Acupuncture is a tried and tested system of complementary medicine. The Chinese, and other eastern cultures, have been using acupuncture to restore, promote and maintain good health for thousands of years.
Nowadays more and more people are finding this long established therapy can offer an effective solution to all manner of today's ills.
Good health is not just the absence of pain or disease; traditional acupuncture works to maintain the body's equilibrium by focusing on all aspects of wellbeing: physical, mental and emotional.
According to traditional Chinese philosophy, our health is dependent on the body's motivating energy moving in a smooth and balanced way through a series of channels beneath the skin: this energy is known as qi.
The flow of qi can be disturbed by a number of factors, these include: emotional states such as anxiety, anger or grief, as well as poor nutrition, hereditary factors, infections, and trauma. When the qi is unbalanced, illness may result.
The acupuncturist inserts ultra fine needles at chosen points along the channels of energy, with the aim to stimulated the body's own healing response and restore its natural balance. Treatment is aimed at the root of your condition, as well as addressing your symptoms.
Many people come for acupuncture to help with specific symptoms or conditions, and some because they simply feel generally unwell. Others choose acupuncture to enhance their feeling of wellbeing. Acupuncture is considered suitable for all ages, including babies and children.
Acupuncture is widely considered to be beneficial for a range of illnesses and symptoms, from clearly defined complaints such as headaches, vomiting, neck aches and back and dental pain, through to more general feelings of ill health such as nausea or low energy levels.
Acupuncture can be used in the treatment of a variety of conditions and in conjunction with western medicine.
For more information about which conditions acupuncture has been used for visit the British Acupuncture Council website www.acupuncture.org.uk.