Let's Get Started

 

 

Step 1:
Comprehensive Assessment

 

At our health clinic, we are committed to providing a holistic, patient-centered approach to wellness by addressing both the root causes and symptoms of a wide range of health concerns. Our comprehensive evaluation process allows us to develop highly personalized treatment plans that are tailored to each individual's unique needs, lifestyle, and health goals.

Whether you are managing a chronic health condition, seeking to optimize your energy and cognitive performance, or looking to support your immune system, our integrated care approach ensures that all aspects of your physical and mental wellbeing are considered.

We focus on key health domains including energy and mood regulation, digestive and cardiovascular health, immune support, musculoskeletal and pain management, reproductive wellness, and more. We also provide specialized support for children’s health, pregnancy care, and family wellness.

From sleep and stress management to skin health, metabolic function, and hormonal balance, our clinic is equipped to support your journey toward long-term vitality and resilience.

 

 

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Step 2: 
Restoring Balance and Reducing Inflammation

 

 

Our Protocol Includes:

 

Nervous System Assessment: We evaluate the autonomic nervous system to determine its balance between the sympathetic (fight-or-flight) and parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) branches. Acupuncture can help reset this balance, promoting relaxation and reducing stress-induced inflammation.

 

Immune System Support: By targeting specific acupoints, acupuncture can enhance immune function, helping the body combat chronic inflammation and infection.

 

Metabolic Health Monitoring: We assess markers such as blood pressure, insulin sensitivity, liver function, and cholesterol levels to identify underlying contributors to inflammation. Acupuncture can help regulate these parameters, supporting overall health.

 

 

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Step 3:
Integrating Therapy for Comprehensive Pain Management

 

Once foundational treatments are underway, physiotherapy is introduced to address musculoskeletal components of chronic pain:

 

 

Exercise Therapy

What It Is:
Exercise therapy involves the prescription of specific, individualized physical activities designed to restore muscle strength, joint mobility, balance, endurance, and overall function.

How It Helps Chronic Pain:

• Reduces Pain Sensitivity: Regular movement helps desensitize the nervous system.
• Improves Strength and Endurance: Weak muscles can exacerbate pain by increasing stress on joints and other tissues. Strengthening reduces this load.
• Promotes Mobility: Chronic pain often leads to stiffness; targeted exercises can improve range of motion and flexibility.
• Reinforces Movement Confidence: People with chronic pain often develop fear-avoidance behaviors; guided exercise therapy helps rebuild confidence in movement.

Examples:

• Core strengthening for back pain
• Gentle stretching routines for fibromyalgia
• Low-impact aerobic exercises for osteoarthritis
  
  

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Manual Therapy

What It Is:
Manual therapy includes hands-on techniques performed by a physiotherapist to manipulate or mobilize joints, soft tissues, and muscles.

How It Helps Chronic Pain:

• Reduces Muscle Tension: Techniques like massage can release tight, painful muscles.
• Improves Joint Mobility: Mobilizations and manipulations help reduce stiffness and restore normal movement.
• Enhances Blood Flow: Promotes tissue healing and reduces inflammation.
• Interrupts Pain Signals: Physical touch can modulate the nervous system’s perception of pain.

Common Techniques:

• Joint mobilizations (gentle gliding movements)
• Soft tissue massage
• Myofascial release
• Trigger point therapy
  
  

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Electrotherapy

What It Is:
Electrotherapy involves the use of electrical or sound energy to treat pain and promote tissue repair. These modalities are typically used as an adjunct to exercise and manual therapy.

How It Helps Chronic Pain:

• Alters Pain Perception: Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) can interfere with pain signals sent to the brain.
• Promotes Tissue Healing: Ultrasound and electrical stimulation can enhance cell repair and reduce inflammation.
• Reduces Muscle Spasms: Neuromuscular stimulation can relax tight muscles.

Examples of Modalities:

• TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation): Often used for low back pain, neck pain, or nerve-related pain.
  
  

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Step 4: 
Targeting Inflammation, Toxins, and Pain

 

Our herbal medicine protocols are designed to complement acupuncture treatments by addressing inflammation, detoxification, and pain management. We utilize a combination of potent herbs tailored to each client’s specific needs.

