Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Austin Therapies is open:

Appointments are by appointment ONLY.

Hi, I’m Dr Sally Austin ([Registered Acupuncturist]), your treating therapist and practitioner at Austin Therapies and yes, I am qualified to treat you.

I am registered with AHPRA (Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency) and the Chinese Medicine Board of Australia (Registration Number: CMR0001711552).

ATMS – Australian Traditional Medicine Society – No. 8711

Further qualifications include:

• Bachelor Health Science (Acupuncture) 2002 – Australian College of Natural Medicine, Brisbane

• Certificate of Excellence in Clinical Practice (Acupuncture) 2003 – Australian College of Natural Medicine, Brisbane

• Advanced Full Time Studies in Acupuncture & Moxibustion, Internal Medicine, Gynaecology, Orthopaedics, Herbal Medicine of TCM, Guangxi

Traditional Chinese Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, People’s Republic of China. 2002

• Advanced Diploma Health Science (Acupuncture) 2001 – Australian College of Natural Medicine, Brisbane

• Certificate of Excellence for Outstanding Performance in Clinical Practice Acupuncture 2002 – Australian College of Natural Medicine

• Diploma Holistic Massage 1997 – Sunshine Health Academy, Cape Town, SA

• Diploma Holistic Reflexology 1997 – Sunshine Health Academy, Cape Town, SA

• Diploma Holistic Shiatsu and Meridian Therapies 1997 – Sunshine Health Academy, Cape Town, SA

• Diploma Holistic Aromatherapy 1997 – Sunshine Health Academy, Cape Town, SA

• Bates Therapy I and II 2006 – Beverley Bates, Brisbane

• Reiki III – Joy Austin – Reiki Master – UK

At present payment is by CASH or BANK TRANSFER 

Health Fund Rebates are accessed online by the client. Currently rebates are not available from the clinic. 

Yes, and plenty of it.

Austin Therapies is located 120 Arthys Road COORAN, 4569, QLD – making it very easy to get here. The clinic is located on a beautiful and peaceful acreage property with ample parking and wheelchair access as the rooms are situated on the ground floor.

There are many complex theories out there!

Those theories include neurological mechanisms, such as blocking ascending pain pathways via the spinal cord, and the effects of acupuncture on neurotransmitters, endorphins and other hormonal effects.

Acupuncture is thought to have anti-inflammatory effects, improving blood circulation, balance hormones and more.

However, all these findings fall short of explaining the possible results.

In short – yes: we have treated children as well as people over 90 years of age.

Acupuncture is a medical system that has been used for over 2,000 years in the most advanced medical establishments in both eastern and western medicine.

It is used to treat a wide range of conditions – see The Acupuncture Evidence Project for details.

Acupuncture is used to treat many conditions, so even though you may not see your specific ailment listed, please call and I will be happy to answer any questions or concerns you may have.

At Austin Therapies, I treat according to the Traditional Chinese Medicine diagnosis and work in with the Western Medical approach.

I do this in the form of blood tests, scans, pathology results, etc. It is important that I take all of your information into account to obtain the best possible results for you.

This question arises most commonly in relation to:

1. People taking Warfarin – it is possible to get an occasional bruise from an acupuncture needle when taking medication that thins the blood. It is simply visual, not painful.

2. Acupuncture during pregnancy is a great choice of modality, as there is no opportunity for drug interactions to occur.

3. For those who have undergone lymphadenectomy (lymph node removal), usually in relation to a cancer treatment.

4. It is possible to get an occasional bruise from an acupuncture needle when a tiny capillary is clipped (they are not always visible under the skin) or the patient is taking aspirin or other blood thinners. It is simply visual, not a bruise that will be painful.

Acupuncture has been used for many  hundreds of years, in many countries throughout the world. When performed by a fully trained professional Acupuncturist, it is a good choice of modality to use.

In Australia – 1st July, 2012, all Acupuncturists went through the National Registration process with AHPRA (Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency) under the Chinese Medicine Board of Australia.

The minimum requirement to practice Acupuncture is a 4-year Degree level qualification or a recognized equivalent. It is important to make sure that your Acupuncturist has the required qualifications and is registered appropriately.

Acupuncture uses extremely fine needles, much smaller than hypodermic needles used by your doctor.

It is rare for any bleeding at Acupuncture points to occur but occasionally there may be a spot or two when patients are using blood thinners.

