Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture (Cosmetic Acupuncture)

Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture (also called Cosmetic Acupuncture) is a safe, effective, and natural way to reduce the signs of aging!  The goal is to promote skin health by harnessing the body’s own resources to create sustainable changes in the skin. 

The health of the body can be seen in the health of the face.  That is why Facial Acupuncture is a holistic approach.  We use body acupuncture points alongside facial points to promote healthy changes in the skin. 

The aging process results in changes to facial skin and tissues.  This leads to characteristic skin texture changes and loss of facial volume.

Over the course of 5-10 sessions, you can expect to see:

  • Improved circulation
  • Brightened and smoothed complexion
  • Reduced puffiness
  • Reduced fine lines
  • Toned facial muscles and sagging jowls
  • Nourishment of facial tissues

Facial Acupuncture may be ideal for you, if you are:

  • Looking for natural results
  • Looking for a holistic approach to anti-aging 
  • Looking for alternatives to conventional techniques
  • Looking for preventative ways to preserve and promote skin health

 

Dr. Shawn Peters, ND is a naturopathic doctor practicing in downtown Courtenay.

Book in a Complimentary 15-minute, no obligation appointment with Dr. Shawn to see if Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture is right for you!

Acupuncture for Men's Health

Men may experience a number of changes throughout their lives.  Some of these changes may be in the realm of sexual health (such as erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation, and prostatitis) but many men also experience other health challenges, such as low back pain, depression, and insomnia.  Acupuncture is a safe and effective treatment for all of these conditions.  Through the use of fine needles at specific points along areas of the body, acupuncture works to stimulate the body’s own healing responses by addressing the root causes of disease, as does naturopathic medicine.  This makes these two health systems a wonderful fit.

 

As a naturopathic doctor certified in acupuncture the unique opportunity I have when using acupuncture is that I can utilize many other treatments at the same time.  Low back pain, depression, insomnia, and sexual dysfunction are all well treated with a combination of therapies…acupuncture plus nutrition, herbal medicine, supplementation, spinal adjustments, and/or pharmaceutical prescriptions.  Being certified in prescriptive authority, I have access to all of these treatments to best help my patients improve their health.  Naturopathic doctors can also order lab tests, perform physical exams, and customize treatment options to round out the best program for you.

 

Many men experience low back pain and know how impactful pain can be on their life and work.  Finding effective treatments is important.  Both traditional acupuncture and ear acupuncture can help improve low back pain and decrease the sensation of pain. This can lead to improved function and get you moving well again. Acupuncture used alongside other therapies such as spinal alignment and soft tissue massage may further increase the chance of success.

 

Depression, anxiety, stress, and insomnia are experienced by many people and still, it is difficult for many men to talk about it and seek help.  Acupuncture has been shown to reduce symptoms in some experiencing depression.  Ear acupuncture can be effective at reducing anxiety.  Stress is closely tied to mental health and has impacts on both sleep quality and mental wellbeing.  Both traditional and ear acupuncture work to reduce stress by improving parasympathetic tone (our “rest and digest” state), which may address the root cause for some with insomnia.  In conjunction with other strategies to promote mental wellbeing, like diet, exercise, herbal medicine, and supplementation, a combined protocol takes into account the unique situation affecting you.

 

Male sexual health concerns can also be addressed using acupuncture.  Studies have shown positive results in reducing urination difficulties in those with prostatitis (inflamed prostate).  It can also be effective at improving premature ejaculation and some types of erectile dysfunction.

 

The number of health concerns that acupuncture can be utilized for, either alone or in conjunction with other therapies, along with being safe and with few side effects, makes it an excellent treatment choice for many men’s health concerns.  To find out if acupuncture and naturopathic medicine is right for you, contact Dr. Peters for a free “meet and greet”.

 

Dr. Shawn Peters, ND is a naturopathic doctor practicing in downtown Courtenay.

Dr. Shawn Peters, ND is a naturopathic physician who works at the Macdonald Centre for Natural Medicine.

Call now to book an appointment or a “meet and greet” visit

As always, this is purely general health-related information and is not meant to substitute for a visit with a regulated healthcare practitioner.  Always consult your licensed naturopathic doctor or medical doctor should you have any questions or concerns

Food Allergy Testing (Vega testing)

VEGA TESTING – Frequently Asked Questions

Vega testing is a fast, safe, painless, and most importantly, accurate way of gathering information about your body. At the Macdonald Centre for Natural Medicine, we have used Vega testing extensively for 13 years and have found it to be a highly valuable tool for helping patients to understand the underlying causes of their health issues and achieve lasting improvements in their health. 