 

Key Herbal Approaches:

 

 

• Anti-Inflammatory Herbs (Reducing Chronic Inflammation)

  Chronic inflammation can contribute to a variety of health issues, including joint discomfort, fatigue, and immune system imbalance. In Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine, several herbs are valued for their natural ability to reduce inflammation and support the body's healing processes:

  
  Turmeric Root (Jiang Huang)

  • Benefits: Contains curcumin, a compound known to inhibit inflammatory pathways in the body.
  • Use: Often included in formulas to promote circulation and ease joint or muscle discomfort.

  
  Chinese Skullcap Root (Huang Qin)

  • Benefits: Rich in flavonoids like baicalin, it has well-documented anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
  • Use: Commonly used for reducing systemic inflammation and calming immune overactivity.

  
  Ginger Rhizome (Gan Jiang / Sheng Jiang)

  • Benefits: Ginger helps modulate inflammation and improve digestion and circulation.
  • Use: Often used to reduce discomfort in the joints and muscles and to support immune function.
    

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  Detoxifying Herbs (Liver Support and Toxin Elimination)

  Supporting liver health is central to promoting the body's ability to eliminate internal waste and external toxins. TCHM includes several botanicals traditionally used to promote detoxification:

  
  Schisandra Berry (Wu Wei Zi)

  • Benefits: Enhances liver enzyme activity, supports detoxification, and protects liver cells from damage.
  • Use: Frequently used to boost resilience and detox capacity.

  
  Bupleurum Root (Chai Hu)

  • Benefits: Promotes bile secretion and assists in clearing metabolic waste from the liver.
  • Use: Often used in comprehensive formulas aimed at metabolic and hormonal balance.

  
  Gardenia Fruit (Zhi Zi)

  • Benefits: Traditionally used to clear internal heat and support elimination of waste through the liver and kidneys.
  • Use: Helpful for relieving systemic tension and supporting clear skin and digestion.
    
    

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  Pain-Relieving Herbs (Natural Analgesics and Muscle Relief)

  Natural pain relief can be achieved through herbs that influence both the nervous system and circulation. TCHM employs several botanicals that ease pain without the harsh effects of synthetic analgesics:

  
  Corydalis Root (Yan Hu Suo)

  • Benefits: Contains active compounds that reduce pain perception and promote relaxation.
  • Use: Commonly used for pain related to menstruation, headaches, or musculoskeletal discomfort.

  
  Frankincense Resin (Ru Xiang)

  • Benefits: Possesses anti-inflammatory and analgesic qualities; supports blood flow and tissue repair.
  • Use: Often paired with myrrh to treat joint pain and promote healing.

  
  Myrrh Resin (Mo Yao)

  • Benefits: Enhances circulation, reduces swelling, and supports wound and tissue repair.
  • Use: Used in combination with frankincense for a synergistic pain-relieving effect.

These herbal treatments are administered throughout the week to reinforce the changes initiated by acupuncture, promoting sustained relief and healing.

 

 

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Step 5: 
Supporting Gut Health, Inflammation, Nerve Function, and Hormones

 

Targeted supplementation plays a crucial role in managing chronic conditions. At North Shore Health Clinic, we develop personalized supplement protocols to support gut health, reduce inflammation, alleviate nerve pain, and balance hormones.

 

Recommended Supplements:

 

 

• Amino Acids and Their Benefits

  1. L-Glutamine

  • Function: Primary fuel source for intestinal epithelial cells.
  • Benefits:
    • Maintains gut lining integrity (prevents "leaky gut").
    • Supports mucosal immunity.
    • Reduces intestinal inflammation by modulating cytokine production.
  • Research: Supplementation has shown benefits in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), short bowel syndrome, and chemotherapy-induced mucositis.
    
    

  2. Taurine

  • Function: Sulfur-containing amino acid involved in bile salt formation, antioxidant defense, and neurotransmission.
  • Benefits:
    • Regulates blood pressure and electrolyte balance.
    • Supports nerve and cardiovascular function.
    • Has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
  • Research: Demonstrates a protective role against cardiovascular diseases and may modulate immune cell activity.
    
    

  3. GABA (Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid)

  • Function: Neurotransmitter that calms neural activity.
  • Benefits:
    • Reduces stress-induced inflammation.
    • Supports mood regulation and sleep.
  • Research: GABA supplementation or GABA-producing probiotics can reduce markers of inflammation and improve mood.
    
