Acupuncture Needles: Norms and Standards

While acupuncture detractors often like to point out that acupuncture does involve some risks, the truth is that the profession and materials are highly regulated in Europe and North America. For example, the vast majority of acupuncture needles are one-time-use, avoiding the problems of improper sterilization. Medical equipment, moreover, is subject to a variety of norms and standards across Canada, all of which must be met in order for acupuncture needles to make it to the market, and to continue being sold. These norms and standards require regular reports to be made to approve the products’ continued sale. It can be difficult to parse out the different rules applying to these standards, however, since they tend to be written in cryptic legal language, and they tend to be so long that it’s easy to get lost while reading them.

It is very important for medical devices such as acupuncture needles and TDP Lamps to follow all the guidelines in order to meet the safety requirements. Apart from that, only professionals are allowed to have access to certain kinds of medical devices such as acupuncture needles.

International Standards and Guidelines

These norms were formulated as guidelines that would facilitate consistent international regulation regarding medical devices. Countries and regions are free to adopt these standards, or to modify them in any way they see fit. For a more in-depth explanation regarding international medical device standards, this article makes a great starting point. Canada, the United States and the European Union all adopt international legislation to

Lierre Acu Relaxo 30*1.5″ (0.30*40mm)

different degrees, and sometimes substitute their own; however, despite this lack of concordance, the policies tend to be consistent enough that an acupuncture needle approved for Canadian customers can more often than not be approved in the US and in the EU, once requirements such as proper paperwork and inspections are fulfilled.

Lierre ShinLin-Silicone coated

These standards include risk management measures, their effect on the body, and quality control, which usually involves sterilization.

For example, some acupuncture needles are coated by silicone. This kind of silicone is different from silicone used in constructions or decorations. Therefore, silicone coated acupuncture needles such as brand Acu-Relaxo and ShinLin Spring are safe for insertion into human body.

Lierre Zagu Non-coated

Even for non-coated acupuncture needles, the stainless steel has its standards. Therefore, not all stainless steel can be used for non-coated acupuncture needles. Normally, stainless steel imported from German has high standards

along with great quality are used by lots of acupuncture needles manufacturer such as Zagu.

Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

Perhaps the most famous state organization regulating the sale of products, the FDA is arguably better known in Canada than its national equivalent. In spite of its name, the Food and Drug Administration also controls the sale of medical devices and the approval of medical procedures. FDA regulations stipulate that acupuncture needles should be one use only, properly and consistently sterilized, and that their materials should be appropriate for use in contact with the body.

Canadian Medical Devices Conformity Assessment System (CMDCAS)

The Canadian Standards Authority oversees standards regarding medical devices, and it is a branch of Health Canada. The Canadian standards for medical devices closely resemble international standards, and include mandatory certification that products are manufactured in such a way as to meet the National Standard of Canada, and more specifically ISO13485. Products must also be registered, and any reports of adverse effects linked to their use must be reported to the board.

Expiration date of acupuncture needles is another important consideration apart from all the standards. If the needles passed the expiration date, even they are followed all the regulation guidelines. You would better avoid using it for your treatments. Lierre only offers acupuncture needles with sufficient period for professional acupuncturists to use.

All of Lierre’s acupuncture needles meet FDA and CMDCAS guidelines, including ISO13485. These norms are strict, and guarantee both the needles’ safety and consistency. Lierre’s brands, such as Zagu, Acu-Relaxo, Lierre, Shinlin, H.L. Seo Won and Seirin are all manufactured to meet even higher standards of quality than these norms require: our goal is not simply to provide adequate needles, but ones that truly excel.

Acupuncture point Tian Shu (ST 25)

天枢- One of the most often used acupuncture needles for gastrointestinal diseases. It is also used for irregular menstruation, dysmenorrhea and other gynecological disorders. It is located on Yangming Stomach meridian of Foot. To be more specific, it is on abdomen 2 cun from the navel.

