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Monday 8:30am - 4:30pm Tuesday 8:30am - 4:30pm Wednesday 8:30am - 4:30pm Thursday 8:30am - 4:30pm Friday 8am - 4pm

Australian Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine Association (AACMA), Suite 6A, 50-56 Sander Street, Upper Mount Gravatt (2026)

03/02/2026

4 February is World Cancer Day, a global day focused on awareness, prevention and the importance of early detection and treatment for better outcomes.

Acupuncture is increasingly used as supportive care during cancer treatment, particularly to help manage the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation. Clinical research shows acupuncture can be effective for chemotherapy related nausea and vomiting, and may assist with cancer related pain, fatigue, low immunity, nerve symptoms and dry mouth following radiation therapy.

Beyond physical symptoms, acupuncture also offers calming and stress relieving benefits. These effects can be especially valuable during cancer treatment, helping support sleep, emotional wellbeing and nervous system regulation.

Acupuncture is now integrated into supportive oncology care in many hospitals and wellbeing centres in Australia and internationally, and is recognised by leading cancer organisations as a complementary therapy when delivered by qualified practitioners.

Including acupuncture as part of a cancer care plan may help ease treatment related side effects while gently supporting both body and mind.

If you are undergoing cancer treatment, speak with your oncologist and a qualified AACMA practitioner about whether acupuncture may be appropriate as part of your supportive care.

25/01/2026

‘New Year, New Me’ resolutions not working out so well? Don’t worry, it’s almost Chinese New Year!

Having a bit of a false start with your health goals for the year is very normal, and thankfully Chinese New Year can give you another opportunity to re-commit. This time, perhaps you need a bit more support?

AACMA Chinese medicine practitioners are degree qualified, with over 900 hours clinical training, as well as being AHPRA registered. Appointment times are long enough to give you space to discuss your health history and receive education on ways to support your wellbeing goals. Treatments may include dietary and lifestyle advice, acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, nutritional supplements or other traditional methods that your practitioner will discuss with you.

Seeking support from a health practitioner can give you the helping hand you need to make those health goals a reality this year. Click the link to find an AACMA practitioner near you.

18/01/2026

Acupuncture is more than just needles. It’s a comprehensive, holistic health system supported by ongoing research and modern clinical practice.

AACMA practitioners hold nationally accredited qualifications and follow strict professional standards to ensure safe, effective care.

Find out how TCM can support your health today.

11/01/2026

Did you know? Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been used for thousands of years - and today, modern research continues to support its effectiveness for a range of conditions such as pain, stress, fertility support, and more.

AACMA members meet the highest standards of training and professionalism in Australia. Find a qualified practitioner near you at aacma.org.au

04/01/2026

OK, so that’s enough of the festive season, it’s time for New Year resolutions and getting on with 2026!

This time of year is tiring for many, with fatigue setting in after a period of too much everything and not enough time for yourself.

Chinese Medicine can offer many solutions to improve your energy and well-being. There are four main areas to concentrate on, nutrition/diet, exercise, sleep and stress management.

Traditionally, Chinese Medicine looks at having a balanced and nutritious diet to improve energy. There is an understanding that every food has a unique energy associated with different organ functions. This leads to not only eating seasonal foods appropriate to the time of year in which they grow but also ensuring the consumption of a good variety of different foods to maintain healthy organ function and boost energy. Fast foods, food heavy in fats, sugary foods and alcohol consumption over the festive season is not going to cut it!

Regular exercise improves blood flow and energy, or in Chinese medicine terms, improves the flow of Qi and removes stagnation. Exercise will invigorate your lungs, aid digestion for better transformation of food to energy and keep your heart healthy. Make joining your local Tai Qi or Qi Gong class to help maintaining your physical health and happiness your NY resolution.

Good sleep and sleep habits help to replenish your energy or Qi and body chemistry, ensuring the healthy function of internal organs and the replenishment of nourishment to your muscles and brain. Disrupted sleep will interrupt the body’s natural ability to repair and replenish, resulting in fatigue and ill-humour. To ensure you wake with good energy and less stress, regulate your sleep cycle and maintain a peaceful sleep environment.

Finally ensuring you allow enough time for yourself and to help manage your New Year, find your nearest Registered Chinese Medicine Practitioner/Acupuncturist at https://acupuncture.org.au.

21/12/2025

We are coming into the Silly Season again, the end of the year where everything seems to be happening at once. As we move out of Spring and into Summer, some will look forward to the warmth and activity while some will struggle with the heat and inability to beat it. It is a time where strains both physical and emotional seem to come to a head and there is never enough time to deal with the health needs you might have. Time for your-self can just disappear!

Let’s look at some of the ways in which Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture may help.

