Acupuncture

Acupuncture is fast becoming one the the most well researched and documented of all the alternative medicine practices.

Acupuncture is becoming increasingly mainstream, general pain-relief acupuncture is now being offered on the NHS because of both patient demand and proven success rates. More than two million treatments will be carried out in the UK alone.

There are a a large number of controlled study groups both here in the UK and abroad that have shown significant evidence that acupuncture is effective in the treatment of a variety of conditions including arthritis, osteoporosis, nausea, back pain, dysmenorrhoea (painful periods, migraines, and bladder problems. Acupuncture is particularly effective for chronic pain conditions.

It is also becoming increasing popular for its benefits on the emotional balance of the body not just the physical aspect and since the two are not separate in Chinese medicine terms it goes without saying that is particularly effective for emotional problems.

Since qualifying I always been keen to help people with stress and emotional related problems.

A "mini" explanation for those who have no knowledge of Chinese acupuncture theory is that each organ in the body has a corresponding emotion - see below

Within the fundamentals of Chinese medicine, the different organs have different emotions and mental abilities associated with them and I have listed the main ones below.

Liver - anger, frustration, resentment, bitterness, and stress

Spleen - over thinking, worry

Lung - sadness, grief

Heart - joy, sadness, grief

Kidneys - fear

When these are balanced and the energy is unblocked the body is allowed to heal naturally.

How does it work ?

Put simply, the ancient Chinese believe that there is a universal life force or energy called Chi or Qi present in every living creature. This energy is said to circulate throughout the body along specific pathways that are called meridians.

There are a number of different meridians along the front and back of the body, which also relate the to the Yin and Yang side of the person.

Each meridian is interconnected like a huge motorway. As long as this energy flows freely throughout this motorway or meridian system the body maintains a healthy state.

When the energy is blocked it is a bit like a pile up on the M1. The energy gets stuck and the body gets in a state and create disease. It could manifest in pain, anxiety, or chronic illness.

Acupuncture works to restore normal function to blocked meridians and by stimulation of certain points it allows the energy to flow freely and free up the Chi so that the body is able to heal itself.