The meaning of Tian Shu: The name Tian Shu is coming from one of the names of the Big Dipper. When Qi arrives at Tian Shu (ST 25), there are two paths for Qi to flow. Qi could flow to Large Intestine Meridian or stomach meridian.

It could help with the following problems:

1. Abdominal pains
2. Bloating
3. Constipation or diarrhea
4. Irregular menstruation
5. Indigestion
6. Acute and chronic gastritis
7. Acute and chronic enteritis

And it can deal with lots of problems with stomach and intestine.

But it is usually uses with other acupuncture points to solve the problems. For example: it can use with Zu San Li ST 36 to treat children’s diarrhea. It can use with Ju xu (ST 37 and ST 39) and Lan Wei to treat acute appendicitis.

You could use moxa to do moxibustion on this acupuncture point to deal with difficult urination or constipation.

Using method:

Using acupuncture needles insert straightly into this acupuncture point for about 1 cun to 1.5 cun.

Using moxa with indirect moxibustion or hanging moxibustion method. Do not practice moxibustion on this acupuncture point for pregnant women.

Location

2 cun from the navel.

Location of Tian Shu (ST 25)

And it is very effective for the symptoms I mentioned before. You can also massage Tian Shu every day to help with stomach and intestine health and keep energetic.

But if you have the problems I mentioned above, it is better for you to go for a therapist such as acupuncturist. Acupuncturists would use acupuncture needles to accelerate the healing process.

You do not have to worry about acupuncture needles, high-quality needles are very sharp while smooth. These two characteristics indicate that you will not feel any pains during acupuncture needle insertion.

You can find all acupuncture accessories at Lierre.ca . If you are acupuncturists who are looking for painless acupuncture needles for sale, you could also check Lierre.ca.

If you are suffering from all the problems I mentioned above, you could always find an acupuncturist to help with these problems. It is important to find a reliable acupuncturist to help you. I recommend acupuncture-clinic.ca

It has good environment while the acupuncturist is professional and friendly.

About the acupuncturists in Clinique Laval: Xiao Lei Wang is a professional TCM therapist with Quebec registered acupuncturist license. He focuses on helping patients with Traditional Chinese medicine including acupuncture, moxibustion and cupping therapies. You can find more about him on his own acupuncture clinic website. You could also book an appointment on the website.

Why do I have blisters/bubbles after cupping?

After receiving glass cupping treatments, some patients will notice blisters/bubbles on their skin. In fact, it’s common enough that it’s become one of the most common concerns voiced by people who are interested in receiving cupping treatments. Despite these anxieties, however, cupping has become one of the popular alternative therapies. Rooted traditional Chinese medicine, cupping has been practiced for millenia: this is not to say, however, that it has remained unchanged in the past thousands of years. Approaches to this therapy have evolved with the changing times, and there are now various types of cups made from different materials, from bamboo and clay to

Lierre Silicone Cupping Set 14

glass and silicone cups. The types of illnesses and pains it can treat has also expanded and changed, and it is now used to relieve anything from surgical carbuncles to rheumatic pain, low back muscle strain, headaches, asthma, abdominal pain, trauma, congestion, colds and rheumatism and most general pain syndromes.

There are lots of clinics and therapists who can practice cupping treatments, and some patients now prefer to do cupping treatments at home.

Usually, it is safe to have cupping treatments at clinics. However, because fire and alcohol can be used during more traditional glass cupping treatments, patients sometimes risk suffering from minor burns if they are treated by irresponsible practitioners. Some patients will also have blisters/bubbles on skin after receiving glass cupping treatments. These two problems are often caused by mistakes, and outdated, misguided or even downright sloppy practices.

