EXPERT REVIEW ON ACUPUNCTURE WITH PETER LOUPELIS

Peter Loupelis is fully qualified in both Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine and registered to practice both by the Chinese Medicine Board of Australia, a part of AHPRA. As a herbalist he is influenced by classical and modern approaches, willing to incorporate the wisdom from Ayurveda (India) and modern Western approaches to his prescriptions.

Peter has a prior degree in Anthropology, Archaeology, and History, and it was through these studies that he began his study of Daoist philosophy and Tai Chi over 14 years ago. He spent a great deal of time exposed to various indigenous cultures around the world learning about their mythologies and the use of story-telling to elicit personal healing and social cohesion. He spent extensive periods of time on several Lakota-Sioux Reservations participating in community ceremonies and rituals. It was during this time – and after a serious auto-immune illness – that he turned to Chinese Medicine for both personal healing, and to pursue a career as a professional.

Coming from a family history of arthritis, Peter has learned and developed effective treatments for sufferers of arthritic conditions, and his personal history of serious thyroid disease has led him to have an intimate understanding of all types of thyroid-based illnesses and how Chinese Medicine can be utilised to effectively treat them.

Peter also has a keen interest on all aspects of Men’s Health, including prostate disorders, sexual dysfunction (low libido, erectile dysfunction, and premature ejaculation), andropause, hormonal imbalances, depression and anxiety, relationships, and male fertility issues (such as low sperm morphology, motility, sperm count, DNA fragmentation, and so on). He has of late been exploring the historical Chinese Medicine approaches to dysbiosis and intestinal parasitic infestation and its relationship to many common modern digestive complaints such as abdominal bloating, weight-management issues, and the links between mood/emotion and diet and digestive health.

We had a chat to Peter about Acupuncture. Here is what he had to say..

NAME

Peter Loupelis

EXPERTISE

Men's health/fertility, digestive disorders, hormone imbalances, thyroid & adrenals

LOCATION

True Nature Wellness Brunswick East Melbourne

INTERESTS

Health & Wellness, Tai Chi, Yoga, Food, Meditation, Learning, Outdoors

BACKGROUND

Australian-born Greek with a long history of studying Daoist and Buddhhist practices and the healing practices of shamanistic cultures such as the Lakota of North America and the Australian Aboriginal nations.

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO GET INTO TCM

An aboriginal Medicine Man once told me I was an acupuncturist long before I'd even had acupuncture. And my real inspiration was my practitioner and mentor Tran, who cured me of Graves' Disease. He told me that I would be good at Chinese Medicine, because “I got it”

HOW DOES IT WORK

The million-dollar question! Chinese Medicine perceives physiology in terms of functional systems that operate in terms of yin (substance/form) and yang (function/energy). Food and Herbal medicine work at providing nutrient (yin) into the body, while acupuncture works with what is present and moves energy (Qi) around to distribute nutrient to where it needs to go. Combined together, both practices provide a truly alternative and holistic system that addresses the imbalances of the natural physiological processes of the body.

DOES IT HURT

No. Especially since I prefer classical styles of acupuncture, utilising even finer needles with shallow insertion, and minimal-to-none manipulation

IS ACUPUCTURE JUST FOR AREAS OF PAIN

Acupuncture is for everything – we attend to redress the imbalance of the individual body, and so all illnesses can be treated, as they are viewed as evidence of a larger pattern of disharmony. Pain can be part of this, as it is the body's signalling system that is telling you something is wrong.

WHAT IS QI (PRONOUNCED “CHEE”

Qi is the vital force or energy that is behind all physiological processes and functions. It is what is behind cellular respiration, circulation, and distribution. Our emotions are an expression of how Qi moves, for example. We receive Qi from the air we breathe and the food and drinks we consume.

HOW MANY CONSULTATIONS WILL I REQUIRE

It depends on what your health outcome is. As a general rule of thumb, the more acute a condition, the less treatment; the more chronic conditions require more treatment over a longer period of time. This can vary from individual to individual.

DOES IT HAVE SIDE EFFECTS

Yes – feeling better, a reversal of illness, and generalised feeling of more energy, greater sense of wellbeing, and can also be effective in altering your state for the better

HOW DOES IT EFFECT PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL HEALTH

There is no separation of mind and body in Chinese Medicine – and so attending to the physiological will also affect mental and emotional health (and vice versa). So much of 'mental health' is actually due to poor nutrition, limiting self-beliefs, lack of exercise (the circulation of Qi) and doesn't require medication; it just requires the body to come back into balance. Holistic health is about the 'whole' picture, and so part of my job is to coach patients about their diets, lifestyle, exercise, as well as prescribing medicine, and treating them with acupuncture.

IS IT EXPENSIVE

If you crunch the numbers, it is far less expensive than a GP visit – the difference being that a GP bill is covered by the taxpayer, where you have to pay for your sessions with an acupuncturist. You can claim it on Private Health if your policy covers it, and different funds rebate differently, so its worth doing your homework.

HOW MANY CONSULTATIONS WILL I REQUIRE

It depends on what your health outcome is. As a general rule of thumb, the more acute a condition, the less treatment; the more chronic conditions require more treatment over a longer period of time. This can vary from individual to individual.

WHO CAN BENEFIT MOST FROM ACUPUNCTURE

Everyone. There is not a single person who cannot benefit from it in one way. Basically, if you feel like you're “not quite right or yourself”, then chances are the subtleties of Chinese Medicine will be able to identify what the problem is even when countless medical tests show nothing.

Thanks Pete for sharing more about yourself and TCM with the Human Wellness Community!!! XO

Keep up to date with Peter and True Nature Wellness at www.truenaturewellness.com.au

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