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Our gift vouchers can be used across the clinic both for appointments and to use against products.
We offer a wide selection of services from massage and nutritional consults to in depth consults for chronic disease, pain, fertility issues as well other health concerns. Our team of practitioners have over 90 years combined experience and are always happy to help. To find out more about the services we offer see.

We also offer specialist teas and herbal products such as foot soaks, electronic practitioner grade massagers and cupping sets, maternity pillows and skin creams.

If you are looking for a special gift this season, think about the gift of wellness….

FAQs

How to buy a gift voucher?

Couldn’t be easier. Walk in, phone up or email us and let us know how much you would like to spend. You may want to pay for a specific appointment such as a ‘massage’ or ‘nutrition and diet consult’ . Once you’ve chosen we get all the necessary details from you and issue the beautiful voucher. Please note, we do nor sell the vouchers online.

How to use a gift voucher?

Gift vouchers are redeemed in-house. Each voucher is numbered and the recipient must bring the voucher with them to the clinic. As the vouchers can be used against both appointments and products, the recipient is free to choose how they spend it

ORDER A GIFT VOUCHER NOW

If you’d like to know more about how we can help make an initial appointment [BOOK NOW]

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We’ve all been there – come home from a day at the gym or outdoors only to find that we don’t have the usual aches and pains from a work out but have damaged ourselves with a muscle or tendon injury. Turns out that not only can acupuncture help manage chronic or long-term pain, but that it can also actually help to speed up the recovery process from a physical injury. In fact, seeing an acupuncturist soon after a sports injury can significantly improve healing.

The theory behind this? Acupuncture helps to reduce inflammation in the body; inflammation is what creates the pain (impeding proper flow of our blood and lymph systems and pushing on our various nerve receptors). While alleviating the pain, acupuncture also simultaneously stimulates the release of various hormones and neurotransmitters in the body that help the alleviate the feelings of pain (think of your body’s own supply of endorphins, encephalins, and serotonin). There are many journal articles on sites such as pubmed.gov that show the effectiveness of acupuncture with recovery time from muscle injury. Below is a link to an article in a men’s health magazine that may help peak your interest a little more without having to pore through entire journal articles.

If you’d like to make a booking for a sports injury please book with Sally Chilvers [BOOK NOW]

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The post Neck & Shoulder Pain first appeared on ben&biao.

Some of us are lucky enough to get away with taking our feet for granted.  We dance, run, stand all day and enjoy our activities with no consequences whatsoever.

For some of us though, Heel Spurs, Plantar Fasciitis, Plantar Heel Pain  or Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome can really pull us up short with either sharp pain when we are active, or when we first get out of bed in the morning and after a rest with our feet up.

For others it’s a consistent dull ache wearing away at our peace of mind.

At ben&biao we look at your whole picture to see what is driving the pain and we work with you to create a strategy to move you forward.

The exact cause of the pain is often unclear, but we will assess you and look for signs such as:

• INFLAMMATION,
• TIGHT MUSCLES, TENDONS, LIGAMENTS & FASCIA
• FLAT FEET

We will also ask a range of questions to help us discover possible triggers eg:

• INAPPROPRIATE FOOTWEAR  – it needs to fit and provide adequate support for the types of activity you do, and not cause you any pain
• CONTRIBUTING LIFESTYLE & ACTIVITIES – are there stresses you haven’t thought of?  Perhaps changes you can make to avoid aggravating the pain and to avoid relapses or becoming chronic. We can help identify these with you along with showing you appropriate stretching techniques.

Acupuncture for foot pain

If your reaction was “ouch!” then it might help to know that acupuncture needles are TINY and not hollow, compared to those used to inject anti-inflammatories that you may be considering…  a whole different ball game.

Acupuncture and EA helps to reduce inflammation, relax muscles, stimulate tissue repair, strengthen muscle, improve local circulation and reduce pain.

