About Acupuncture
A short history of acupuncture
Acupuncture has been used in the Far East to restore, promote and maintain good health for over 2,500 years – hence it has been tried and tested.
Today it is used extensively in China in a hospital-based system with facilities for treating acute as well as chronic cases. Acupuncture and Western medicine is used side by side with clinical research being undertaken to establish best practice.
There has been a steady increase in the number of professionally trained acupuncturists in the UK since the late 1950’s, when acupuncture became the subject of serious study in Britain. Today there are nearly 3000 qualified practitioners registered with the British Acupuncture Council.
Different styles of acupuncture
TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) considers every aspect of your health, looking for combinations of signs and symptoms, which indicate particular patterns of imbalance. Treatment aims to restore balance and therefore health.
Five Element Acupuncture uses the Chinese model of the Five Elements to identify the most underlying root cause of the patient’s imbalance. Once identified, acupuncture treats the root cause to restore balance and health.
Medical acupuncture is sometimes practiced as an adjunctive therapy by some GPs, nurses, physiotherapists, anaesthetists and midwives. The training is usually shorter based on ready medical education.
Acupuncture can be used alongside conventional medicine
Acupuncture can be used to complement treatment you are currently receiving from your GP or Consultant. Many people are concerned about taking medication – especially long term if they suffer from a chronic condition. With acupuncture treatment medication may be reduced or stopped completely. This is always done in close consultation with the patient’s doctor.
Acupuncture causes limited side effects
Often people report that the medication they take for their current condition is causing them side effects and new symptoms of a distressing nature. There are very few side effects from acupuncture when practised by a fully qualified practitioner of traditional acupuncture. Possible side effects, such as dizziness or bruising around needle points, are mild and self-correcting.
What can Acupuncture treat?
Although sometimes described as merely 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 as well as the treatment of specific symptoms.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) lists these and more diseases, symptoms or conditions for which acupuncture has been proven through controlled trials to be an effective treatment:
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Acupuncture is also well recognised as being helpful in the following conditions and many more:
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