Neuro Acupuncture in Ottawa
Advanced Neurological Treatment
Where Ancient Needling Meets Modern Neuroscience
Neurological conditions are among the most complex, life-altering, and underserved areas of healthcare. Whether you or someone you love is recovering from a stroke, living with Parkinson's disease, managing multiple sclerosis, or navigating the daily challenges of peripheral neuropathy, you deserve care that goes beyond symptom management.
At Twelvem Acupuncture in Ottawa, we offer some of the most advanced neuroacupuncture treatments available in Canada. Our approach is built on a rare combination of specialised training, including study in China under one of the world's leading neuroacupuncture systems, and advanced post-graduate training in integrative neuro-meridian acupuncture.
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Why Choose Twelvem for Neuroacupuncture in Ottawa?
There are many acupuncture clinics in Ottawa. Very few specialise in neurological conditions. Fewer still have been trained in the systems we practice.
Jocelito Camargo, founder and lead practitioner at Twelvem, has dedicated a significant part of his clinical and academic career to the study and practice of neuroacupuncture, training at source with two of the most rigorous and evidence-informed neuroacupuncture systems in the world.
Training at the University of Tianjin - 2024
Neuro-Meridian Integrative Acupuncture — with Dr. Poney Chiang
Trained in the Neuro-Meridian system developed by Dr. Poney Chiang, an advanced post-graduate acupuncture discipline that integrates classical point locations from the Huang Di Nei Jing (Inner Classic) with modern neuroscience, nerve-block needling techniques used in anaesthesiology, and the only scalp acupuncture system confirmed by Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI).
This program trains practitioners to become specialists in integrative neuro-muscular pain medicine and neurological treatment.
Learning from Dr. Poney Chiang
Xing Nao Kai Qiao (XNKQ)
The Chinese Gold Standard for Stroke Rehabilitation
Xing Nao Kai Qiao (literally translated as "awaken the mind and open the orifices") is the neuroacupuncture protocol developed by Professor Dr. Shi Xue Min in 1972 at the First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. It is now the most widely used and clinically validated acupuncture approach for stroke rehabilitation in China.
Dr. Shi's innovation was to move away from the traditional TCM understanding of stroke (wind-stroke, or Zhong Feng) and reframe treatment through the lens of modern neuroanatomy and cerebrovascular physiology. The result was a precisely defined protocol: specific acupuncture points, specific needle angles and depths, and specific manipulation techniques that produce reliably superior clinical outcomes.
What Makes XNKQ Different
The efficacy of XNKQ is inseparable from its technique. The protocol specifies not just which points to needle, but exactly how. The precise angle, depth, and manipulation method for each point, calibrated to produce specific physiological responses:
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Vasodilation of cerebral blood vessels, restoring circulation to ischaemic tissue in stroke recovery
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Reduction of cerebral edema, limiting secondary damage in the acute and subacute phases
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Stimulation of the reticular activating system, supporting consciousness recovery and cognitive function
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Activation of motor and sensory pathways, facilitating the return of limb function, speech, and coordination
XNKQ is not a gentle, passive treatment. It requires precise needle technique and active participation from the patient. When correctly applied, it is one of the most powerful tools available for neurological recovery, and it can begin as soon as the patient is medically stable and discharged from the hospital.
How Neuro Acupuncture Works — The Science
Neuroacupuncture produces its effects through several overlapping and well-studied mechanisms:
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Neuroplasticity promotion — stimulating the brain's capacity to form new neural connections and compensate for damaged pathways, which is the biological foundation of all neurological recovery
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Cerebral blood flow enhancement — improving microcirculation in the brain and spinal cord, delivering oxygen and nutrients to recovering neural tissue
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Neuroprotection — reducing neuroinflammation and oxidative stress that continue to damage neurons after injury or in progressive neurological conditions
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Neurotransmitter modulation — influencing dopamine, serotonin, GABA, and glutamate pathways that are disrupted in conditions such as Parkinson's, depression, and seizure disorders
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Peripheral nerve regeneration — promoting the repair and regrowth of damaged peripheral nerves in neuropathy and nerve injury
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Spinal cord pathway activation — facilitating signal transmission through partially damaged corticospinal and spinothalamic tracts in spinal cord and brain injuries
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Autonomic nervous system regulation — addressing the dysautonomia and autonomic dysfunction that accompanies many neurological conditions
The result is a treatment that works at the level of the nervous system itself, not just managing symptoms, but actively supporting the biological processes of neural repair and recovery.
Footage from the Neuro-Acupuncture Institute (NAI)
We may help you!
If you or a family member is living with a neurological condition, we would welcome the opportunity to speak with you about your situation, what neuroacupuncture can realistically offer, and how we might be able to help.
We understand that navigating neurological illness is exhausting and often demoralising. We approach every patient with honesty, clinical rigour, and genuine care, and we will never overstate what acupuncture can do. But for the right conditions, in the right hands, it can make a profound difference.
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At Twelvem Acupuncture, we provide assistance for various neurological conditions that may affect you and your family, such as Post-stroke, Paralysis, Aphasia, Bell’s palsy, Cerebral palsy, Parkinson’s, Foot drop, Transverse myelitis, Seizure disorders, Spinal cord injuries, Peripheral Neuropathy, Epilepsy, MS – Multiple Sclerosis, Neuralgia, Concussion, Alzheimer’s disease, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and more.