Most common causes of blisters:

1. The practitioner left cups on patient’s skin for too long. Different patients have different problems and tolerance level for cupping treatments. Some patients will not have blisters/bubbles even with cups for 20-30 minutes. Some of them may have blisters/bubbles with cups for 5-10 minutes. In order to acknowledge the tolerance level of the patient, therapists usually will leave the cups on patient’s skin for a short time at the first time practicing cupping.
2. Cup’s temperature is too high. Though cups are almost always kept at sensible levels of heat, there is a small possibility of causing blisters/bubbles due to high temperatures. When therapists are doing quick cupping on patients with very high temperature cups, they may cause blisters/bubbles on patient’s skin.
3. Cupping area. Areas with thinner or sensitive skin will have higher possibility to have blisters/bubbles during cupping.
4. Heavy cupping. It is mentioned in the first incorrect operations, that different patients have different tolerance level to cupping. If the cupping treatment is over the patient’s tolerance, it would cause blisters/bubbles on patient’s skin.

Lierre Glass Cup Set set of 14

Patients will not only feel uncomfortable with blisters/bubbles, but these wounds risk getting infected. Therefore, people interested in glass cupping treatments  should research and find a good therapist with enough knowledge and experience to avoid getting hurt.

Otherwise, someone interested in cupping but worried about these issues should look into alternative forms of cupping, without fire or glass cups. These options are in fact so safe that you can practice them at home! Silicone cups or plastic cupping sets are especially recommended for this purpose. It’s easy to control the degree of suction with these sets, and they don’t require fire or heat.

The last thing need to be mentioned is that not everyone is suitable for cupping at anytime. If you have any problems during cupping at home, it is important to go to your doctor. Careful consultation with a therapist is always recommended before trying cupping at home.

What types of cupping sets and massage oils are suitable for cupping massage?

We’ve already referenced plastic and silicone cups, as well as gels, oils, creams, lotions and balms; here we’ll explain which ones to choose based on your needs.

Cups

Lierre Clear Silicone Cup Set 4pcs

The first thing you’ll need to consider for cups is the area you wish to treat. If you’re looking at large muscle groups

such as thighs and backs, you’ll need larger cups, while you’ll need small cups for smaller muscle groups and for more specific treatments, such as trigger point massage. There are also specificcups for facial massage, which can help reduce the appearance of wrinkles. If your treatments are varied, or if you’re thinking of giving whole body massages, a complete set of cups is a great, affordable option.

When considering the type of material for cups, it’s best to consider the type of treatment you wish to offer: for self treatment, for example, plastic cups with a hand pump and connecting tubes will allow you to access areas of your back that are much more difficult to treat with silicone cups. For traditional massage, silicone cups are often the preferred option, since they’re intuitive to use, flexible, and relatively easier to move across the skin smoothly. For trigger point therapies, or techniques that otherwise require a great deal of finesse, plastic cups with rotating handles will allow the practitioner to control the degree of suction with increased precision; however, they can be more cumbersome to move across the skin in a fluid motion.

Both silicone and plastic cups have quite a few advantages over traditional fire cups: they’re easily portable, much safer and more intuitive to use.

Massage oils, creams, gels, balms, and lotions

Lierre Massage Oil, Gel, Lotion

While all of these types of lubricants are well suited for cupping massage, choosing one can also involve quite a bit of consideration. Balms, for example, often are great for the skin and conceived for particular therapeutic needs, but they can be inconvenient for massage therapists with a great volume of clients, since they take longer to dissolve, and they need to be warmed before use. Lotions and creams are similar to balms in that they’re usually designed to deeply nourish and hydrate the skin, and some of them also help with muscle pain. Oils and gels are a more traditional choice, available in a great variety of types, and they offer the best glide.

Here is a list of products we recommend for different uses:

Cellulite and stretch marks. L’Herbier’s Océanne Balm is designed to help lessen the appearance of stretch marks and cellulite.

Sensitive skins. Oils tend to be better for this type of skin: the less ingredients, the better. L’Herbier’s Rice Bran Oil is especially appropriate since it’s hypoallergenic.

Muscle pain and tension. Bon Vital’s Muscle Therapy Oil provides much needed relief with peppermint oil for a deep reaching, heating sensation.

All rights reserved for Lierre Blog.

