The Lane Cove rooms are at 2 Austin Street, directly opposite the Lane Cove Library and a few metres from Longueville Road. If you are coming from the village it is a walk of two or three minutes, and the parking behind the library is the easiest option in the middle of the day.
Lane Cove sends a particular mix of problems through the door. There are the desk-and-commute necks and low backs from St Leonards and the city, the shoulders and elbows of a suburb that plays a lot of tennis, and the knees and Achilles tendons that come with living on a hillside — the stairs down to Tambourine Bay and the streets off Burns Bay Road are their own kind of training load. Lane Cove also has a lot of people in their thirties and forties carrying small children, which is its own demand on a back.
A first appointment is mostly questions and movement testing: where the pain is, what makes it worse, what it stops you doing, and how it has behaved over weeks rather than days. From there you should leave knowing what is proposed, roughly how long it is expected to take, and what would mean changing the plan.
Worth bringing: any imaging or specialist letters you already have, a list of medications, and the shoes you actually walk or train in. If the pain is new and severe, follows a significant fall, or comes with numbness, weakness, fever or any change in bladder or bowel control, see a doctor first — that is a medical assessment, not a treatment question.
The nearest alternative if Lane Cove does not suit you is the Freshwater side, about 14 kilometres away across the Spit.
Moxibustion is not one single technique. Different forms of moxa and ways of delivering warmth mean your session needs to be explained to you.
Pictures of moxibustion usually show a glowing stick held above the skin, which is just one version. Moxa, the dried mugwort used in this practice, comes in several forms, and heat can be delivered in different ways. For anyone with sensitive skin, breathing concerns or stiff, sore joints, understanding those differences helps you decide whether a session suits you.
Seeing a moxa stick online does not tell you how a session with your own practitioner will be carried out. The material, the distance from the skin and the length of time heat is applied can vary. Each version brings its own considerations for comfort, smoke and skin safety.
Ask Dr Christine Shen, Acupuncturist, which form of moxa is being considered for you and why. Mention any previous reaction to smoke, strong smells or heat, even if it happened somewhere unrelated, such as near a campfire or with a heat pack. Older adults and people with conditions that reduce sensation should say so, since they may not feel heat building up as quickly as expected.
The question that matters is whether a particular application suits your body and circumstances. It is not about which product looks most traditional or has the strongest aroma. Agree beforehand on how you will signal that warmth is too strong and what aftercare will be needed.
Instructions should be specific to you. Another person's moxa routine or an online demonstration does not establish what is right for your skin or breathing. If anything feels too hot during a session, say so straight away.
At the Lane Cove clinic, Christine can show you the forms of moxa she uses and explain how each one is applied, so you can make a choice based on what you have seen and discussed rather than on a single picture.
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