In Spring and early Summer, there is a real desire to get outdoors to enjoy the day. Many will start playing sports again after a seasonal break, or generally feel the need for more exercise. This can lead to delayed- onset muscle soreness (DOMS), that post vigorous exercise muscle ache you may get when you start playing tennis or other sport again.

Current evidence indicates that acupuncture intervention after intense exercise may be effective for alleviating DOMS and improving muscle recovery. In the trials done, the long-lasting effect of acupuncture intervention on DOMS started from 24 hours and would reach a peak on the time point of 72 hours post exercise. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2020.00666

Through the ability of acupuncture to release local and central pain-relieving molecules, such as endogenous opioids and adenosine, and reducing inflammatory mediators like IL-6 and IL-8 muscle soreness can be reduced. Acupuncture has been shown to activate anti-inflammatory pathways and neuromodulation which can inhibit pain signals.

As well as a good stretching regime before and after vigorous exercise, you may consider acupuncture to help with muscle soreness as a natural way to lessen pain while gaining better health.

So, find some time for yourself and your health by finding your nearest registered Acupuncturist at https://acupuncture.org.au

14/12/2025

Watermelon is more than just a delicious snack - it can also help reduce feelings of heat in Summer!

Watermelon is roughly 92% water, so it’s a fantastic food source of hydration. It also contains magnesium and potassium, which makes it a source of electrolytes. Instead of consuming electrolyte drinks that can contain unnatural colours and flavours, watermelon can be your go-to source of natural electrolytes during summer sport, gym sessions, or days at the beach.

In Chinese medicine we recommend eating according to the seasons so that your diet supports what your body needs at different times of the year. Watermelon has the properties of being naturally cooling, making it a perfect summer snack when it is at its peak season. In Chinese medicine diet therapy, we recommend watermelon to counteract the effects of Summer Heat, which can present as overall feelings of heat, thirst, dehydration, excessive sweating and irritability.

If you’d like to learn more about how different foods can help your body function optimally, reach out to your local Chinese medicine practitioner for individualised advice.

07/12/2025

People can either love or hate this time of the year, with the festive season often regarded as a stressful time of the year.

For some, the emotional strain of spending more time with relatives or the sadness of missing those no longer here. Loneliness, financial worry or perhaps driving to your holiday destination.

Stress can trigger a cascade of hormones that produce physiological changes such as digestive issues, sleep disorders, cardiovascular problems, weakened immune function, or simply muscle tension and headaches. Anxiety and depression can increase, causing social withdrawal, perhaps leading to unhealthy coping mechanisms such as increased smoking or drinking.

Acupuncture and Chinese herbs can assist with the effects to health stress may induce. It affects the parasympathetic nervous system, allowing muscles to relax and physical tension to ease assisting with sleep and digestion, and lowering cortisol (the ‘fight flight’ hormone) to reduce anxiety.

Clinically, depression is defined as having persistent feelings of sadness, despair, fatigue, and loss of interest. The pathophysiology of depression is regulated by the biosynthesis, transport and signalling of neurotransmitters [e.g., serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine, or γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)] in the central nervous system ¹, all of which Acupuncture has been shown to affect.

Research shows that herbal medicines can modulate a broader spectrum of cellular pathways and processes to relieve depression. Chinese Medicine Practitioners will combine several herbs into specific formulas, based on the individual’s symptoms to achieve a beneficial therapeutic effect. ² This does not suggest the exclusion of GP prescribed medications if required.

To help you get through this silly season, find a registered practitioner today at http://acupuncture.org.au.

(1) https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1054726
(2) https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1217886

01/12/2025

Bao He Wan, or "Preserve Harmony Pill," is a Yuan Dynasty TCM formula for digestive woes from overindulgence. In Australia's summer, Christmas barbecues often cause bloating, indigestion, nausea, and fullness—symptoms associated with TCM's concept of "food stagnation."

Key Ingredients Eight synergistic herbs aid digestion without harsh laxatives:
• Shan Zha (Hawthorn Fruit): Breaks down fatty meats.
• Shen Qu (Medicated Leaven): Digests starches and alcohol.
• Mai Ya (Barley Sprout): Processes grains in breads/pastries.
• Ban Xia (Pinellia Rhizome): Eases nausea from seafood/creamy foods.
• Chen Pi (Tangerine Peel): Reduces bloating caused by drinking and eating too much.
• Fu Ling (Poria Mushroom): Strengthens digestion, removes fluid.
• Lian Qiao (Forsythia Fruit): Cools and clears irritation.
• Lai Fu Zi (Radish Seed): Relieves fullness by moving food.

TCM and Modern Use Overeating disrupts Spleen/Stomach Qi, causing stagnation. Bao He Wan clears it, easing indigestion, belching, and loose stools. Unlike antacids, it promotes food movement and long-term gut health; users report less post-meal fatigue. Modern research highlights hawthorn's antioxidants for fatty foods; Memorial Sloan Kettering notes benefits for nausea/diarrhea, though more studies are needed. Pair with mindful eating for best results.

