What are the opening hours?

Monday 9am - 5am Tuesday 9am - 3am Wednesday 9am - 5am Thursday 10am - 5am Friday 9am - 2pm

Poke Acupuncture

Home
Australia
Port Macquarie, NSW
Poke Acupuncture

Hip Bursitis, Shoulder Pain, Plantar Fasciitis, Neck Pain, Sciatica, Fertility, Pregnancy Support Thanks for visiting. Lani & Ryan

Owner's Bio:
We met during our training in Canada almost 10 years ago and have returned to Newcastle, Lani’s hometown, bringing Poke Acupuncture to life. We both practice Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine, and we do our best to live the healthy lifestyle we encourage others to live. But, we are also human, and you may catch us enjoying the odd icecream at the beach on a hot, sunny day with

our sweet daughter. We are passionate about what we do: the wonders and weirdness of Acupuncture; the beauty and potency of Chinese Herbs; the curiosity and magic of Cupping. Our clinic is a place you can come to to relax and have your condition treated in a private, cosy environment. We will assess you and provide our best opinion on your course of treatment, provide you with Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine services, as well as offer you remedies from our well-stocked, raw, Chinese herb pharmacy and ready-made prescriptions. Please join our page as we will share with you our thoughts on living a healthy, balanced lifestyle, facts and pics about Acupuncture, Chinese Herbs and health, newsy updates from our clinic and info from our contacts in the wonderful community of Newcastle.

01/09/2026

“I can’t even put my socks on without my back hurting.” 😩

If that sounds familiar, you’re definitely not alone. ❤️

Maybe you’ve noticed that simple things have suddenly become difficult.

Putting your socks or shoes on. 🧦
Getting your foot up to tie your laces. 👟
Getting in and out of the car. 🚗
Bending down to pick something up.

And you might be thinking:

“Why is my back so tight?”
“Why does my glute feel like it’s constantly tense?”
“Why does stretching help for a little while, but then it comes straight back?” 🤔

You may even have been told you have a “tight back muscle” or “tight glute” and have tried stretching, massage, foam rolling or releasing the area over and over again.

But what if the tightness isn’t the main problem? 👀

When you bring your foot up to put on a sock, your hip needs to flex and rotate while your pelvis and lower back help control the movement.

If your hip isn’t moving well, your body can start compensating.

You might twist your pelvis, hike your hip, lean sideways or move more through your lower back.

Your low back and glute muscles can then end up working overtime to keep everything stable.

And that can leave you with that familiar feeling of:

“My lower back and upper buttock are constantly tight.” 😣

The frustrating part is that you can massage and stretch those muscles and feel better temporarily… only for the tightness to come straight back. 🔄

That’s because sometimes the question isn’t:

“How do I loosen this tight muscle?”

It’s:

“Why does this muscle feel like it has to work so hard in the first place?” 💡

If you’re struggling with back pain, glute tightness and everyday movements like putting on your socks or shoes, it may be worth looking at the whole hip–pelvis–lower back relationship, rather than just treating the spot that hurts.

Because when something as simple as putting on a sock becomes difficult, your body is telling you that something needs attention. ❤️

04/08/2026

Why Does Sciatica Pain Happen? 😟⚡

Sciatica isn't just basic back discomfort—it's a progressive chain reaction that occurs when the body's largest nerve becomes pinched or inflamed!

The Progression of Sciatic Pain:

1. Initial Strain or Tear: Begins with a muscle injury, tear, or reduced disc height (L1–L5) that weakens support along the lumbar spine.

2. Disc Herniation: Structural changes lead to a herniated disc (commonly at L4–L5), protruding outward toward the spinal canal.

3. Nerve Compression & Irritation: The herniation pinches the sciatic nerve root, causing localized nerve inflammation and severe muscle spasms or tightness around the piriformis muscle.

4. Radiating Pain Pathway: Pain travels down through the pelvis and sacrum, following the sciatic nerve pathway all the way down the leg to the foot.

Don't Ignore the Signals:

Understanding how nerve compression develops helps you address symptoms before pain worsens.

02/08/2026

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

30/07/2026

Piriformis Syndrome vs. Sciatica – Do You Know the Difference? 🤔

Many people assume that pain running down the leg is always sciatica. Surprisingly, in our clinic we actually see piriformis syndrome more often than true sciatica.

