Transform Your Health with Acupuncture: Meet Dr Elena Zarifis, ND
Discover the power of acupuncture and how it can enhance your wellness at Xalara Naturopathic Clinic in Oakville. Explore our Q&A with Dr. Elena Zarifis and learn how acupuncture can transform your health.
As I sat nervously in the waiting room of my naturopathic doctor’s office, I wondered how confident I was in her explanation at my previous appointment. The one where she recommended acupuncture as a new layer to add to our treatment plan for managing my PCOS issues. After 18 months of research, consultations, and learning about this ancient practice, I am finally ready to share my experience with acupuncture, and with this acupuncture clinic. And let me tell you, it was one of the best decisions I ever made for my health and wellness. I knew I had to share my journey and insights with others who may be struggling with PCOS or simply curious about this form of holistic medicine.
In this blog post, I'll take you to the experts, through a Q&A where I sit down with Dr. Elena Zarifis of Xalara Naturopathic clinic in Oakville; my local naturopathic doctor, and go-to wellness guru. For this Q&A conversation, I basically did a rewind to my state of mind just before I met her, and then asked her all the questions that were rolling around in my head at that time. So whether you're a PCOS warrior like myself or just looking to explore alternative forms of wellness, keep reading to discover the benefits of acupuncture and how it can transform your health.
Q&A with Dr Elena Zarifis
Can you tell me a bit about yourself and your journey so far?
My whole life I have been passionate about health in one way or another; I grew up playing sports and it helped me to learn about the importance of nutrition and activity in living well. Through sports, I became very interested in the clinical field of helping patients. I carried this passion throughout university, with my sights actually initially set on Physiotherapy - until I learned about Naturopathic Medicine! I was taken by how it married my passion for health, nature, wellness and a healthy lifestyle, and I pursued this path.
Over the years, my practice has even evolved with me, where I find myself focussing on Skin, Anxiety and Gut issues. Not only are these issues inherently linked, but I know what it’s like to struggle with these issues and the obstacles they can place on feeling confident, happy and enjoying life. So to be able to help others finally feel like themselves again and get back to living life well is very fulfilling.
I find myself on my own ongoing, evolving quest to enjoying life, something I have learned along the way is that one big component of living life to the fullest truly does come down to health and well-being, but of utmost importance is how we go about achieving this health & well-being. There is so much noise out there promoting so many extreme and unsustainable approaches to achieving health or your goals, it can be overwhelming and downright discouraging. I like to be able to take the stress out of it for my patients and guide them down a sensible, strategic path that doesn’t sacrifice everything we love in order to address our issue.
Big question, but might as well start with the big guns. What really is acupuncture?
Acupuncture is a treatment method for many different health issues, where very tiny and thin specialized acupuncture needles are placed on specific points on the body in order to stimulate these points.
The points that are used are determined after careful assessment by the practitioner using their training in Traditional Chinese Medicine style Acupuncture to choose a set of points specific to the individual’s case. I can speak for my practice, that it’s a very relaxing session, and you typically hardly feel the needles at all!
How acupuncture works can be explained in a few different ways, which I am sure we will get to! Though it was developed over 3000 years ago as part of Traditional Chinese medicine, it has garnered so much research in the western scientific world over the years, where they are learning about how it does what it does, so we do have ways to explain it that are easier to understand in our western world.
How does acupuncture help with stress and finding balance?
Acupuncture can help to shift our body out of fight or flight mode, our sympathetic nervous system state, our stress mode/survival mode, and into rest & digest mode - our parasympathetic state. When under stress, we are in that sympathetic nervous system state- this is the state our body developed back in caveman days as survival tool for when a bear would show up at the cave, for example - it helps our cortisol and adrenaline flow so we can be super alert and physically ready to survive that moment.
The issue is that many of us find ourselves in that state so much more often than we should be in society nowadays, leading to disease, dysfunction and a dysregulated nervous system/ stress response- rather than helping us survive short moments. When we are in this survival mode, our body is focussed on surviving that moment. We are not prioritizing ‘balancing’ hormones, digesting food, absorbing nutrients, healing injuries, growing hair, producing collagen, regulating emotions, etc.
With Acupuncture, It helps us to shift out of fight or flight and into rest and digest. What I love is that it is helping your body get there on its own more often, like it is training your nervous system to regulate. Each session builds on the last one - I liken it to the gym. You feel good after one session, but we need that consistency especially at the beginning, to get our body to make those changes that last a little bit longer each time. This is in addition to its more targeted effects on different areas in the body from specific point stimulations.
I was fascinated by the science behind acupuncture and how poking needles on my skin will change things on the inside. And I guess that confusion is pretty common among people who hear about acupuncture for the first time. How would you describe the efficiency of acupuncture to a newbie who knows nothing about it?
I personally prefer to explain acupuncture to my patients through the lens of western medicine and research, simply because this is what most individuals’ brains are more familiar with and can understand. However, the original explanation from the traditional Chinese medicine perspective (below) is important and significant.
The short version is that: where the needles are inserted, they stimulate & affect nerves in that area. This starts a cascade of signals in the nervous system, ultimately both influencing the state of the nervous system - turning on the parasympathetic ‘rest and digest’ state, as well as the nervous systems’ output effect on various targeted areas in the body, depending on what points are used.
There are also local effects of the needle where it is placed to those physical tissues nearby.
There is so much more to it but in trying to be as simplified and concise as possible, this is how I would explain it as a general overview. I would say that secondary to how it works would be what it’s used for, as it can also depend what we are treating and what methods are being used to explain what it is doing.