    

  4. L-Theanine

  • Function: Found primarily in green tea; a non-proteinogenic amino acid.
  • Benefits:
    • Enhances alpha brain wave activity – promotes relaxation without drowsiness.
    • Reduces cortisol levels and neuroinflammation.
  • Research: Associated with reduced stress responses and improved sleep quality.
    
    

  5. L-Tryptophan

  • Function: Precursor to serotonin and melatonin.
  • Benefits:
    • Regulates mood, sleep, and immune modulation.
    • Indirectly supports anti-inflammatory effects through serotonin signaling.
  • Research: Tryptophan metabolism via the kynurenine pathway is linked to neuroimmune interactions.
    
    

  6. L-Arginine

  • Function: Precursor to nitric oxide (NO), which supports vascular health.
  • Benefits:
    • Promotes wound healing, immune function, and blood flow.
    • Modulates inflammatory responses via NO production.
  • Research: Can help in sepsis, trauma recovery, and immune enhancement.
    
    

  7. L-Cysteine / N-Acetylcysteine (NAC)

  • Function: Precursor to glutathione, the body’s most potent antioxidant.
  • Benefits:
    • Reduces oxidative stress and inflammation.
    • Supports lung and liver detoxification.
  • Research: Used in conditions like chronic bronchitis, liver toxicity, and psychiatric disorders.
    
    

  8. L-Glycine

  • Function: Simple amino acid with inhibitory neurotransmitter properties.
  • Benefits:
    • Reduces pro-inflammatory cytokines.
    • Supports sleep, immune modulation, and wound healing.
  • Research: Protective in inflammatory conditions like arthritis and colitis.
    
    

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  Probiotics and Gut Health

  Key Functions:

  • Modulate immune response and inflammation.
  • Enhance gut microbiota diversity and intestinal barrier.
  • Reduce pathogen overgrowth and produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs).
    
    

  Strains with Specific Benefits:

  • Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG: Reduces intestinal inflammation and supports immune health.
  • Bifidobacterium longum: Decreases markers of systemic inflammation.
  • Saccharomyces boulardii: Prevents antibiotic-associated diarrhea and modulates immune responses.
    
    

  Research:

  • Probiotic supplementation can reduce C-reactive protein (CRP) and improve symptoms in IBS, IBD, and even mood disorders via the gut-brain axis.
    
    

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  Vitamins and Their Anti-Inflammatory Roles

  1. Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol)

  • Function: Modulates both innate and adaptive immunity.
  • Benefits:
    • Lowers pro-inflammatory cytokines (e.g., IL-6, TNF-α).
    • Enhances antimicrobial peptide production.
  • Research: Deficiency linked to autoimmune diseases, respiratory infections, and chronic inflammation.
    
    

  2. Vitamin B6, B9 (Folate), and B12

  • Function: Involved in homocysteine metabolism and neurotransmitter synthesis.
  • Benefits:
    • Deficiencies lead to increased inflammation and neurological dysfunction.
  • Research: Adequate levels correlate with lower systemic inflammation and better cognitive function.
    
    

  3. Vitamin C

  • Function: Antioxidant, supports collagen formation and immune cell function.
  • Benefits:
    • Reduces oxidative stress and supports tissue repair.
  • Research: Plays a role in reducing CRP and improving outcomes in infectious diseases.
    
    

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  Minerals and Nutrients

  1. Magnesium

  • Function: Enzyme cofactor for over 300 processes.
  • Benefits:
    • Alleviates muscle tension, nerve excitability, and inflammation.
  • Research: Inversely associated with CRP levels and chronic diseases like hypertension and diabetes.
    
    

  2. Zinc

  • Function: Crucial for immune cell function and antioxidant defense.
  • Benefits:
    • Modulates inflammatory cytokines.
  • Research: Zinc deficiency impairs immunity and increases susceptibility to infection.
    
    

  3. Selenium

  • Function: Essential component of glutathione peroxidase.
  • Benefits:
    • Supports antioxidant defenses and thyroid function.
  • Research: Shown to reduce inflammatory markers in autoimmune thyroiditis and sepsis.
    
    
  
  

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