Acupuncture & Chinese Herbs

Monika is available in the clinic on Wednesdays from 9am to 1pm and Saturdays from 2pm to 6pm

Please call to make a booking on 1300 139 507 or 02 9560 8288.

Acupuncturist and Chinese Herbalist

BHSc(TCM)BSc

A practitioner of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine and a doula, Monika is passionate about good reproductive health and the freedom this gives women in their choices around conceiving and giving birth to their children.

Monika continued her studies in Traditional Chinese Medicine (UTS) with a clinical internship at the China Japan Friendship hospital in Beijing.  Monika has trained in Toyohari meridian therapy since 2003 in Sydney and Tokyo, with specialised training in fertility, pregnancy and paediatrics.

Frequently Asked Questions:

How can acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine be helpful during pregnancy? 

Chinese medicine has been used for many years in the treatment of symptoms that occur during pregnancy and research is now finding, for example, that acupuncture in the last three weeks of pregnancy, using traditionally indicated points, can result in a shorter labour closer to the due date.  Acupuncture is also effective for promoting labour past the due date.  Unlike a medical induction, correct treatment doesn't make the body do anything it is not ready to do, only removes obstacles that may be getting in the way of natural functioning such as stress or a lack of energy in a particular area.

Treatment with acupuncture and herbs can support the body during all the change that pregnancy brings and can alleviate symptoms such as extreme morning sickness, spotting or bleeding, fluid retention, back pain and fatigue.  Pregnancy is naturally a time of change that pregnancy and many new symptoms are normal.  Pregnancy also puts new strains on your body and any pre-existing deficiency or condition can be exacerbated, so it is a great time to address your health, optimise energy and find a peaceful space for yourself while you are growing your baby.

 How is Japanese acupuncture different to Chinese acupuncture?

Acupuncture originated in China and was taken to Japan where it developed quite independently due to political isolation.  Japanese practitioners stuck close to what was written in the ancient Chinese texts and maintained an elemental system of diagnosis and treatment, aiming to always address imbalances in the body's channel system at a very fundamental level.  Symptoms resolve when the environment that gives rise to the symptoms is also addressed.  Medicine in China started integrating the western biomedical style of treating specific diseases more readily than in Japan.

Very gentle techniques were developed using thinner needles and other tools made of silver, gold, copper, zinc and stainless steel and these are used to influence Ki or Qi without strong stimulation.  Often the patient feels nothing at all with Japanese acupuncture treatments, the practitioner being trained to gauge changes in the patients body, while in Chinese acupuncture treatments a heavy sensation felt by the patient is an indication that the needles are doing their job.  Acupuncture in China has largely become fused with herbal medicine of the internal body, which asks about symptoms and looks at the tongue to know how to help someone.  Japanese acupuncture is still taught in a master/apprentice context and learning how to feel for information on a person's belly and back and channels on the arms and legs is central to treatment.  Both styles also use the pulse at the wrist to make a diagnosis.

How do acupuncturists turn breech babies?

To turn a breech (or OP) baby, moxa rather than needling is used on the point 'BL67' on the little toe.  This stimulates the uterus to help the baby move around to an optimal position for birth.  Treatments are most effective if started when there is more room for the baby to move around at 34wks and it is good for the Mum to drink water and be well hydrated before a treatment.

It is the action of this point on the toe and the warmth and movement created by the moxa, a refined form of mugwort, which is thought to affect the uterus and the baby's position.  This quote from "A Manual of Acupuncture" by Peter Deadman and Mazin Al-Khafaji (p326) explains the traditional theory well, ..."The principal application of Zhiyin BL67, however, is in the treatment of malposition of the foetus, for which it is renowned...According to Yin Yang theory "yang is activity, yin is quiescence, yang brings forth and yin develops" and when "yin reaches its maximum it will necessarily transform into yang".  The yin of the Kidney nourishes and dominates the development and growth of the foetus through the long months of pregnancy. As the birth date approaches and yin reaches its zenith, yang must begin to grow in order to turn the foetus and prepare for the intense activity of birth.  If towards the time of delivery there is insufficient yang activity of the uterus, due either to deficiency or stagnation, then yang must be stimulated.  Zhiyin BL67 is the terminal point of the yang bladder channel, where the qi changes polarity and enters its coupled yin Kidney channel, reflected in its name "Reaching Yin".  It is the most dynamic point to activate the uterus and hence turn the foetus...especially when stimulated by the yang heat of moxibustion"