Katika Funnell - Acupuncture Practitioner
I arrived at The Family Wellness centre with atypical complaints. Back ache, neck pain and mild fatigue – I am just at the end of a flu and like most mortgage-belt afflicted Sydney-siders I often burn the candle at both ends. I’m running on adrenalin a lot of the time – Hillary Clinton’s recent comments on Letterman on the subject rang a bell.
Katika Funnel is The Family Wellness Centre’s Director and resident Acupuncturist. She grew up on the Northern Beaches and elected at the early age of 18 to enroll in a 4 year Health Science degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine at UTS She followed that up with a stint in China and earned a Certificate of TCM from Hangzhou Red Cross Hospital in Zhejiang Province. She's currently an active member of the Australian Traditional Medicine Society
We started the session with a series of questions.
O M: How does acupuncture actually work?
K F: Well, very briefly, it stimulates the nervous system and the body to help itself. Clinical trials have proven this is the case. To use an analogy we use needles to ‘unblock’ stagnation in the body.
O M: What % of people find it painfull?
K F: Noone I have treated has said it is painful. They often say, “are they in already”, and when I say, "yes", they are usually surprised.
O M: How many needles are applied in an average session?
K F: About 10. Needles are, of course, single-use and are disposed of in a special ‘sharps’ industrial waste container.
O M: Why not just get a massage?
K F: Actually, I usually do combine acupuncture treatment with some focused massage. There are though particular ‘tonification’ points within the body which stimulate enhancement of a person’s energy. There are not directly accessible by massage alone.
O M: What ailments is acupuncture particularly beneficial for?
K F: Tendinitis (tennis elbow, golfer’s elbow, typist's or writer’s wrist, footballer’s knee). Pain – joints, muscles, neck, shoulder, back, traumas, post-operative pain, a broad range of ‘stomach’ pains. The kidney is really the centre of Chinese medicine in terms of energy treatments.
O M: Why did you decide to study Acupuncture?
K F: As a teenager I suffered from chronic tonsillitis. Traditional Western medicine didn’t solve the problem. Consultation with a homeopath did. So I developed an appreciation for and interest in therapies that didn’t rely on drug treatments.
An Hour On The Table
Katika applied about 8 needles to my back. I couldn’t feel them being inserted, just a slight tap.
They were left in for about 20 minutes. I felt a slight sensation of heat and increased energy circulation during this time. Katika’s gentle touch and her direct conversation made the whole process just plain relaxing. After the removal of the needles Katika gave me a gentle deep tissue massage in the affected area on my upper back. She then applied ‘cupping’ treatment to my back for a further 5 minutes.
Following this I turned over and a further 4 needles were applied – one in my head, 2 in my arm and 1 in my foot – these are particularly points to assist in energy enhancement she told me.
During this latter period Katika also read my pulse. She observed that my kidney pulse was somewhat weak, and a little erratic, indicating I had been overdoing it for a period and perhaps running on adrenalin. Given this, she performed Moxibustion – the burning of a high heat dispensing herb just above the skin. This she did around my navel, directing energy to my kidneys, a practice designed to facilitate energy enhancement – in Chinese medicine the kidneys are believed to be the seat of our life energy.
On leaving the Family Wellness Centre I felt clear-headed and happy. 30 minutes later walking back from the car to my apartment it dawned on me I couldn’t recall feeling this good in months. In the days that followed I noticed I was more aware of the feelings in my body. I also had a sense of adjustment of pace, feeling as if I could proceed calmly at 30 miles an hour instead of 100. I am a convert and I will be visiting for a monthly treatment henceforth.
An hour treatment including acupuncture, massage, pulse reading, cupping and moxibustion is $70. Half hour treatments are $55. Health Fund Rebates are available.
Katika enjoys treating patients who haven’t had acupuncture or chinese herbs before and are apprehensive or anxious about the process. “To see the pleased look on clients faces about how painless it was along with the improvement and relief the client experiences after the treatment, makes it all worth while.”
Katika’s specialty:Chronic Fatigue, Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Liver Complaints.
For 1000’s of years acupuncture and herbal remedies were China’s only Medical system. You can read a little about the history of acupuncture here. China is the oldest civilization 'alive' today and for large parts of its history was the most dominant and technologically advanced on earth. The events of the 19th and 20th century have, of course, altered that somewhat, but the 21st century, starting with the Beijing games, certainly looks to shine brightly on China once again. Reflecting this, Australian’s are increasingly interested in the old wisdom of China in the arts and in health care practices.