Lawrence Gleich Acupuncturist

What is Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid Arthritis is an Autoimmune disorder that primarily affects the joints and has a typical presentation of swollen, painful joints of the wrists and hands, although it can affect other joints as well. It is a chronic inflammatory disorder that can also damage other body systems like the skin, eyes, heart and blood vessels. The cause of Rheumatoid Arthritis is often unknown.
 
Typical signs of Rheumatoid Arthritis include

• Joint stiffness that is usually worse in the mornings and after inactivity
• Tender, warm and swollen joints
• Fatigue, fever and weight loss
   
  Rheumatoid Arthritis symptoms can vary in severity depending on the amount or lack of activity. Typically there are periods of increased suffering, called flares, which may also include fever, fatigue and a general feeling of being unwell. The long term chronic inflammation can cause joint destruction and deformation of the joints and bones.

Tracy Gaibisso Naturopath

1:10 women suffer from Endometriosis, a condition where tissue similar to that within the lining of the uterus is located outside the womb. This tissue can adhere to organs anywhere in the body but most often on organs such as the fallopian tubes, bladder, ovaries and peritoneum. The ‘rogue’ tissue responds to the body’s cyclical hormones which can cause severe pain and inflammation, scarring and adhesions. Typical diagnosis can take anywhere between 7-10 years and it is often the case that women have seen multiple practitioners and specialists before being diagnosed.

Definitive diagnosis can only be made via a laparoscopy and it is recommended to use surgeons who have advanced laparoscopic training. (There are currently only 3 such surgeons in Perth as of today’s date). It cannot be diagnosed via a blood test or ultrasound. If the disease is advanced or the sonographer is experienced some ultrasound’s may show indications of endometriosis but a laparoscopy is still recommended.

Lawrence Gleich Acupuncturist

We are often asked “What is the difference between Acupuncture and Dry Needling?”
 
For many years there have been different professions using needling techniques to provide relief from pain and discomfort. Broadly these professions can fall into two major groups, those that practice East Asian Traditional Medicine, such as Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture, or those from Western Musculoskeletal professions such as Chiropractors, Osteopaths and Physiotherapists. And until 2012 there was no general differentiation of the type of needling between the two groups.
 
What happened in 2012?
In 2012, in Australia, Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture became a registered profession and the title of “Acupuncturist and Acupuncture” became protected to be used by only those people who are registered with the Chinese Medicine Board of Australia. As a consequence, other professions using needling have taken on the term Dry Needling.