Precautions Short-term use may cause mild diarrhea; avoid in pregnancy, severe illness, or weak digestion. Consult a TCM practitioner or doctor for interactions (e.g., pinellia with meds). Seek support from a registered Chinese herbalist.

Bao He Wan blends ancient wisdom with holiday habits, aiding recovery from festive feasts under professional guidance for enjoyable celebrations.

23/11/2025

Wondering what ‘squeaks’ more? Your knees or the stairs?

Knee Osteo Arthritis (KOA) is a painful ailment that can strike down the best of us. Whether from sporting injuries or trauma, an autoimmune condition, genetic make-up or simply an aging process catching up on your past activities; it can be difficult to manage.

KOA is more common in adults over 45 years, where the progressive loss of articular cartilage leads to bone rubbing on bone (the ‘squeak’) creating inflammation and pain.

While strengthening exercises and less weight bearing can assist with management of KOA, there is significant evidence emerging that acupuncture and electro acupuncture can help to reduce the inflammation and pain caused by this condition, perhaps delaying the need for surgical intervention. In general, because of its good analgesic effects and little or no side effects, acupuncture has been widely accepted all over the world for acute and chronic painful conditions such as OA.

Research has shown that acupuncture uses several mechanisms within the body to achieve relief from pain and inflammation, both in the periphery (such as immune cells and neurons, purinergic pathway, nociceptive ion channel, cannabinoid receptor and endogenous opioid peptide system) and the central nervous system (TPRV1, glutamate and its receptors, glial cells, GABAergic interneurons and signalling molecules). https://doi.org/10.1177/17448069231202882

Or simply stated acupuncture may help to get you back up those stairs!

While studies show some clear benefits of acupuncture for KOA, there is still a need for more high-quality, comprehensive research to fully verify its effectiveness and optimal use.
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13643-025-02762-x

16/11/2025

Stress, we talk about it all the time.

Work, life, the Universe and everything can create stress and with it come anxious, sleepless nights. Often between 1 and 3AM when our minds worry us awake trying to solve nagging problems.

If we are lucky, disturbed sleep will be the only issue stress causes. But often anxiety, stomach upsets, jaw clenching, tight neck and shoulders and headaches appear as well. Maybe you get a bit snappy or just do not feel like taking part. You are not alone.

Global research company Ipsos and its 2024 World Mental Health Day report looked at thirty one countries and how people view mental health care. It found that 62 percent of people across these countries feel stressed. Women reported higher stress at 66 percent compared with men at 58 percent, and Gen Z females were the most likely to experience sadness or hopelessness. (1)

There is help and hope nearby. Alongside exercise and a good diet, acupuncture may support better sleep, relaxation and resilience and here is how.

Heart Rate Variability, HRV, is one of the most sensitive measures of the body’s ability to cope with stress. Higher HRV is linked with lower anxiety. Research shows that acupuncture can improve HRV. (2)

Research also shows that acupuncture can calm the response to stress by increasing feel good endorphins that help regulate pain, heart rate, blood pressure and digestion. (3)

Visiting your acupuncturist when you feel stressed may help you sleep better, relax in body and mind and support overall wellbeing.

So the next time you are trying to solve the world’s problems at 2AM, visit https://acupuncture.org.au and find your nearest Chinese Medicine Practitioner.

Make some time for yourself and give it a try.

(1) https://www.ipsos.com/en-id/ipsos-world-mental-health-day-report-2024
(2) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brainres.2007.06.042
(3) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pnpbp.2005.08.011

09/11/2025

Frozen shoulder is a common condition that can cause significant pain and disruption in ability to do daily tasks. In Chinese medicine, we view frozen shoulder quite literally, the joint is cold and "frozen" with reduced range of motion.

Symptoms include pain in the shoulder that may be localised or radiate down the arm, as well as reduced range of motion and ability to raise the arms above 90 degrees.

Research has shown that acupuncture for frozen shoulder can reduce pain, restore shoulder function, and increase range of motion in both the short term and long term.

Another treatment your acupuncturist may employ for your frozen shoulder is the use of moxibustion. Moxibustion is the burning of a herb called Mugwort above the skin to warm the acupuncture channels and general area. Research has shown that the combination of moxibustion and acupuncture is superior to acupuncture alone.

If you've been struggling with the pain and limitation of frozen shoulder, find your local AACMA registered acupuncturist to get some support today.

Sources:

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7532995/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31056885/

Australian Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine Association (AACMA)

03/02/2026

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11/01/2026

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21/12/2025

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Monday	8:30am - 4:30pm
Tuesday	8:30am - 4:30pm
Wednesday	8:30am - 4:30pm
Thursday	8:30am - 4:30pm
Friday	8am - 4pm