Vega testing is also called Electro Acupuncture, according to Voll or EAV testing. It uses the acupuncture points in the hands as access points to your body’s sensitive electromagnetic system. From there, the machine measures electromagnetic fluctuations in your body in response to testing various elements. Clinically relevant information can be attained from those measurements.

Naturopathic physicians also use conventional blood work, medical history and physical examination to assess their patients. Vega testing is one more tool in the quest to understand the keys to unlocking your health potential.

At the Macdonald Centre for Natural Medicine our technicians can perform the following tests: 

1) Food allergy testing: we test 90 common foods to see which ones may be disturbing your body and which ones are not. Patients consistently see clinical improvements when they eliminate or limit the foods that the Vega test identifies. Your naturopathic physician will coach you on what you CAN eat so that you can easily transition to the diet that is right for YOU. 

2) Organ Screen – we assess 67 different body parts on a three point scale: healthy, stressed, very stressed. The organ screen assesses organs such as the stomach, kidneys, lungs etc and other body parts like spinal segments, lymph nodes, eyes, diaphragm, adrenals and more. It is not a diagnostic test. Your naturopathic physician will use the results of this screen as clues to be investigated. Most times, patients report that the body parts that are flagged as stressed are the areas they are having trouble with. If new areas show up, it may give you and your doctor insight into your symptoms, or you both may decide to “watch and wait”. 

3) Intestinal Flora imbalance: One the keys to the healthy functioning of the body is the presence of adequate good bacteria in the lining of the intestine. If the good bacteria are not present then yeast (Candida albicans), fungus and other opportunistic organisms will colonize the intestine, creating problems. (See the Candida article for further reference). This test assesses the balance of intestinal flora and reports the degree of Candida yeast present on a scale from 0-10. Zero indicates a healthy balance of flora. Ten indicates a lack of good bacteria and an overgrowth of Candida and possibly other opportunistic organisms. If necessary, your naturopathic physician will discuss an intestinal cleansing program to reestablish the healthy bacterial flora. 

This test is included in the Food Allergy Profile

The advantages of Vega food allergy testing:

  • Results are far more accurate than scratch allergy testing and as accurate as the much more expensive blood tests.
  • The test is virtually painless. No scratching and no blood draw. o Most children and even infants can be tested.
  • We can retest you after some time to see if your food allergies have resolved or are persistent.
  • It is reasonably priced compared to blood tests. Blood tests are not covered by MSP unless there are exceptional circumstances like Autism.
  • Dietary food elimination and reintroduction require months of dietary restrictions that may not prove fruitful. With Vega testing, you can eliminate foods that have a much higher chance of making a clinical difference.
  • You get your results right away and can begin designing the dietary program that will lead you to greater health.

Water: Drink lots of water. Water assists the conductivity of the electromagnetic system. Your test will run more smoothly if you are very well hydrated. Please ensure that you drink abundant fluids the day before and the day of testing. 

Food: Just eat what you normally eat. If you are avoiding a certain food and have done so for a long time, then that food will not likely show up on the Vega food allergy testing. It is difficult for any test, including blood tests, to identify food allergies in foods you are not eating. 

Medications: If you are taking anti-histamines or oral steroids, these medications may mask results. 

Fatigue: Extreme fatigue or extreme stress can affect the testing. Try to ensure that you arrive at the test as well rested as possible.

1) You will be seated in a chair at a desk. You will be asked to hold a metal rod that is connected to the machine via a wire.

2) The test will be conducted by one of our trained Vega technicians: a. Debbie – registered nurse and laser technician with 11 years of experience b. Sue Zonneveld – laser technician with 7 years of experience

3) A probe will be gently applied to your hand by the technician. It doesn’t hurt.

4) You will receive a copy of your results immediately after your testing.

5) At an appointment with your naturopathic physician, you can discuss the significance of the results and what treatments may be indicated. The Vega technician is not in a position to interpret results or advise you on treatments.

For forty years, Vega testing has been used in clinics throughout Europe and North America. The concept that the body is a bio-regulatory mechanism under electro-magnetic control is not new. The Chinese developed a sophisticated theory of energy (chi) and bio-electrical control through the acupuncture meridian system of the body. The Indians developed an analogous system based on breath energy (prana) and electro-magnetic control points called chakras. It was not until the early 1950’s that a German medical doctor found that he could accurately locate acupuncture points using a simple electrical measuring device. He found that acupuncture points had a uniquely different electrical resistance (lower) than the tissues immediately adjacent to them. Dr. Voll mapped the entire body using his device which he called the DERMATRON. He also discovered a method of testing the allergic response of substance using the Dermatron without physically introducing the material into the patient. 

