medicine and is often used as an adjunct therapy to acupuncture in musculoskeletal conditions.

It is excellent for loosening tight muscles and you can usually feel an improvement immediately after the treatment.

What's Involved...