Treatments
Acupuncture is one of the longest established forms of healthcare in the world. Acupuncturists are trained to use subtle diagnostic techniques that have been developed and refined for thousands of years. The focus is on you as an individual, not your illness, and all symptoms are seen in relation to each other. Treatment involves the insertion of very fine needles into specific points on the body to affect the flow of your body’s Qi, or vital energy.
Traditional acupuncture is based on the idea that life-energy or Qi runs all through the body. When Qi runs strongly and smoothly, you feel energetic, enthusiastic and able to cope with life’s challenges. When chi becomes blocked, you may experience fatigue, pain, low mood and a lack of resilience. Qi can become blocked by injury, stress, overwork, poor diet, lack of exercise and all manner of normal, day-to-day events.
When a needle is placed in an acupuncture point, it makes a ‘suggestion’ to the body, encouraging the body’s own tendency to heal itself and restore harmony.
Traditional acupuncture treats the person rather than the illness and each person’s unique patterns will be assessed and considered when the points are chosen. For example, two patients suffering from lower back pain may have different points needled, as their underlying causes of disease may vary.
Acupuncture needles are very fine . You can fit 20 into the head of a hypodermic needle. Insertion is gentle and swift, and it is unusual to feel it. Once the needle connects with your Qi you may feel a subtle sensation like a dull ache or tingling around the point and this subsides.
The National Institiute for Health and Care Excellence N.I.C.E’ recommends acupuncture for Tension Type Headaches and Migraines. The British Acupuncture Council have produced factsheets outlining the state of current research for specific conditions. Click on the link below to view these factsheets.
Moxibustion is a Chinese medicine therapy which consists of burning dried mugwort on particular points near the skin so the heat and pungency may warm the acupuncture channels.
Many patients find it a deeply relaxing and restorative part of their treatment. It plays an important role in the traditional medical systems of China, Tibet and Japan.
The herb (Artemisia vulgaris) is a weed, which grows in many climates. Mugwort has a long history of use in folk medicine; Romans planted mugwort by roadsides to make it available to travellers to put in their shoes to relieve aching feet and protect them from exhaustion. This may have been due to its ability to enhance the movement of Qi and blood.
From ancient times, the Chinese believed that using it to heat certain points on the body increased circulation “full-bloodedness” and relieved pain.
Mugwort gets its botanical name from the Greek moon goddess Artemis, a patron of women, and is a wonderful herb for gynaecological conditions. In modern practice the herb is usually crushed, wrapped in special paper and when lit, held above the point to be warmed or placed on the skin and removed before overheating occurs.
In Chinese medicine cupping is done to dispel stagnation (sluggish blood and lymph), thereby improving Qi flow to relieve pain. It is a popular treatment for Musculo-skeletal conditions especially on the back, neck and shoulders and with respiratory disease such as the common cold, pneumonia and bronchitis.
During a cupping treatment, a cup is placed on the skin and then heated or suctioned onto the skin. This is either left in place for up to 20 minutes for a stronger suction or moved around, gliding over an aromatic balm, including lemongrass, clove and cinnamon to produce a deep tissue massage effect.
Cupping may cause temporary bruising and soreness, depending on the level of internal stagnation. This is considered a positive, therapeutic response.