Acupuncture is the insertion of thin stainless steel needles as fine as a human hair into specific acupuncture or neuro-anatomical points of the body to achieve a therapeutic response.

For your health and saftey only sterile, single use disposable acupuncture needles are used at HealthWorks.

At HealthWorks, your acupuncture will consist of a thorough initial assessment to determine if acupuncture would be a suitable treatment technique to assist in the recovery of your condition. Your series of subsequent treatments will be tailored to your specific condition.

Some common questions about acupuncture are:

Q - Does it hurt?

A - For the most part, the acupuncture treatments are quite painless. Most people report only a slight prick as the needle enters the skin. Some treatments may be completely painless while some may have some slight discomfort, depending on the desired therapeutic effect.

Q - How long is a treatment?

A - In an acupuncture treatment, the length of time that the needles are left in can vary from around 15 minutes to 30 minutes, but for the typical treatment the needles are left for around 20 minutes. For an average acupuncture treatment, you should count on being at the clinic for at least 45 minutes.

Q - What conditions can benefit from acupuncture?

A - At HealthWorks, we provide acupuncture treatment mainly for neuromuscular and musculoskeletal conditions. The World Health Organization has identified acupuncture to be beneficial for arthritis, chronic and acute pain, headaches, neck and back pain, neuralgia, frozen shoulder, tennis or golfer's elbow, tendonitis, sciatica, addictions, insomnia and many others.

Click on our brochure to the left to read our acupuncture brochure.

GOKAVI TRANSVERSE TECHNIQUE

The Gokavi Transverse Technique (GTT) is a medical acupuncture treatment, pioneered by Dr. Cynthia Gokavi.  It has proven to be quite effective in the treatment of a number of pain disorders, acute and chronic.  Our physiotherapist, Karen Toffan has completed the training and examination process with Dr. Cynthia Gokavi in order to utilize the technique with her patients. 

GTT is a dry needling acupuncture technique that has two phases.  The first phase requires insertion of needles transversely around the area to be treated.  These needles are connected to a high frequency electrical current to desensitize the area. This will allow for relaxation and pain management.

The second phase utilizes dry needling where the skin & muscle tissue is picked up by the therapist and a needle is inserted quickly and repetitively through the full thickness of the muscle.  This is made possible by the application of the high frequency current in the first phase.  The transverse needling releases the spasms and trigger points of the muscle.  Once the muscle is released there will be an increase in muscle length, therefore there will be more mobility and less pain.  GTT is a safer technique than other similar procedures because the needling is transverse.  Effects are quick and dramatic.  The patient will be able to see results immediately.

Once GTT is completed, the patient is instructed by Karen in regards to the proper exercises required for their condition.  This is a very important part of the treatment in order to obtain long term results.

GTT is appropriate for multiple conditions and for any part of the body.  Problems would include, but not limited to – TMJ dysfunction, whiplash, frozen shoulder, tennis elbow, mechanical low back pain, fibromyalgia, Achilles tendonitis, headaches, post-surgical muscle scarring, etc.

If you have any questions about acupuncture, give our clinic a call at 525-0007 and we will gladly answer them for you.

ACUPUNCTURE FEES

Initial acupuncture $65.00

Subsequent acupuncture $50.00