Acupuncture

  • I feel a lot healthier, my clothes fit better and I feel more confident about myself!

    —Janet Scott

Petra Buchanan, L,AC

       Petra has licenses in California and Colorado as well as holding a National license (NCCAOM). She worked for two years at The Golden Door Spa and Studio G in Telluride Colorado doing Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture. Having graduated from Five Branches University in 2004 she now holds a position supervising clinic at their San Jose campus. Petra specializes in Women's Health and Internal Medicine. Her favorite thing though are difficult cases that have been unresponsive to other treatments. With these she usually uses custom powdered herbal formula's to help bring a persons body back into harmony. While Petra is an accomplished Acupuncturist, her area of proficiency and passion is Chinese Herbal Medicine. Additionally she was a whole foods chef for over fifteen years and would more than happy to give you dietary advice and recipes. 

Licenses and Education

BA Prescott College 1996

Masters Chinese Medicine Five Branches University 2003

       Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine can have positive effects in the treatment of virtually any medical disorder. Acupuncture is very effective in the treatment of chronic pain, injuries, women's and men's health, immunity, auto-immune diseases, skin problems, migraines, and much more.

A list of things we specialize in: Chronic pain, Injuries, Women's health (including menstrual and urinary disorders, fertility, pre/post natal, and menopause), Men's health, Colds and flu's, Immunity, Auto-immune diseases (including rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and fibromyalgia) , skin disorders, migraines, Kidney diseases, Asthma, Digestive problems(including IBS, Chrohns, and stomach ulcers), Diabetes and it's complications, Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture.

TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE (TCM)

TCM is the formal term for the combined therapies of Acupuncture, Chinese herbs, Moxabustion, Cupping, and other healing modalities. TCM theory achieves good health by balancing energies in the body using these methods. TCM has evolved over thousands of years and is safe and highly effective. TCM uses a "holistic approach, meaning it treats any individual problem by treating the body as a whole. A patient can expect TCM to provide benefits for virtually any illness and many people choose a TCM practitioner as their primary care provider.

ACUPUNCTURE
is one of the most effective ways to unblock energy flow and restore the body to a state of balance. Acupuncture is performed by inserting fine needles into carefully selected points along the body which correspond directly to the energy meridians. Sometimes the patient will fell very little, sometimes they will feel a  dull or achy sensation, and and sometimes the patient will literally feel and energetic sensation flow briefly through the meridian as a blockage is relieved. In fact your ability to "sense" the acupuncture working may astonish you the first time.

Learn About Acupuncture:

 A key component of Traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture is most commonly used to treat pain using extremely thin needles:

Traditional Chinese medicine explains acupuncture as a technique for balancing the flow of energy or life force — known as qi or chi (CHEE) — believed to flow through pathways (meridians) in your body. By inserting needles into specific points along these meridians, acupuncture practitioners believe that your energy flow will re-balance.

Many patients new to acupuncture report feeling this energy flow as a “tingling” a “gentle warmth” or a feeling of fluidity, movement, floating or euphoria   which can occur between needle points or elsewhere in the body.

Western practitioners view the acupuncture points as places to stimulate nerves, muscles and connective tissue. This stimulation appears to boost the activity of your body's natural painkillers and increase blood flow.

Acupuncture aims to restore and maintain health through the stimulation of specific points on the body. An acupuncturist places thin needles in these points in the body that lie along pathways known as meridians. Most people feel little or no pain during acupuncture. Some feel energized by treatment; others feel relaxed while some simply feel relief of pain.



CHINESE HERBAL MEDICINE
Herbs are a major component of TCM and have been used in China and Worldwide for over 3000 years. Before pharmaceuticals, herbal remedies were used to heal the human body. Chinese herbs have shown their effectiveness under the scrutiny of both empirical study and modern clinical trials. Unlike most pharmaceutical, herbal prescriptions in Chinese Medicine are tailor-made for the individual.

CUPPING
is an ancient technique performed worldwide. The process traditionally uses glass jars, heated to create a vacuum,a and placed on the upper back to relieve acute illnesses such a s colds and fevers. Cupping can also be done all over the body to invigorate the flow of Qi and to relieve tension and pain. It is often used for treating upper and lower back pain, nausea and vomiting,  sciatica, frozen shoulder and more.

