Which do you need… Acupuncture, Kinesiology, Naturopathy, or a Nutritionist / Dietician?
Trying to figure out just who to turn to for your health concerns but not sure where to start? Read on for part two of last week's blog. This week we cover the difference between Acupuncture, Kinesiology, Naturopathy, and Nutritionist / Dietician.
Acupuncture
What is it:
Based around the philosophy that energetic pathways exist within the body, which influence your health and overall feeling of wellness. Your practitioner will first assess your medical history and current concerns, then likely check your tongue and pulse before lying you down on a massage table and inserting fine, sterile needles into specific energy points to restore balance and encourage the body to heal itself. Needle phobes needn’t worry either, the tools acupuncturists use are so fine, you’ll barely feel a thing!
What we use them for:
Acupuncture has a wide range of benefits and is used to treat many disorders including:
- Digestion – constipation, diarrhoea, gastritis, ulcers
- Emotional – anxiety, depression
- Fertility
- Gynaecological – heavy menstrual bleeding, painful periods, menopausal symptoms, pre-menstrual syndrome.
- Musculoskeletal – back pain, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, tennis elbow and whiplash
- Neurological – carpal tunnel syndrome, headache, migraine, pain, paralysis,
- Respiratory – asthma, bronchitis, common cold, hay fever
- Vascular – high blood pressure, varicose veins
- General – chronic fatigue syndrome, giving up smoking, muscle injuries, obesity, stress management, tiredness, travel sickness
Locals we love:
Maggie at Healthspace, or any of her awesome colleagues! Let’s be honest, having someone stick needles in you can be confronting, no matter how little you’ll actually feel them… it’s just the thought of it! You need someone with perfect technique and a great bedside manner. The Healthspace team are the best and most consistent we’ve found, unless you’re brave enough to go seeking out the gurus in the depths of Chinatown!Hot tip: make sure you’ve eaten before your treatment, you’ll feel the needles less!
Kinesiology
What is it:
Kinesiology uses muscle monitoring (biofeedback) to look at what may be causing 'imbalances' in the body, then uses adjustment techniques to assist the natural healing process. Your practitioner will ‘test’ the strength of your muscles by asking you to resist as they push and prod you in various positions, effectively asking your body for direct feedback on what’s up. The easiest way to understand this process is to think of the signals between the brain and the body – a kinesiologist will make sure your body is sending/receiving messages and communicating smoothly with all its different parts!
What we use them for:
Usually hand-in-hand with other therapies like chiropractic, naturopathy, or psychology, to help therapists collect biofeedback they can use to structure a treatment plan.
Locals we love:
There are a few!
- For structural/movement related issues - Healthspace (we love Nick & Kate, but they’re all great!)
- For wellbeing and health issues - Cassie Mendoza-Jones from Elevate Vitality
- For mental health and anxiety/stress – Jodie from Bondi Kinesiology or Zanthe from Equiessence
Naturopathy
What is it:
Naturopathy is a natural and holistic approach to wellness and practitioners believe the body has the inherent ability to heal itself, with a little helping hand from nature in the form of herbal medicine, flower essences and natural supplements, as well as dietary advice and detoxification techniques. A lot of therapists are also skilled with other natural therapies, such as kinesiology, massage, hydrotherapy and NLP.
What we use them for:
For just about any ongoing medical, or emotional concern that you just don’t want to visit a traditional doctor for. Naturopathy is a more gentle, natural approach to building your immune system, boosting fertility, addressing digestive issues, boosting energy and mood, recovering from eating disorders, or chronic disease, dealing with allergies, weight loss, etc. Or even if you just want to boost overall health to avoid any of the above!
Locals we love:
Cassie from Elevate Vitality, Anthia Koullouros from OVViO, Kirsten Shanks from Orchard Street, or if you’re up for a drive to Balmain, Emma Sutherland or Belinda Kirkpatrick from Darling Health.We love all these awesome ladies but as most of you know, our go-to-gal is Cassie… she’s local, she ‘gets’ what being a BUF girl is all about… and she’s a LEGEND!
Nutrition/Dietetics
What is it:
Hit up a nutritionist if you have weight or health concerns and want to get the right food plan under your belt to get things on track (hint: food and the right natural supplements just about always helps with, well, anything and everything!). Concerns like digestion, infertility, improved immunity, recovery from surgery, chronic disease management, skin and hair health, allergies, kids health, general energy and even getting a good night’s sleep can often benefit from adjusting your diet. You may even book an appointment simply to get some great meal or snack ideas!!Dieticians cover everything nutritionists do, but are further specialised in clinical nutrition, medical nutrition therapy and food service management. This basically means they’re more qualified to work in hospitals and with disease management, as well as recovery from eating disorders, severe allergies and helping decode food law for those in the food service biz.
What we use them for:
Naturopaths are nutritionists too, so we usually just go to our regular Naturos for bang for buck and consistency, instead of seeing a nutritionist solo, but if you’re not into herbs and tinctures, just go for a nutritionist! Work with a dietitian if you have severe symptoms that are ongoing, or are managing/recovering from a disease or chronic issue.
Locals we love:
Any of the Naturopaths above, or hit up Jamie Rose NutritionJamie is energetic, lovely, incredibly well studied and has extensive experience in the nutrition and dietetics industry. Lots of wins there!