What is Traditional Acupuncture?
Traditional acupuncture is a healthcare system based on ancient principles that go back nearly two thousand years. Based on an understanding of good health and function, it looks at pain and illness as signs that your body is out of balance. The overall aim of acupuncture treatment is to restore your body’s equilibrium. Your physical, emotional and mental states are seen as equally important and interlinked. Acupuncturists are trained to use subtle diagnostic techniques that have been developed and refined for centuries. The focus is on you as a unique individual rather than on your illness, and all your symptoms are seen in relation to each other. Because two people with the same western diagnosis may well receive different acupuncture treatments, rather than ask “Is acupuncture good for my symptoms?” it is more realistic to ask “Might acupuncture help me (with my symptoms)?”
Traditional acupuncturists believe that the underlying principle of treatment is that illness and pain occur when your body’s qi, or vital energy, is not able to flow freely. There can be many reasons for this: stress, whether emotional or physical; poor nutrition; infection; and injury are among the most common. By inserting ultra-fine sterile needles into specific acupuncture points, a traditional acupuncturist seeks to re-establish the free flow of qi to restore balance and trigger your body’s natural healing response.
What can I expect at my first appointment?
During the Covid-19 pandemic, whenever possible the first 60 minute consultation is done online (via Zoom, FaceTime, Whatsapp, Messenger etc) so that we can see each other’s faces, unmasked. During the consultation, I will ask you many questions about your current symptoms, your medical history, your sleep, appetite, digestion and emotional wellbeing etc. If you are a woman, we will also talk about your periods, pregnancies and issues related to hormones. I make a diagnosis based on a complete picture of your health and lifestyle. I will take your pulse on both wrists, and will look at your tongue.
How many treatments will I need?
A series of treatments will be recommended – initially four 45-60 minute appointments one week apart – after which we review how things are going. The vast majority of my patients choose to continue coming for treatment, at intervals that are appropriate for them – from weekly up to three-monthly depending on their needs. I involve you from the start in decisions about how frequently to have treatment.
Can acupuncture help you?
The British Acupuncture Council publish research fact sheets showing evidence for acupuncture’s effectiveness in treating many conditions, including: Allergies Read more on the research papers here: BAcC Research. |
Acupuncture works by stimulating your body’s natural ability to heal itself. This means that anyone can benefit from treatment.- Here’s what some of my clients have said about their experience of Acupuncture.
- Click here for further information about Acupuncture.
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