The piriformis is a small muscle deep in the buttock that can irritate or compress the sciatic nerve, causing symptoms that closely mimic sciatica—including:

🔹 Buttock pain or aching
🔹 Pain that worsens with sitting
🔹 Pain with certain hip movements
🔹 Tenderness deep in the buttock
🔹 Pain, tingling, or numbness that travels down the leg

The key difference? True sciatica is usually caused by irritation or compression of the nerve in the lower back, while piriformis syndrome originates in the hip and buttock region.

Getting the correct diagnosis is important because the treatment approach can be very different.

If you've been struggling with persistent buttock pain or "sciatica" that isn't improving, we'd be happy to assess what's really causing your symptoms and develop the right treatment plan.

28/07/2026

Do you have neck pain that travels down your arm?

Let’s understand the neurological roadmap. 🌡️🌏

If you’re experiencing numbness, tingling, or a shooting ache in your hand, the root cause might actually be in your neck.

Knowing where the compression is helps us understand why you feel the pain elsewhere.

The 'Neural Pain Map' Breakdown:

This infographic illustrates how spine issues in the neck affect the nerves that supply your arm:

- Disc Bulge (C3-C4): Pressure on the spinal cord or nerve roots.
- Nerve Root Irritation (C4-C5): Inflammation of the nerve exiting the spine.
- Foraminal Narrowing (C5-C6): A tightening of the bony tunnel for the nerve.

25/06/2026

🔹 Shoulder Pain Holding You Back?

Can you lift your arms above your head without pain?

👉 Reaching into a cupboard
👉 Putting on a shirt or jacket
👉 Brushing or washing your hair

If these everyday movements cause pain, stiffness, weakness, or discomfort, it could be a sign that your shoulder needs attention.

💡 The good news is that many shoulder problems respond well to the right treatment and advice.

📞 Get in touch today to book an assessment and find out what's causing your shoulder pain.

18/06/2026

Why Your “Leg Pain” Isn’t Actually a Leg Problem

Pain in your:
➡ Buttock
➡ Thigh
➡ Calf

…can all come from one irritated nerve in your back.

That’s why:
❌ Stretching the leg doesn’t always help
❌ Massage gives only short relief
💡 The nerve needs to be calmed at the source.

Good news?
When treated properly, this type of pain can improve faster than you think.

05/05/2026

YOUR ARM IS NOT “ASLEEP”… YOUR NERVE IS BEING COMPRESSED WHILE YOU SLEEP

If you wake up in the middle of the night and your arm feels numb, heavy, or completely “dead,” it might seem like a circulation problem. But in most cases, that’s not what’s happening.

The real cause is usually nerve compression.

When you sleep in certain positions—especially with your arm under your head or your shoulder rotated forward—you create pressure around the nerves that travel from your neck into your arm. These nerves form what’s called the brachial plexus.
When that pathway is compressed, the signal between your brain and your arm gets disrupted. That’s what creates the numbness, tingling, and “pins and needles” feeling.

That’s also why the sensation disappears quickly when you change position. The moment the pressure is removed, the signal returns.

This is not a blood flow issue.

It’s a temporary nerve signal block caused by sleep position.

13/04/2026

Taiwanese researchers discovered acupuncture triggering stem cell release healing damaged organs naturally. Scientists at China Medical University found that electroacupuncture at specific meridian points stimulates bone marrow to release mesenchymal stem cells into circulation, which then migrate to injured organs and promote tissue repair. This mechanism explains acupuncture's therapeutic effects through measurable biological processes rather than placebo.

09/04/2026

What’s REALLY Causing Your Sciatica? (It’s Not What You Think)

Most people think sciatica is a “leg problem”…
But in many cases, the real issue is coming from your lower back.

👉 Irritated nerves
👉 Disc bulges
👉 Joint stiffness

That’s why:
❌ Rubbing the leg
❌ Stretching the hamstring
❌ Massaging the calf
…often doesn’t fix it.

💡 If you don’t treat the source, it keeps coming back.

If your sciatica isn’t improving, it may be time to look deeper.

📍 We help people across Port Macquarie get to the root of their pain.

Address

113 Bridge Street
Port Macquarie, NSW
2444

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5am
Tuesday	9am - 3am
Wednesday	9am - 5am
Thursday	10am - 5am
Friday	9am - 2pm

Telephone

+61255900232

Website

http://www.pokeacupuncture.com.au/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Poke Acupuncture posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Want your practice to be the top-listed Clinic in Port Macquarie?