Acupuncture

In the Far East acupuncture has been an essential part of mainstream medicine for over 2,500 years. It is used as part of a complex and dynamic health care model whose focus is to restore, create and maintain good health, rather than simply to treat illness.

Ancient Chinese philosophy states that in good health there is a continuous smooth flow of energy (Qi) through a network of channels within the body (meridians). Illness, injury or emotional stresses are some of the things that can disturb the smooth flow of qi, leading to the development of symptoms and often a feeling of being ‘out of sorts’.

An acupuncturist works to balance the flow of qi throughout the network of channels by inserting extremely fine needles into specific points, aiming to relieve symptoms and helping a person to feel better within themselves as far as nature will allow.

Our present day understanding of how acupuncture works continues to grow. With the aid of MRI scanning and modern day research it has been shown that acupuncture triggers the body’s healing process by calming the central nervous system, regulating hormones and releasing endorphins. This alters how the body/mind responds to pain and stress.

Today 2.3 million acupuncture treatments are carried out each year by registered members of our society, The British Acupuncture Council. This therapy is widely accepted as effective help for a wide array of illnesses and symptoms, and you can find many interesting evidence based factsheets on the B.Ac.C website.

​​​​​​​A person receiving acupuncture will often report both an improvement in symptoms and an increased sense of well-being. As with any therapy, the response to acupuncture can vary from one person to another.