What is Traditional Chinese Acupuncture?

The origins of Acupuncture in China can be traced back at least 2000 years, making it one of the oldest and most long-standing health care systems in the world. Today, Acupuncture is an effective, natural and increasingly popular form of health care that is being used by people from a wide range of cultural and social backgrounds.

Acupuncture takes a holistic approach to understanding normal function and disease processes and focuses as much on the prevention of illness as on the treatment.

When healthy, an abundant supply of QI (pronounced chee) or “life energy” flows through the body’s meridians (a network of invisible channels through the body). If the flow of QI in the meridians becomes blocked or there is an inadequate supply of QI, then the body fails to maintain harmony, balance and order, and disease or illness follows.

This can result from stress, overwork, poor diet, disease pathogens, weather and environmental conditions, and other lifestyle factors and becomes evident to TCM practitioners through observable signs of bodily dysfunction. TCM practitioners look carefully for these signs of health and dysfunction, paying particular attention not only to the presenting signs and symptoms, but also to the medical history, general constitution, and the pulse and tongue.

How does acupuncture work?

Acupuncture treatment involves the insertion of fine, sterile needles into specific sites (Acupuncture points) along the body’s meridians to clear energy blockages and encourage the normal flow of QI through the individual. The practitioner may also stimulate the acupuncture points using other methods, including moxibustion, cupping, laser therapy, electro-stimulation and massage, in order to re-establish the flow of QI.

Meet Filipe…

Filipe is an acupuncturist trained by the New Zealand College of Chinese Medicine (NZCCM) in Auckland. He has learned from and has been supervised by some of the most skilled and experienced Chinese medicine practitioners in New Zealand.

His interests in health go beyond Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), they also include yoga, nutrition, psychology and neuroscience.

Filipe is keen to get you pain-free and help you to recover from any injuries. However, he enjoys practising the full spectrum of TCM and can treat many other issues such as digestive complaints, insomnia, stress, psycho-spiritual challenges, infertility and others.

Besides his Bachelor of Health in Acupuncture, he also has another Bachelor of Science in Biology which complements his understanding of the world and its organisms, including you.

He is originally from São Paulo, Brazil and has been living in NZ since 2007. Recently moved back to Mount Maunganui which is a special place for him.

When not working Filipe enjoys spending time with his partner, surfing, hiking in the Kaimai range and travelling.