Cheap $25 Acupuncture in Sydney / シドニーでお安く＄２５で鍼治療を受ける方法

My hubby and I had acupuncture in Sydney. It was only $25 per person!!! Amazing price! 

A good friend of mine from Design Centre Sydney TAFE had told me, and she strongly recommended me about this. So, I've decided to give a try. I must confess, both my hubby and myself were a bit nervous to get acupuncture treatment by a non-professional. In fact, we tried to book a staff practitioner appointment first. But this was all booked until June (about a month to wait) and we didn't want to wait that long. 

So, we decided to have a student intern treatment. The booking was very easy. We called on the day we wanted to have the treatment, but no problem to book it on the time we wanted. 

I got a cute young female Chinese student, Sumin. My hubby got a male Chinese student in his 50s' or so. 

As this was the first time to visit the clinic, I was asked to fill out 2 pages of form, first. Based on the form, Sumin asked more questions. Soon, Sumin identified the locations of my pain: lower back, shoulders, neck, and wrist. The main difference between the staff practitioners and student interns is that students have to consult with their supervisors before performing any acupuncture treatment.  It was fine with me for Sumin to go out a few times to talk to her supervisor before she started any needle work on me. I felt safer that way. 

I got total 16 needles. 13 needles on my neck, shoulders, lower back area, and 3 more needles on my wrist. The needles were very thin ones--nothing like my sewing needles!! I felt slight pain each time Sumin put needle on me, but nothing major. I asked Sumin if Chinese acupuncture was different from Japanese one. Sumin explained that Chinese  one goes a bit dipper than Japanese one. (and yes, I remember that I hardly felt any pain at all when I was getting Japanese acupuncture before) 

The needles were left on my back about 20 minutes. Sumin remove them once, and then, put 3 more needles on my wrist. and meanwhile, Sumin gave me a remedial massage on my back - to be precise, they call this type of massage with another name, but I forgot what it was called.  Sumin used an oil, which had some Chinese herb (that suppose to increase the blood circulation on my back).  

Both my hubby and myself had nearly 1.5 hours of treatment -- just for $25! This was really amazing. 

For your info, I'm in my private healthcare (Top Extra plan from nib). But they don't accept nib (and 3-4 other private healthcare. Sorry, I forgot which ones). So, no deduction, but I can't complain if it is $25!!  

After the treatment, my shoulders felt much lighter. It felt really good. 

My hubby on the other hand, was so relaxed after the treatment. He was soooo relaxed and almost doopy - as if he smoked some dope. I wondered if the needles unlocked not only his tense physical muscle, but also his stress? He was a bit doozy about an hour. So, I wouldn't recommend anybody to drive afterward. 

Below are more detailed info that I copied and pasted from their web site:

STAFF PRACTITIONER CLINIC ($42)
- TUE:
8:00am- 12:00pm : Cong Xing Yang
1:00pm - 6:00pm : Mary Garvey

- THUR:
8:00am - 12:00pm: Carolyn Michaeil
1:00pm - 6:00pm: Nancy Morgan

- FRI:
8:00am -12:00pm : Heiji Cho
1:00pm - 6:00pm : Chris Zaslawski

STUDENT INTERN CLINIC ($25)
- MON: 8:00am - 6:00pm
- WED: 8:00am - 6:00pm

UTS provides three outpatient clinics where the UTS community and members of the public can receive Chinese medicine treatment from qualified staff practitioners or student interns at a substantially reduced cost, as part of its degree program:
- UTS Acupuncture Clinic
- UTS Chinese Herbal Medicine Clinic
- UTS Chinese Medicine Remedial Massage Clinic

An initial appointment is often one hour (60 minutes) in length. This includes a consultation about your health, well being and presenting problem as well as treatment. Treatment may include the use of other allied treatment modalities (such as massage, cupping and gua sha) in addition to acupuncture but this depends upon your presenting problem and health concerns. Subsequent consultations and treatment take approximately 45 minutes.

ADDRESS （住所）:
UTS Chinese Medicine Clinic
Building 4, Science (CB04)
Level 1 (CB04.01)
Corner of Harris and Thomas St 
(opposite ABC Ultimo Centre on Harris St)

PHONE: 
02 9514 2509

Click here to see UTS Chinese Medicine Clinic web site 
（上のリンクをクリックするとウエブで詳細が見れます）

シドニーで、主人と一緒に鍼治療を受けてきました。なんと＄２５！！破格のお値段です。と言うのも、大学４年生のインターン学生による治療だからお得なお値段だったんですね。去年まで私が通っていたシドニーのデザインの学校の、オージークラスメートが、この鍼治療のことめちゃめちゃ褒めまくってたんです。なので、主人と試しに行ってみた訳です。

＄４５で正式な資格のあるスタッフによる鍼治療も受けれるようだけど、こちらは人気が高くて、予約は６月まで１ヶ月待ちと言われました（そりゃそうよねー、だって安すぎるもん）。それに、１日に１−２人のスタッフしか働いてないようでした。

インターン生徒による鍼なら、当日の昼過ぎに、電話で４時の予約入れても余裕でした。インターン生徒は何人もが働いてるので、予約が取りやすいようです。

日本の鍼と比較すると、中国の鍼は、もう少し深く刺すのだそう。ちくっとするけど、激痛はないのでご安心を！

私は合計１３本の鍼を、肩、首、腰の下の方に打ってもらいました。鍼が刺さった状態で２０分ぐらい、横になって休みます。２０分後に鍼を抜きます。そしてもう３本を右手首の腱鞘炎に刺してもらいます。今回の待ち時間中には、中国のハーブ入りのオイル（血行が良くなる成分が入ってるハーブだそう。名前教えてもらったけど忘れた）で、肩、首、腰まわりをマッサージしてもらいました。極楽！レメディアルマッサージとすごく似てるけど、中国では別の呼び方があるらしい（これも名前を教えてもらったけど、忘れた）。

私は、鍼治療が終わり、肩が軽く感じました。うちの主人は、鍼治療が終わって１時間ほどは、なんかリラックスしすぎて眠くなってトロトロとしてました。なので、車の運転は控えた方が良さそうです。

民間の保険は使えるのと使えないのがあるようです。私はNibという保険に入っていて、鍼治療もカバーしてもらえるプランです。だけど、ここのクリニックではNibを含め、あと４−５つ分の民間保険はカバー出来ないそう。（書類読んだけど、名前忘れたー）

ま、でも＄２５なら、もう十分すぎるほど安いけどね。

ADDRESS （住所）:
UTS Chinese Medicine Clinic
Building 4, Science (CB04)
Level 1 (CB04.01)
Corner of Harris and Thomas St 
(opposite ABC Ultimo Centre on Harris St)

PHONE: 
02 9514 2509

Click here to see UTS Chinese Medicine Clinic web site 
（上のリンクをクリックするとウエブで詳細が見れます）