What is acupuncture

What is Acupuncture?

Acupuncture as practised by members of the British Acupuncture Council (BAcC) is an holistic approach to health based on over 2,000 years of development and refinement in the Far East. The tradition is as much about the maintenance of health as the management of disease.Although sometimes described merely as a means of pain relief, traditional acupuncture is actually used to treat people with a wide range of illnesses. Its focus is on improving the overall wellbeing of the patient, rather than the isolated treatment of specific symptoms. The skill of an acupuncturist lies in their ability to make a traditional diagnosis from what is often a complex pattern of disharmony. The exact pattern and degree of disharmony is unique to each individual and so following diagnosis, the acupuncturist puts together a personalised treatment plan.

According to traditional Chinese philosophy, our health is dependent on the body's motivating energy - known as qi - moving in a smooth and balanced way through a series of meridians (channels) beneath the skin. The flow of qi can be disturbed by many factors, physical, mental and emotional: anxiety, stress, anger, fear or grief, poor nutrition, weather conditions, hereditary factors, infections, poisons and trauma. By inserting fine needles into the channels of energy, an acupuncturist can stimulate the body's own healing response and help to restore its natural balance.

My style of treating is based on both Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Five Elements Acupuncture.Having trained at the renowned Integrated College of Chinese Medicine in Reading, I incorporate both philosophies into my treatment.I am a member of the British Acupuncture Council (Bacc) and am fully insured.For more information on the work of the Bacc and up to date research in the field of Acupuncture, please go to www.acupuncture.org.uk