Acupuncture can be used to relieve Plantar Fasciitis (PF).  In a 2012 study, treatment using electro acupuncture (EA) plus conventional care was compared to a control group receiving only conventional care (stretching exercised, shoe modification and rescue pain killers).

EA combined with conventional treatments provided a success rate of 80% in chronic PF and the combination was more effective than conventional treatment alone and lasted for at least 6 weeks.

A typical course of treatment is twice per week for five weeks.  10 treatments in all.

PREVENTION: always better than cure – so remember to wear appropriate footwear, manage your weight, avoid exercising on hard surfaces and keep feet and leg muscles and joints flexible. Warm up and stretch properly before you exercise.

References:

Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research 2019 14:31

https://doi.org/10.1186/s13018-019-1066-4

Comparing two dry needling interventions for plantar heel pain: a protocol for a randomized controlled trial

The American Journal of Chinese Medicine Vol 40, No. 06 pp 1167-1176 (2012)

Efficacy of Electro-Acupuncture in Chronic Plantar Fasciitis: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Call us to make an appointment today or simply book online.

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Muscle Imbalances:

If you focus your training too much on quads and calves which drive you forward and forget about the lateral muscles such as your glutes, after a while your brain forgets to engage them and they become weak.  This can make your pelvis unstable and when you run the excessive motion in your hips can create instability in your knees, ankles and feet.

Acupuncture with e-stimulation (e-stim), can get those lateral butt muscles firing and remind your brain how to engage them when you need them. Stronger lateral glute muscles contribute to a more injury-resilient running style.

Overuse injuries and Inflammation

Inflammation is part of the natural healing process but over-training, incorrect biomechanics, stress and inadequate diet can result in localised pockets of chronic inflammation that cause pain and impair function.

Acupuncture and particularly electro-acupuncture can reduce inflammation and stimulate healing.  We use FDA approved devices which we know deliver the specific doses required to achieve results. This is particularly useful around the sheath of the Achilles tendon, in the joint spaces of the knee and ankle, or behind the insertion of the iliotibial band.

Tendon Dysfunction

As you increase your training your muscles strengthen and grow.  Muscles are well supplied with nerves and blood and can adapt to change more quickly than connective tissue like tendons and ligaments which have relatively little blood supply.  If you increase your training load too quickly you may injure a tendon. The collagen fibres become jumbled and stuck together and scar tissue forms.

Acupuncture works in two ways here.  It will improve the blood supply to the injured area and speed recovery plus the combination of acupuncture and e-stim, has been shown to increase the diameter, reorganization, and strength of a tendon’s collagen fibres.

Acupuncture also releases the excessive tension in muscles and fascia that are overloading the tendon in the first place. There is actually an acupuncture point specifically for promoting the health of tendons throughout your entire body.

Relaxing is as important as training.  Acupuncture is a great way to chill out mind and body after all that hard work.  Call us to make an appointment today or simply book online.

The post Running Injuries – How can Acupuncture help? first appeared on ben&biao.

Cancer patients may experience pain due to the disease itself or as a result of medical treatment to resolve it.  For example:

• Bone pain, nerve pain, soft-tissue or organ pain caused by invasive tumours
• Post-surgery pain, eg after breast surgery or biopsy
• As a side effect of radiotherapy, eg brachial plexus neuropathy
• Post chemotherapy pain, eg peripheral neuropathy
• Side effects from medications, eg joint pain arising from the use of Aromatase Inhibitors in breast cancer patients.

Pain, whether in its acute or chronic stage, emotional or physical is one of the most common conditions treated with acupuncture.  We have many approaches to pain depending on what is going on.

ACUPUNCTURES’ VARIOUS APPROACHES TO CANCER RELATED PAIN

Acupuncture can be used in various ways, for example:

• Locally – this is particularly useful for treating post-surgical scars,
• Near the Spine – to reduce and modify the transmission of pain signals
• Around affected joints – useful for stiffness and pain resulting from some medications.
• In the ear (Auricular Acupuncture) – we can access important nerves which affect neurotransmitters in the brain and influence pain.
• Using Electro-acupuncture (EA), to stimulate the body’s own powerful painkillers
• To release trigger points and ease myofascial pain and stimulate soft tissue healing

Cancer Care

How do we work?

