Sciatica has a particular cruelty to it: a pain that starts in the lower back and shoots down the leg, making sitting, standing, and sleeping all uncomfortable. Acupuncture is one of the more evidence-supported options for managing it.
What the evidence shows
There is a robust body of evidence, reflected in major clinical guidelines, supporting acupuncture for the short-to-medium-term management of acute and chronic low back pain, including the radiating nerve discomfort of sciatica.
When to seek urgent care
Some symptoms need urgent medical attention rather than acupuncture: progressive weakness or numbness in the leg, numbness around the groin or saddle area, or any loss of bladder or bowel control. If you have these, seek medical care immediately. We will also refer you on if your assessment suggests it is needed.
What to expect
Your first visit assesses your back, your leg symptoms, and your history. Needling targets the affected areas and related points, and treatment usually runs as a course of weekly sessions, reassessed as you improve. Patients come to us from Richmond Hill, Markham, Vaughan, and Aurora.
Cost and coverage
A first visit is a 75 minute initial treatment at $150, with 60 minute standard treatments at $125 after that. Acupuncture from a registered acupuncturist is not covered by OHIP, but to claim under your plan's acupuncture benefit, most insurers require a CTCMPAO-registered R.Ac or R.TCMP, as all of ours are. We direct bill most major insurers through TELUS Health eClaims, so where your plan allows it, you pay only your share at the visit.
Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine are complementary therapies and do not replace medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment from your physician.
Meet Your Practitioners
Herbs Meta is staffed by registered TCM practitioners serving Richmond Hill.
Andrew Zheng
Acupuncture, Herbal Prescription, Meridian Diagnostic
Andrew has dedicated over twenty years to study and practice of medicine. He holds an MD from UMC, Southwest Free Medical University (Sichuan) and completed TCM training at the Ontario College of Traditional Chinese Medicine. He also serves as a TCM college instructor teaching Meridian, Acupuncture, Acupuncture Therapeutics, and Clinical Internship. Fluent in Chinese, English, and Russian.
Melody Tian, R.TCMP, R.Ac
Acupuncture, Herbal Prescription, TCM Diagnostics
Melody is a Registered Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner and Registered Acupuncturist in Ontario, and an instructor at the Ontario College of Traditional Chinese Medicine (OCTCM). For nearly five years she has taught TCM diagnosis and supervised clinical internships. She excels in tongue diagnosis and holistic, root-cause approaches to care.
Yi Ling Chan, R. TCMP, R. AC
Acupuncture, Herbal Prescription, Women’s Health, Fertility
Yi Ling holds a Doctor of Medicine (MD) from UM, Southwest Free Medical University (Sichuan) and practiced Western family medicine for six years in Malaysia before undertaking formal TCM training in Canada. Her dual medical background allows her to offer an integrative perspective. Fluent in English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Hokkien, and Malay.
Yang Wang, R.Ac, R.TCMP
Chronic Pain, Internal Medicine, Urological Conditions, Acupuncture
Yang Wang is a highly skilled, dual-trained medical professional and fifth-generation TCM practitioner. He holds a Master of Surgery from Peking University and served as a Urologist at Beijing Renhe Hospital for 13 years. He completed an intensive two-year Western Medicine to TCM program at Beijing Xiyuan Hospital and graduated from the Ontario College of Traditional Chinese Medicine (OCTCM).
Wenhao Yang, R.TCMP, R.Ac
Acupuncture, Herbal Prescription
Eric is a Registered Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner and Registered Acupuncturist in Ontario. He graduated from the Ontario College of Traditional Chinese Medicine and brings a thorough, patient-centred approach to assessment and treatment, with a focus on individualized care plans for both acute and long-standing health concerns.
Book a Chinese Herbal Medicine Consultation
At Herbs Meta, our CTCMPAO-registered practitioners provide personalized herbal prescriptions and acupuncture treatment plans tailored to your health goals.
- Sleep and stress support
- Digestive health
- Women's health and fertility
- Chronic fatigue
- TELUS Health direct billing available
What happens next:
- Book your appointment online and tell us your main concern.
- At your first visit, your registered practitioner takes a full history and assessment.
- You receive your treatment and a clear plan, with direct billing handled at the desk where your plan allows.
- You leave knowing your next step.
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