There have been no incidences of fully qualified acupuncturists causing any serious bleeding when treating patients on Warfarin or Aspirin and especially at Austin Therapies this has never posed a problem.

Lymph nodes are an area that cancer nurses are very concerned about. However, there have been no reported cases of acupuncture causing any infections in patients who have had their lymph nodes removed. If this is something that concerns you, it is perfectly possible to treat pain on a limb without having to use that particular side of the body. I want your treatment to be whatever you feel comfortable with.

Acupuncture is a very good form of treatment to choose during pregnancy.

I have personally been treating women with pregnancy-related conditions for 20+ years and have found it to be a good modality of choice for many happy mum’s.

Many doctors and specialists also recommend acupuncture to their patients to support IVF treatment during pregnancy and those also suffering from post-partum issues.

Please bring along any x-rays, scans, pathology results, recent blood test results and a list of all current medications (both Western and natural).

Have a drink (non alcoholic) and a light snack about an hour or so before your treatment, you do not want to be lying on the table trying to relax with your stomach rumbling or feeling slightly nauseous due to hunger.

This is especially important if you are a little nervous about having your first treatment.

Please DO NOT brush/scrape your tongue before your appointment

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioners observe the tongue coating to determine the condition of the stomach, whether your pattern is:

Excess or Deficient, Hot or Cold and to evaluate the level of body fluids.

I am able to learn a lot about the condition of your health and your body by looking very closely at your tongue and taking your pulse.

This all depends on your condition – which includes your particular illness as well as your ‘energetic’ condition. Ordinarily a course of acupuncture is six to ten treatments.s.

At the beginning you may need to come for treatment twice a week until you get some relief, then quickly change to weekly or fortnightly or in some cases once every three, four or even six weeks.

You are likely to experience a deep relaxation while the needles are in.

Other sensations, such as heaviness in the limb being needled or a temporary numbness are common.

Acupuncture sessions can be quiet and reflective, or they may be relaxing and provide space for you to talk or to laugh or cry.

Many people remark that Acupuncture is the most relaxing treatment they have ever had.

You are likely to experience a deep relaxation while the needles are in.

Other sensations, such as heaviness in the limb being needled or a temporary numbness are common.

Acupuncture sessions can be quiet and reflective, or they may be relaxing and provide space for you to talk or to laugh or cry.

Many people remark that Acupuncture is the most relaxing treatment they have ever had.

Moxibustion, or moxa, is commonly used in traditional acupuncture treatment. It is a Chinese herb called Mugwort Leaf that smoulders either over the acupuncture point or on the needle.

Moxa can be part of an acupuncture treatment and is used to either tonify the body in a particular way or to move stagnation in a particular channel or meridian.

Yes, I do use Chinese Herbal Medicine to complement acupuncture treatment when needed.

These are pre-formulated and prescribed mostly in capsule form and sometimes easy-to-take coffee-like granules that are mixed with hot water and then you drink them.

There are no animal or heavy-metal content in any of the formulas that I use.

However, it is not necessary to take Chinese Herbs and you will never be asked to take these if you prefer not to

I am qualified to use pre-formulated Chinese Herbs as an adjunct to acupuncture treatment.

No, that is not necessary, however if I think your condition warrants this I will always recommend that you do so.

Yes. As a fully qualified acupuncturist and member of the Chinese Medicine Board of Australia, I am trained to recognise critical symptoms which require further investigation.

I will know when to refer you to a doctor if I suspect a previously undiagnosed condition.

This is to allow you to be fully informed about choices you might like to make.

Acupuncture practitioners are interested in you as an individual and not just in isolated symptoms.

Therefore, I will ask you about your sleep and lifestyle as well as other, seemingly unrelated symptoms.

I ask many questions and will take your pulse and look at your tongue.

I may also palpate your abdomen for signs such as hardness or weakness in specific areas.

According to Chinese medical theory, Qi energy moves the blood, and for that reason, I take several minutes assessing how blood flow and Qi interact.

I do this by checking the pulse on both wrists. Most patients are very surprised at the amount of information I am able to garner from the pulse.

I will look at your tongue for signs of dehydration or poor digestive function.

Your tongue may exhibit different colours such as pale pink, dark red, or purple.

It may have a variety of coatings, or have cracks, bumps or tooth marks. This, along with the other information I have collected, will help inform me of your diagnosis and treatment.

Please DO NOT brush or scrape your tongue prior to treatment as it will interfere with your diagnosis and may result in you not receiving the best possible treatment.