At your first appointment we will do a full assessment to ensure we have your full health picture.  We make sure we understand what your health goals are and, if appropriate, you will receive a relaxing acupuncture treatment. Following this initial assessment, we will tailor a treatment program to suit your individual circumstances.  Your treatment goals will be set out and a pathway proposed based on evidence from previous studies and clinical experience.

We are always mindful of working in with your existing health care team and are happy to discuss any queries your oncologist, or any other member of your healthcare team, may have about your Ben&biao treatment plan.

An integrated team approach

As with all our patients at Ben&biao we take an wholistic approach.  This is important when dealing with chronic pain where the brain moulds and adapts to the stress of the pain signalling and needs to be “rewired” in many cases.  

In these cases we may recommend supplements or herbs with neuroprotective factors to support brain health and a consult with our Clinical Nutritionist for dietary recommendations.  We may also recommend mind-body training (eg meditation, psychology and counselling).

We also make a range of yummy herbal teas.  You may be interested in our Nausea Relief Tea, Dreamtime Organic Sleep Tea or our Hot Flush Tea, click here to read more.

How many treatments are required?

Your course of treatments will depend upon the nature of your symptoms and your health presentation. We base our treatment programs in the best available evidence and clinical experience.  A course of treatment may be once or twice per week for six weeks and then may taper to less frequent appointments. This will all be set out in your treatment plan, along with reviews.

The post Acupuncture for Cancer Related Pain first appeared on ben&biao.

a) like they’re around for several weeks or months

b) far more intense.

Even women who have never had PMT nor considered themselves “worriers” may now struggle with anxiety, worry, frustration or even feel depressed.

You aren’t going mad or sad – it’s your hormones going crazy!

Why is this?

The change in your hormones mean not only is your oestrogen level dropping but probably the other hormone ‘progesterone’ is low.  Additionally, our lives today, are more stressful. Gadgets that keep you connected – keep you wired and this will deplete important minerals and vitamins such as B6 and magnesium which help maintain an even mood.

Finally, if you aren’t sleeping well or are having night sweats things can feel like they are rapidly going downhill, and this can lead to feelings of being overwhelmed and isolated.

What to do?

 First let’s address the sleep. If you get decent sleep then the body has time to mend and recover. You need minimum of 7 hours.

What’s stopping you sleeping?

1. If you are drinking alcohol in the evening this needs processing by the liver which then kicks into gear while you are sleeping (waking somewhere between midnight and 3am is a great indicator the liver is working). So change the wine to a cup of herbal tea (see our sleep tea link in herbal tea blog) or a non-alcoholic beverage (see our mocktail blog)
2. Do you look at a tablet or smart phone in bed? Even if you have it set to the night time mode, it is stopping your brain from switching into sleep mode and preventing your body from settling. So turn it off at least an hour before settling down to sleep.
3. If you working late then you are still churning the brain. Stop the work a good hour or two before you head to bed.
4. Worrying about something real? Is it worth talking to someone about your concerns? A problem shared can help take the isolation factor away.

Next, we need to look at the neurological aspects that may not be functioning optimally.

On this you should talk to a professional such as a naturopath, integrative GP or Chinese medicine practitioner.  The answer may be to prescribe you supplements such as B6, St Johns Wort or other herbs that help mediate mood.

Acupuncture can assist with both sleep and stress as it works on the neurological system so may be of benefit to you.

Lastly,  help get those hormones under control with regular exercise, good nutrition and possibly herbs that mimic hormones in your body.

Here at Ben&biao we have experience working with women going through menopause, peri-menopause, anxiety, stress and insomnia. If you would like to find out the options that might be right for you call us or book an appointment online with Sally or Heidi.