The traditional Chinese medicine explanation lies on the basis of Qi , the energy that flows through the body, the body’s vital life force. This is the basis of how acupuncture can influence the amount and the flow of Qi in order to achieve balance and it works by harmonizing internal organs, restoring balance and improving function in the body.
Again - There is more to it but this would be a general and concise way to put it.
In my experience, I have learnt that acupuncture has benefits in various systems of the body. In fact, in my friend group alone, four women are regularly getting acupuncture for four different issues and we all have something in common. We see results! So would you say there are different kinds of acupuncture? And If yes, how would you classify them?
There are different styles and methods. As a Naturopathic Doctor, I use Traditional Chinese medicine acupuncture when working on things like stress, anxiety, sleep, digestive issues, skin, hormones, headaches, and more.
When approaching musculoskeletal concerns - pain, injury, recovery, function/dysfunction, etc - this still uses Traditional Chinese Medicine but there are techniques and styles that have evolved with research and have modified how it is applied, with a heavier focus on the nerve path & nerve root, in addition to the local effects of the needles on that particular area of physical concern.
There is also my favourite- Facial rejuvenation acupuncture, which I will describe in more detail below. It too blends traditional Chinese medicine approach to acupuncture with the local effect of acupuncture, with some added features. There are also different medicine styles of acupuncture - Japanese, Korean, in addition to Chinese medicine. As a Naturopathic Doctor I am trained in the traditional Chinese medicine approach to acupuncture.
Acupuncture and hormones! Let’s talk about that. How would you determine if a hormone issue can be treated using acupuncture?
Acupuncture is so individualized that it can be used for almost any case. It depends after thorough assessment , what the root cause appears to be. Sometimes we use acupuncture to influence hormonal issues more directly, and sometimes we use it to work on the underlying issues presenting as major obstacles to hormone “harmony” - we could say :)
A lot of my experience with acupuncture has been focused on gut issues, stress and hormones. But I remember once I had trouble with my knee from some killer workouts I had done; and you casually added some needles to my knee area, and it worked! How flexible can you be with the kinds of remedies you administer in one acupuncture session?
With acupuncture, consistency is key. So we stick to our core protocol as much as possible but there are many instances in which acute acupuncture can be helpful, or our symptom picture is changing, and we can choose to be flexible in the approach we take that day. With the example you gave, we did just that, by continuing our protocol and layering in an acute treatment of specific targeted points based on the assessment of your knee pain. The biggest obstacle to flexibility would be the location of the additional acute points as it depends if we can reach them all at the same time.
I’d like to answer the question lots of people ask - ‘how do I know if acupuncture is what I need?’ It’s ridiculous how effective acupuncture has been for me, it almost feels like magic. How well does a lay person have to know themselves to determine that acupuncture is the next step in their wellness interventions?
The best thing they can do is ask! But really, acupuncture can be beneficial to so many people for various issues, and its overall influence on well-being , health and emotional regulation can be profound with enough consistency. I would say it is less whether or not acupuncture may help in some way, and more so if acupuncture would be best as an adjunctive/additional treatment or is it enough by itself at the time.And this would absolutely depend on a thorough assessment for each individual.
In your practice, you offer both (regular) acupuncture and facial acupuncture. I don’t have any wrinkles (yet) so I haven’t taken you up on the latter. But what is the facial acupuncture process like, for those who might be interested?
Facial acupuncture is a way to naturally enhance your existing beauty and address fine lines, wrinkles, sagging, complexion, glow, optimizing skin health and more! We use tiny intradermal needles in fine lines and wrinkles, delicate facial acupuncture needles in areas of the face to tonify the muscles and the skin, plus a full body acupuncture protocol, all followed by a guided relaxation and time to rest. Then, we remove the needles, I apply special facial oil and we do a cooled jade rolling and gua sha facial massage.
These cosmetic acupuncture sessions aim to harmonize the patients internal systems through full body acupuncture treatments, paired with the focus of the session which is a customized facial acupuncture protocol that may help to reduce fine lines, wrinkles, sagging, and improve circulation in the face which helps with bringing your skin the nutrients and oxygen it needs to create a visible plumping glow.
It aims to stimulate collagen production, tone muscles, improve local circulation, lymphatic drainage, and complexion.
How do interventions like acupuncture work alongside conventional medical treatments in people living with hormonal or other medical issues?
It is all individualized so if modifications need to be made in some capacity to suit that individual whether it is an existing treatment or a condition then we modify our protocol or technique etc , and in a few cases it may just not be the best choice for that individual.
How would you approach a patient who is getting acupuncture for the first time? What does the initial appointment look like?
We go over an assessment where I ask lots of questions and get all the details of your concern and this helps me to prepare an individualized protocol of points that we should use for you.
Then I explain what you can expect during and after the session, and to let me know at any time if you’re uncomfortable and we can adjust or remove needles at your discretion. I only do points that you’re comfortable with. Once the needles are in, we do a guided relaxation to help you relax with calming music and let you rest for 20 mins, most people fall asleep!
How can I tell if acupuncture is covered by my health insurance?
You can call your provider and ask or look into your package online, each company and each plan is different so they would be the best people to discuss that with.
For example- Depending on your plan, acupuncture done by me goes under Naturopathic coverage, or in some cases- acupuncture coverage, or through your health spending account. But I always suggest you check with your provider to know your exact coverage.
How can people reach you if they need to explore your services or book an appointment?
They can send me an email to info@drelenaznd.com or drelenaznd@gmail.com or call me at 289-856-8380 and leave a voicemail if I cannot reach the phone.
They can check me out on Instagram and send me a message there @dr.elenazarifis - but the fastest, best way would be email!
They can book a initial intake appointment or video call online at https://drelenaznd.janeapp.com