FACIAL REJUVENATION ACUPUNCTURE:

Get your GLOW back! Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture is a painless, non-surgical method of reducing the signs of the aging process and helps the whole body look and feel younger. The Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture treatment involves the insertion of hair-thin needles into particular areas of the face, ears, neck, hands, trunk, and legs along channels or energy called Qi (pronounced chee).

You can erase 5 – 15 years of aging from your face, safely, painlessly and without surgery with Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture treatments. Fine lines may be entirely eliminated and deeper wrinkles diminished. Bags under the eyes can be reduced, jowls firmed, puffiness eliminated, droopy eyelids lifted and double chins minimized. Other likely results include: moisturizing of the skin with increased local circulation of blood and lymph to the face; increased collagen production, muscle tone, and dermal contraction; tightening of the pores; brightening of the eyes; improving of hormonal balance to help acne; reduction of stress evident in the face – bringing out your innate natural beauty.

 FERTILITY

"Reproductive specialists are looking to the somewhat mysterious world of Chinese Medicine to help those fertility patients for whom western science alone is not quite enough"

From the perspective of Tradition Chinese Medicine, fertility is viewed as an extension of a well functioning organism. Inability to conceive is a sign that one or several body systems are not performing optimally, resulting in infertility. When imbalances are corrected with acupuncture and herbal treatment, health and fertility naturally improve.

Petra focuses on gently re-establishing body functions in order to facilitate conception, a healthy pregnancy, and a successful delivery. The preferred approach is to strengthen the patients underlying deficiencies and improve their overall well being before they attempt pregnancy.


- Regulate the menstrual cycle and hormonal functions.

- Decrease elevated levels of FSH and normalize ovulation.

- Stimulate blood circulation and increase the endometrial lining.

- Control Vaginal PH levels, eliminate yeast, and improve cervical fluid.

-Reduce stress and increase libido.

- Strengthen the immune system and restore reproductive health.

- Treat endometriosis and blocked fallopian tubes.

-Improve sperm quality, motility, and volume.

-Reduce the side effects of IVF medication

-Strengthen the immune system and increase energy

-Decrease chance of miscarriage

Once Pregnancy is Acheived Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine helps with:

-Morning sickness

-Nausea

-Recurrent miscarriage and threatened miscarriage

-Premature labor

-Labor induction

-Hormonal imbalances

-Fibroids, endometriosis, PCOS, POF, PID, luteal phase defect

-Endometrial thickening

-Lower elevated FSH

-Reproductive Health and Improved Conception

       Acupuncture improves natural conception rates, as well as conception rates when used in conjunction with assisted reproduction. A 2002 study of fertility and sterility reported that acupuncture treatments performed before and after IVF transfer increased the success rate from 26.3% to 42.5%.

The Proof is in the Science

      Over the past 10 years, NCCAM has supported extensive research on acupuncture. Studies have looked at its effect on specific health conditions and how it affects the brain and nervous system. NCCAM found that the neurological properties of stimulating meridians and acupuncture points:


-Helps alleviate nausea in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.

-Relieves pain and improves function for some people with osteoarthritis of the knee and complements standard medical care.

-Helps in treating chronic lower back pain

-Useful in treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms.

-May improve pregnancy rates following in vitro fertilization (IVF)

-May be of value for irritable bowel syndrome and many psychological and  neurologic disorders.


Acupuncture Testimonials:

"Petra, I just wanted to let you know I felt really good after leaving today. Thank you!! -Sue -

My two acupuncture sessions have been wonderful and I have signed up for another one so far. I have had acupuncture treatments in the past with different acupuncturists, and I am very impressed and feel that I'm in knowledgeable and capable hands. -Kelly

An excellent acupuncturist, Petra Buchanan. I have had migraines for the last four years and they have gotten worse and worse, but after just a couple of treatments with Petra my migraines have gotten way better. -Sara K -

Petra, Thank you. For the first time in many, many years I feel like we may be doing thing that could really get rid of my fatigue. The feeling came without me really thinking about it, I think thats a good sign. Thanks for dropping off the herbs. -Wendy-

Hi Petra, Just wanted to tell you that the new herbs are having a very positive effect....The pain in my pelvis and sacrum is half as intense! My face smiled all day due to the fact that I could think about something other than my pain. Thank you Petra.

-Kristin-