The post Peri menopause and menopause – Mood swings / anxiety / Insomnia first appeared on ben&biao.

Modern research now widens treatment options to patients with hypertension.

Researchers at the University of California School of Medicine have proven that acupuncture lowers blood pressure in people with hypertension and they have explained the mechanisms behind how it works.

This is great news for the 30% of Aussie adults who have high blood pressure and are therefore at increased risk of heart disease, stroke and kidney disease. It’s especially welcome news for those who suffer side effects from the medications that control their hypertension.

The research, which extended across multiple university controlled studies, showed that acupuncture produces long-lasting lowering of both the systolic and diastolic blood pressure by regulating the nervous system responses.

The research was very specific, giving acupuncturists clear guidance to the protocols which were effective and we are already putting them to good use at ben&biao.

Heidi Dunn and Sally Chilvers are registered Chinese herbalists, acupuncturists and health directors at ben&biao in Sydney. You can book an appointment with Sally or Heidi here.

References

http://www.healthcmi.com/Acupuncture-Continuing-Education-News/1792-uc-irvine-acupuncture-reduces-hypertension-confirmed

The post Acupuncture Treats Hypertension first appeared on ben&biao.

A diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) can be devastating but it need not be hopeless.

Chinese medicine’s holistic approach is well suited to helping people manage this currently incurable disease and is a common choice of complementary therapy by MS patients themselves and, increasingly, their health-care provider(1).  According to the World Health Organisation, acupuncture is chosen by over 86% of MS patients who choose complementary therapies(2).

At ben&biao we recommend a proactive approach to living with MS and safely managing common symptoms such as fatigue, depression and muscle weakness.

We look at the whole person, their diet and lifestyle, their state of mind as well as their physical symptoms and we use natural therapies including acupuncture, nutrition, exercise and stress management techniques to empower our patients on their road to a better quality of life.

Research is ongoing in the quest to understand acupuncture’s role in improving quality of life for people with MS, but indications are that acupuncture may specifically help to relieve symptoms of multiple sclerosis by stimulating the nervous system.  This causes biochemical changes which influence the body’s own ability to return to a healthy state.

Specifically, researchers believe the key ways in which acupuncture may work are by:

• Reducing numbers of inflammatory and CD4 T cells. This accompanied improved paralytic symptoms in a rat model of MS(3);
• Promoting NT-3 (a protein growth factor that supports neuronal survival) expression, increasing the cell number and differentiation of endogenous oligodendrocyte precursor cells, and causing remyelination and functional improvement of the demyelinated spinal cord(4);
• Acting on areas of the brain known to reduce sensitivity to pain and stress, as well as promoting relaxation and deactivating the ‘analytical’ brain, which is responsible for anxiety and worry(5).

Sally Chilvers and Heidi Dunn are registered Chinese herbalists, acupuncturists and health directors at ben&biao in Sydney. You can book an appointment with Sally or Heidi HERE.

References

1. Karpetkin, H., Napolione, D., Simonovich-Blok, B., 2014, ‘Acupuncture and multiple sclerosis: a review of the evidence’, Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 972935. Published online 18 June 2014, Hindawi,
2. Kochs, L., Wegener, S., Suhnel, A., Voigt, K., Zettl, U., 2013, ‘The use of complementary medicine in patients with multiple sclerosis: a longitudinal study’, Complimentary Therapies in Medicine, vol 22, 1, pp 166-172, Elsevier Science
3. Kim KY et al. ‘Impact of acupuncture by using life-energy (qi) oriental needle on the paralysis of rats with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis’, Am J Chin Med. 2012;40(4):769-78.
4. Huang SF et al. ‘An experimental electro-acupuncture study in treatment of the rat demyelinated spinal cord injury induced by ethidium bromide’, Neurosci Res. 2011;70(3):294-304
5. Hui KK et al. ‘Acupuncture, the limbic system, and the anticorrelated networks of the brain’, Auton Neurosci.2010; 157: 81-90.

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