WHAT
IS ACUPUNCTURE?
Acupuncture is an ancient system of medicine. The earliest acupuncture
books were written over two thousand years ago and today, worldwide,
there are over three million practitioners.
Acupuncture began with the discovery that stimulating certain areas of
the skin affected the functioning of specific organs. It evolved into
a system of healing as the connection between the skin and organs was
better understood and more sensitive ways of stimulation were devised.
In the West acupuncture has been misleadingly publicised as being good
only for specific conditions, for example, pain or weight loss. In fact,
it is effective for a variety of conditions due to its power to stimulate
our own healing response. This overall therapeutic effect is one of its
great strengths.
WHAT CAN ACUPUNCTURE HELP?
Many people come to acupuncture for help with a specific symptom or condition,
for example: anxiety states, arthritis, asthma, back pain,
circulatory problems, depression, facial paralysis, fibrositis, high
blood pressure, indeterminate aches and pains, infertility, menstrual
problems, ME, migraines, morning sickness, psychological disorders, rheumatism, sciatica,
skin conditions, tiredness, ulcers and urinary problems.
Practice and research over many years has shown acupuncture's effectiveness
in helping these and many other conditions.
The effect of good acupuncture, however, is to do more than simply cure
symptoms.
Diagnosis and treatment will be focused on the person and their constitution
as well as their symptoms. As a result the patient can also feel better
in a general way.
Hence the frequent comment, "I'm feeling better in myself," which
refers to such things as increased energy and vitality, greater enjoyment
of life, greater confidence, better sleep and more normal appetite.
HOW IS A DIAGNOSIS CARRIED OUT?
A person's energy is distributed through twelve energy pathways. Each
pathway is associated with an organ and for each organ there are a variety
of patterns of energy imbalance - these are called syndromes.
When diagnosing, your practitioner will look for the syndrome which reflects
your constitutional type as well as the one which underlies your specific
complaint.
TREATMENT
Treatment is the process of re-establishing the energy balance. This
is done in two ways. One is the insertion of fine, stainless steel needles
into acupuncture points, either stimulating or reducing the flow of energy
in a specific pathway. The other is the application of warmth to the
acupuncture point.
These methods are often used in combination. As the balance improves,
health improves.
Your initial visit will last up to two hours. Your practitioner will
gather information on your symptoms and your treatment to date; your
medical and family history; your systems or functions (e.g. sleep, appetite,
digestion, etc.); and your physical condition, e.g. distribution of body
heat and the condition of the skin.
Subsequent visits take between and one hour. Generally you may visit
fortnightly to begin with and, as you improve, you will visit less frequently.
DOES IT HURT?
Some people would like to try acupuncture but don't because they assume
it will be painful. In fact, the needles used are much finer than those
used for injections and the sensation felt is usually described as just
a dull ache or tingling when the needle reaches the desired point (an
area 4-5mm below the surface of the skin). It is rarely described as
painful and lasts only 1-2 seconds.
Contact us for more details or to book an appointment
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