Cupping therapy for kids

While some kids are afraid of acupuncture needles, cups seem very interesting for them to play with. They are curious about cupping therapy because cups will suck on their body through negative pressure. Like one of the children described:”They are like octopus!”

Silicone Cupping cups

But cupping is not only interesting and attractive for kids; it also has a lot of benefits for kids. Some of the very general common effects are increase in kids’ height and weight, increase in appetite, increase in body strength against infection disease and reduction in behavioral disorders. These general effects are according to an investigation on 8000 files. In this investigation, 93% of the kids’ immune system is strengthened after experiencing cupping therapies.

There are also other effects that could be observed such as increase in remembering ability, increase in concentration and attention rate, increase in sleeping quality, and other benefits.

After getting to know the benefits of cupping, the question is how to do cupping therapies on kids?

Tools:

Lierre Clear Silicone Cup Set 4pcs

Therefore, more and more therapists choose to use cupping therapy for toddlers and kids. As kids’ skin is very sensitive, therapists sometimes would not use fire cupping therapy on kids to avoid high temperature. Plastic cups and silicone cups are more used for kids. Between silicone and plastic cups, we would recommend silicone cups as they are transparent and easy to adjust suction level. And two of the biggest advantages of silicone cupping sets are it is much softer and more unbreakable than plastic cups.

Cupping Area:

Back, Shoulder, Arms, Legs

Cupping Method:

1. Stationary cupping

Put silicone cups at the area you want to do cupping and leave it for 10-15minutes. Adjust the pressure and observe the cupping area to adjust cupping time.

2. Moving Cupping

Apply lotions and put silicone cups on the area you want to do cupping and lift the cups a little bit to glide around the cupping area.

3. Flash Cupping

Put silicone cups at the area you want to do cupping and remove it quickly. Put silicone cups back on the skin again and remove it quickly. Repeat the above two steps several times.

Cupping is a great treatment options for kids. But if you are not sure about cupping therapy, we recommend seeing a licensed acupuncturist for this technique, as they can diagnose different issues and apply the technique safely. You can find a laval *licensed acupuncturists at acupuncture-clinic.ca
As the patients we are treating right now are kids, who are not willing to lie down on the table for 15 minutes. We recommend using fruity aroma lotions such as BAMBINOO from L’Herbier for these little patients to attract their attention and comfort them.

In order to have both silicone cups and fruity aroma lotions, you can purchase the kids’ cupping set from Lierre which contains 3 small size silicone cups and 4 trail size lotions. You can bring this set with you to anywhere. In addition, this set is not only suitable for kids, adults can also share this set.

*Licensed Acupuncturist: About the acupuncturists in Clinique Laval: Xiao Lei Wang is a professional TCM therapist with Quebec registered acupuncturist licence. He focuses on helping patients with Traditional Chinese medicine including acupuncture, moxibustion and cupping therapies. You can find more about him on his own acupuncture clinic website. You could also book an appointment on the website.

All rights reserved for Lierre Blog.

What is a silicone cupping set?

Nowadays, more and more office workers are suffering from issues with muscle tension and discomfort in necks, shoulders, upper backs. Are you looking for a easy way to relieve these issues? 

Lierre silicone massage cupping set

Silicone cupping set is a development of traditional cupping like glass cups, and is made of food grade silicone. Silicone cups can be used as a tool of traditional Chinese medicine through creating vacuum, leaving on skin and stimulating blood circulation. Normally, a silicone cupping set consists of several cups with different qualifications. They are unbreakable, portable, pliable, odourless and waterproof.

Unlike traditional Chinese medicine cups which need pumps or fire, silicone cups work by compression. So, it can be easily used at home and all you need to do is squeezing out air from the cups and placing them onto your skin, then sliding them along the skin to stimulate tissue and blood circulation. The cups will then pull your skin up into the cups. Actually, silicone cupping massage is sort of deep tissue massage. After glide cupping,you feel muscle relaxation and pain relief.

