Acupuncture
Acupuncture is one of the oldest, most commonly used medical procedures in the world, originating in China more than 3,500 years ago. There are as many as 2000 acupuncture points on the human body that connect with 14 pathways, called meridians. Chinese medicine practitioners believe these meridians conduct energy, or Qi, between the surface of the body and internal organs. Qi regulates spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical balance. When Qi flow is disrupted, through poor health habits or other circumstances, pain and/or disease can result. Acupuncture acts to keep the normal flow of this energy unblocked.
The intent of acupuncture is to stimulate the body, release energy (Qi) blocks, and re-establish normal equilibrium, thereby facilitating the body’s natural ability to heal itself. In the last 40 years, Chinese and Western studies have suggested that the insertion of needles at acupuncture points helps release some chemical neurotransmitters in the body, including endorphins but the mechanisms are still not fully understood.
Acupuncture treatment involves the insertion of fine, sterile needles into specific sites (acupuncture points) along the body’s meridians or channels to clear energy blockages and encourage the normal flow of qi through the individual. The practitioner may also stimulate the acupuncture points using other methods, including moxibustion, cupping, laser therapy, electro-stimulation and massage, in order to re-establish the flow of qi.
As a natural form of healing, acupuncture has the following benefits:
- * provides drug-free pain relief
- * applied to a wide range of acute and chronic ailments
- * addresses the underlying cause of disease and illness as well as the symptoms
- * provides an wholistic approach to the treatment of disease and illness, linking body, mind and emotions
- * assists in the prevention against disease and illness as well as the maintenance of general well-being
Evidence A-Z British Acupuncture Council
Acne, Allergic rhinitis, Anxiety, Arrhythmias and Heart Failure, Asthma, Back pain, Bell’s palsy, Cancer care, Carpal tunnel syndrome, Childbirth, Chronic fatigue syndrome, Chronic pain, Colds and flu, COPD, Coronary heart disease, Cystitis, Dementia, Dentistry, Depression, Dysmenorrhoea, Type-2 diabetes, Eczema and Psoriasis, Endometriosis, Facial pain, Female fertility, Fibromyalgia, Frozen shoulder, Gastrointestinal tract disorders, Gout, Headache, HIV infection, Hypertension, Infertility ART, Insomnia, Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), Kidney stones, Knee Pain, Male infertility, Menopausal symptoms, Migraines, Multiple sclerosis, Nausea and vomiting, Neck pain, Neuropathic pain, Obesity, Obstetrics, Osteoarthritis – Knee, Palliative care, Parkinson’s disease, Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), Post-operative pain, Post-traumatic stress disorder, Premenstrual syndrome, Puerperium, Raynaud’s, Rheumatoid arthritis, Sciatica, Shingles, Sinusitis, Sports Injuries, Stress, Stroke, Substance misuse, Tennis elbow, Thyroid disease, Tinnitus, Urinary incontinence, Vertigo