What Conditions We Treat with Acupuncture
At our Nanaimo clinic, we treat a wide range of conditions, with a focus on the following:
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Body pain:
Including tension headache, migraine, jaw pain, toothache, neck/back/shoulder tightness and limited motion, sciatic pain, knee pain, IT band syndrome, Piriformis syndrome and all other body pain.
How acupuncture can help with body pain
Acupuncture provides pain relief by addressing both the symptoms and their underlying causes. When fine needles are inserted at specific points, they stimulate the nervous system and trigger the release of natural pain-regulating chemicals such as endorphins and enkephalins. This also increases local blood flow, delivering oxygen and nutrients to injured tissues while reducing inflammation.
By improving circulation and easing muscle tension, acupuncture helps the body restore balance and supports more efficient healing. This comprehensive mechanism explains why acupuncture is often effective even when medication or physical therapy alone produces limited results.
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Psychiatric disorders and mental disturbances :
Including stress, depression and anxiety, panic attack, PTSD and Insomnia.
How acupuncture can help with Psychiatric disorders and mental disturbances
Psychiatric disorders and mental disturbances often result from an overactive nervous system and hormonal imbalance. Acupuncture helps regulate the body’s stress response through the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis, which controls cortisol and other stress hormones. At the same time, it activates the parasympathetic (“rest and restore”) system, slowing heart rate and promoting a deep sense of calm.
This physiological rebalancing helps improve sleep quality, reduce anxiety, and restore natural energy levels. Over time, the body learns to maintain this relaxed state more easily, improving both physical and emotional resilience.
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Women’s Health and Fertility
Including painful periods, menopause syndrome, infertility, and other hormonal conditions.
How acupuncture can help with women’s health
Acupuncture supports hormonal balance and reproductive health by improving circulation to the pelvic region and regulating communication between the brain and endocrine system. This helps normalize menstrual cycles, reduce PMS and menstrual pain, and enhance fertility by improving uterine lining quality and ovarian function.
During menopause, acupuncture can moderate hot flashes, mood swings, and sleep disturbances by stabilizing hormone fluctuations and calming the nervous system. It provides a natural way to manage women’s health concerns at every stage of life without the side effects of medication.
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Digestive Disorders：
Including Stomachache, Abdominal pain, Nausea and vomiting, Constipation and Diarrhea due to peptic ulcer, Acute and chronic gastritis, Gastrospasm, Disordered function of the stomach and Irritable Bowel syndrome (IBS) .
How acupuncture can help with digestion
Acupuncture influences both the digestive and immune systems by regulating the flow of energy (Qi) through the body’s major meridians. Modern research shows that it enhances vagus nerve activity and improves gut motility, which helps relieve bloating, constipation, and irritable bowel symptoms.
By addressing both functional and stress-related digestive issues, acupuncture helps restore a balanced and healthy gastrointestinal system.
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Skin conditions and facial rejuvenation:
including Acne, Eczema, Shingles, Urticaria (hives), Dermatitis and facial rejuvenation.
How acupuncture can help with skin problems
For skin concerns such as acne, eczema, or rosacea, acupuncture reduces systemic inflammation and supports detoxification by improving liver function and circulation. By calming internal stress — often a trigger for both digestive and skin flare-ups — acupuncture helps restore a healthy, balanced internal environment that shows outwardly in clearer, more radiant skin.
More conditions treated with acupuncture can be found on the World Health Organization (WHO) Recommend List