Silicone cupping set is becoming increasing popular because it is really easy to use wherever at home, at office even at your travels. Also, You can control the intense based on your own preference by squeezing cups. If you want it to be lighter, you need to squeeze the cups gently, otherwise, squeezing cups more firmly.

Silicone cuppings are also popular in the beauty industry. They can be used for treatments such as face lifting, relieving varicose veins, reducing cellulite, activating the skin and clearing stretch marks.

Advantages:

• Silicone cups are light compared to those glass cups, so it’s easy to carry.
• Compared with traditional fire cups, silicone cups are super elastic and this is also the reason why they can work well in those difficult curved areas of the body, such as ankles, knees and wrists.
• Besides, silicone cups are very easy to clean and store so a set of silicone cups can be used for a long time.
• Never broken

Except silicone cupping sets Lierre also has silicone face massage cups,  silicone cupping set for children and cellulite cupping set. Lierre also provides massage balms and oils for you to use with. If you prefer other kinds of massage oils, you can also purchase from Lierre.ca.

Silicone Face Massage Cups set

Silicone Cup Elongated

How do silicone cupping facial treatments work?

We often discuss silicone cupping in our articles, but we relatively rarely mention that it can be used as a part of facial rejuvenation treatments! It makes sense: cupping can help promote blood 

So why not put some of your regular silicone cups on your face? Well, for one, most cups are too large, and regular cupping treatments often leave red marks, which is an understandably undesirable side-effect if it occurs on the face. Another consideration is that an intense degree of suction can break capillaries and aggravate rosacea: because the skin on the face is thinner, it is more fragile than the one on the back, where cupping marks will always disappear after a few days.Given these very real concerns, how can we then adapt this practice to facial treatments?circulation, reduce muscular tensions, and facilitate healing, as well as help smooth out the skin both temporarily and long term. These effects can also help make one’s skin look younger and more radiant!

It’s a two part answer: first, it’s important to purchase the right format of silicone cups, which is to say much smaller, elongated ones; and it’s best to avoid stationary treatments, and to instead opt for flash cupping and cupping massage. It’s also preferable to choose non-comedogenic products as lubricants for this practice.While you can, of course, use oil, it’s best to avoid the ones that are more prone to blocking pores. Targeted lotions and creams also make fantastic choices.

 Instructions:

1. Make sure that your skin and hands are clean and dry before the treatment. If you’re using cups as a part of your routine, you may choose to use non-irritating exfoliants or cleansers beforehand.
2. Apply moisturizers, lotions, creams or oils on the face, without rubbing them in too vigorously. They will serve as lubricants: it’s important that they cover the treatment area uniformly to provide an even, low friction surface.
3. Gently massage your skin, moving away from your nose. The pressure should be enough to activate some blood circulation, but shouldn’t be intense enough to be uncomfortable.
4. Choose the right size cup for the area, then squeeze it and place it on the skin. You may feel a very light pinch or a sensation of tightness, but it should not be painful: pain is an indication that you’ve squeezed the cup too hard, and you should remove the cup immediately.
5. For cupping massage: Gently lift the cup by a millimetre or two, creating a tension, then slide it in even, slow motion across the treatment area. Repeat until you’ve massaged every centimetre of the area. For optimal effects, move away from the nose, with the lymphatic system, in a slight upwards arc.
6. For flash cupping: Remove the cup after 5 to 10 seconds and repeat step 3 until you’ve used the cup on the majority of the surface area.
7. Gently massage the treatment area with your hands for a few seconds, and then the treatment is over!
8. You may want to gently wash your face with water, as the cups can lift out dead skin cells from your pores; if you’ve already used a cleanser beforehand, simply pat down the excess oil or lubricant.

If you are interested in these simple but great products, you can refer Lierre Medical on line shop@: https://www.lierremedical.com  to know more details. On the other hand, there is a Cupping FAQ page you can find more as well.

For others cupping massage therapy, licensed acupuncturist Xiao Lei Wang offers professional treatment per your request.