SAIT

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) aims to promote your natural healing process. It works harmoniously and energetically to bring your body, mind and spirit back into a normal, healthy state of balance. Traditional Chinese Medicine is a natural, gentle and holistic approach to treating you as an individual, and it encompasses both acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine.

What is Acupuncture?

Acupuncture is the ancient practice rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine that involves the insertion of fine needles into specific points on the body. These points are carefully chosen by our trained practitioners and are located along meridians, which are channels through which vital energy, known as Qi, flows in the body. The goal of acupuncture is to facilitate the smooth flow of Qi and to address blockages or imbalances that may contribute to health conditions, injuries, or stress. 

What is Chinese Herbal Medicine?

Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine is a tool used by our trained practitioners to assist with healing the body. By using herbal medicine and dietary therapy, it uses natural substances to support the body’s healing process, as well as emphasising the use of food as medicine to maintain health and alleviate imbalances. Herbal medicine has been developed over thousands of years, is based upon clinical practice, and is now combined with modern medical research. 

The benefits of Traditional Chinese Medicine:

Traditional Chinese Medicine assists the body’s natural healing process, encouraging balance and overall health and well-being. Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine work together, with you and your body, to promote and strengthen bodily functions. 

Supporting Overall Health
Natural Healing Process
Well-Being

Traditional Chinese Medicine encompasses a
range of different therapies such as:

Acupuncture
Acupuncture uses fine, sterile needles that are inserted into points on your body along energy pathways. This triggers a response in your body around the relevant areas to promote natural healing.
Cupping
Cupping therapy is a gentle and all-natural treatment. It feels great and often results in instant relief from pain and tension, and improvement of conditions within a few hours.
Cosmetic Acupuncture

Cosmetic acupuncture is a natural way to promote youthful skin and facial rejuvenation.  It work on your body’s natural ability to restore, revitalise and regenerate.

What is a TCM treatment like at SA Integrated Therapies?

Your initial consult will consist of an in-depth conversation about your health, including your symptoms, conditions, and history. These conversations are an enjoyable experience with our lovely practitioners, and many often remark on how they felt truly listened to. All follow-up consultations also include a conversation at the beginning of your treatment, to see how you have been going and to understand any new or different developments in your health.
After chatting and asking a few questions, our practitioners will take your pulse, check your tongue, and ask you to lay down on the table, either face up or down, depending on what needs to be done. You may be asked to remove some of your clothes, and cover with fresh towels, so they can access the acupuncture points that will help you most. Then various methods will be used to treat you, including acupuncture, cupping, massage, moxibustion (heat therapy), and more.
After some treatment, you will be left to enjoy a lovely rest on our relaxing treatment tables. This experience is lovely and you often reach a state of deep relaxation, allowing the needles to do their work and you to get a much-needed break from crazy daily life!
Our TCM practitioners may prescribe you some natural herbal medicine to help your condition and symptoms improve. Your treatments will continuously be tailored to your case as it evolves, ensuring that you are always getting the best possible outcome.

THE PRACTITIONER.

Carla Brion

Carla believes in the importance of restoring balance and nurturing all aspects of health. She supports clients to make lifestyle and dietary adjustments that complement her Chinese Medicine treatment, to get them the best results.

Carla believes education as being key, so that her clients can take their health into their own hands. Her philosophy is treating holistically to support the mental, emotional and the physical. To connect the mind, the body and the spirit.

Carla is passionate about integrative medicine, with a special interest in women’s health and family planning. She has extensive knowledge supporting natural fertility, hormone balancing (PCOS, Endometriosis, fibroids), and she loves working with pregnancy and providing postpartum care! Being able to share the journey of pregnancy to motherhood is such an honour.

Carla is a qualified acupuncturist and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioner, trained in Melbourne and China.

Outside of work, Carla loves spending time in and around the ocean. She is a yogi and loves whole foods, travelling, seeing live music, and spending time with her family, friends, and rescue dog – Gypsy.
Carla is a mother to her daughter, Farrah, and son, Iluka. Being a mother has brought a whole new perspective to her practice.

DANIEL D'CRUZ

Daniel is another one of our Chinese Medicine practitioners and Acupuncturists. He is passionate about helping you push past the “just okay” stage to help your body and mind function as well as possible every day.

Dan focusses on treating you holistically. Any symptom or issue can be tied to other imbalances in your system that need correcting, and Dan likes to treat the “root” (cause) as well as the “branch” (symptom).

Dan understands that everyone experiences life uniquely, even people with the same health conditions. He places a lot of importance and value on your personal experience of your condition and combines this information with TCM principles and his knowledge to inform the treatment. Dan works to tailor treatments specifically to you and your unique presentation, adjusting treatments as your case changes. He also often works closely with other practitioners when managing complex chronic cases.

Dan enjoys treating anyone and everyone, but he has a special interest in treating pelvic pain and endometriosis.

Some other conditions Dan enjoys treating are:
When he is not reading acupuncture textbooks or chatting to his patients, Dan enjoys making music, listening to music, and hanging out with his daughter Aubrey (aka Moo).
Qualifications:
ANNABEL HAMMER

Annabel has a genuine desire to care for others and her warm character assists her in helping people get well and feel good. Her approach being holistic and personal with treatments focusing on all aspects of the human condition, physical and emotional.

Annabel supports women and men in their journey to parenthood, with both natural and assisted conception in adjunct to IVF, IUI & OI. She supports women throughout all trimesters of pregnancy and in the post-partum period. She works in a complementary way and strongly believes in fluid communication between herself and the relevant caregivers.  Annabel adds to her practice her own personal journey
with fertility struggles and found acupuncture and Chinese Herbs
to be incredibly beneficial. She also completed Hypnobirthing instructor training with The Little Birth Company.

Some of the many areas Annabel can assist with:

  • Menstrual disorders, female and male infertility, menopause, IVF 
  • Recurrent miscarriage, pregnancy, labour, postnatal care
  • Mental-emotional care — stress, anxiety, depression, insomnia
  • Pain: musculoskeletal, headaches, digestive complaints

Qualifications:

  • Bachelor of Science with Honours (Licentiate in Acupuncture)
  • Diploma in TCM Gynaecology and Obstetrics
  • Diploma in TuiNa
  • Registered with AHPRA
  • Member of AACMA

Annabel recently returned to Adelaide after 16 years in the UK where she completed her acupuncture training at The College of Integrated Chinese Medicine. Her training combines the two schools of acupuncture, Five Element Constitutional Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). 

Annabel adored her time living in the UK where she built her own successful clinic and following in West London and Surrey and was part of the team at the prestigious London Acupuncture Clinic. After the birth of her daughter Ava, it was time to return to Adelaide and it has been a joy to be back in her home country.