Dr. Voll’s technique involved a lengthy testing session with the patient to measure hundreds of points all over the body and resulted in a prescription involving several dozen homeopathic and herbal remedies. 

In the early 1970’s, another German, Dr. Schimmell, a dentist, simplified Dr. Voll’s technique by inventing another electrodermal diagnostic device called the VEGATEST. Dr. Schimmell took all measurements on one acupuncture point on the finger and varied which organ system was being measured by putting a homeopathic dilution of it into a metal honeycomb on the machine. Much research continues into the technique in Germany, and the method has more recently become completely computerized and automated through a device called the Segmentalelectrogram (Seg). 

Dr. Julian Kenyon has done considerable clinical research in the application of the Vega technology to the field of clinical ecology at the Centre for the Study of Alternative Therapies in England.

At least three double-blind studies have been published on electrodermal allergy testing. Dr. Ali found a 73% concordance between electrodermal testing and ELISA IgE antibody levels for a variety of pollens and moulds. vii Dr. Kiop in Toronto found a 66% correspondence in identifying the neutralization sublingual dose for a variety of foods, chemicals and inhalants between the electrodermal test and intradermal sublingual testing. 

In 1984, a University of Hawaii research team compared six different diagnostic modalities for assessing food allergies including history, food challenge, skin, RAST, IgE antibodies, and electrodermal. ix In over 300 tests, electrodermal testing matched the history 74%, the food challenge test 77%, skin testing 71%, and RAST testing 69%. This research group, which has already published several research studies, is embarking on an extensive fiveyear study on the efficacy of the electrodermal testing procedure in medical practice. 

i cure, vol. 3, 7-17, 1975.



ii Fehrenbach, J., Noll, H., Nolte, H.G. & Schimmell, H.: Short Manuel of the VEGATEST method. Vega Grieshaber, 1981.



iii Kenyon, J. : Modern Techniques of Acupuncture, vol. 3, Thorsons, 1985.



iv Lewith, G. & Kenyons, J. : Clinical Ecology, Thorsons, 1985



v Kenyon, J. : “Diagnostic Techniques of the Future: Bioenergic Regulatory Medicine”, Journal of Alternative Medicine, vol. 12, December 1985.



vi Kenyon, J. : Twentieth Century Medicine, Thorsons, 1986.



vii Ali, M. : “Correlation of IgE antibodies with specificity for pollen and mould allergy with changes in electrodermal skin responses following exposure to allergens”, American Journal of Clinical Pathology, 91:357, 1989.



viii Kiop, J., Swierczek, J., Wood, A. : “Comparison of Ecological Testing with the Vega Test Method in Identifying Sensitivities to Chemicals, Foods and Inhalants”, American Journal of Acupuncture, 13:253-59, 1985.



ix Lam, F., Tsuei, J., : “Case Findings from a Family Practitioners Office Using Electroacupuncture According to Voll”, American Journal of Acupuncture, vol. 11, 23-29, 1983.



Information about Vega testing:



1) The first step is to schedule an appointment for Vega testing.



2) The initial screen for food allergies is about a 40 minute procedure. You will receive your results immediately.



3) Vega testing is a safe, painless, non-invasive procedure. No blood draw, scratches or needles are involved.



4) Please ensure that you have an appointment booked to see Dr. Macdonald shortly after your Vega test to help you interpret the results and take appropriate action steps.



Food sensitivities testing (30 min)   Fee: $80 + G.S.T.



(94 foods) and candida yeast testing



Organ Screen (15 min)   Fee: $40 + G.S.T.



67 body parts are tested for their overall vitality including organs, nerves, hormone glands, vertebrae, digestive system and more



Follow-up testing allows us to monitor your progress and assess your program.



Re-test the: Candida yeast   Fee: $25 + G.S.T.



Previous food sensitivities



Previous organ sensitivities



PLEASE DRINK 2 GLASSES OF WATER PRIOR TO YOUR APPOINTMENT.



Please refrain from taking antihistamines and IF possible, steroid inhalers 24 hours prior to your testing.



Please allow 48 hours notice for any changes to your appointment. A $25 cancellation fee will be charged for those appointments cancelled without notice.