Acupuncture

In the western world acupuncture is a complementary or alternative therapy. This means that it does not have the same recognition in general medicine as some other treatment disciplines, e.g. osteopathy, physiotherapy etc. However, this does not invalidate it as a therapy and acupuncture, as a treatment, has been around for over 2,000 years. In parts of Asia, like China, acupuncture is considered a mainstream therapy.

In keeping with many complementary therapies, acupuncture takes a holistic or whole body approach to treatment and tries to keep the entire the body in equilibrium. Acupuncture also takes the view that not just the physical, but also the mental and emotional components of a person are part of this holistic treatment.

How it works

In acupuncture the therapist treats the person and not the ailment or illness. The basis of this treatment is the assumption that - for a problem to exist the body’s vital energy must in some way be interrupted, diverted or prevented from flowing freely.

Acupuncture seeks to restore this energy flow and it does this through the insertion of very fine sterile needles. These acupuncture needles are inserted into specific points that the therapist believes will restore the correct energy flow and, by doing this, the body and mind will be restored to a healthy state.

The positions where the needles are inserted relate to acupuncture points and meridians (channels of energy) that map the body. There are many hundreds of these points and a skilful acupuncturist will be able to identify each of them.

There are many different versions of acupuncture, e.g. TCM and Five Elements, however they all share the same philosophy.

What it can treat

There are no guidelines as to what can and cannot be treated by acupuncture, however, some of the more common reasons that result in someone seeing an acupuncturist include - migraine, aches and pains, depression, tiredness, stress, fatigue, digestive disorders, back and joint pain.

What to expect from a treatment

Treatment sessions can vary as can the number of treatments required. This will be determined by the therapist based on an evaluation during the first session.

The insertion of the needles is painless although many people do experience a sensation that is sometimes described as “tingling”. The general view is that the experience is not unpleasant.