Acupuncture originated in China and belongs to a well established and complex system of medicine. Very fine needles are inserted into carefully chosen points on the body to prevent or treat illness. Acupuncture can be used for people of all ages with a wide range of conditions.
Treatment at the Acupuncture points affects not only the area around the point, but also has an influence elsewhere in the body. According to Oriental Medicine, Acupuncture works by adjusting the Qi (pronounced chee) which flows through channels (meridians) around the body. The framework of Chinese Medicine provides an understanding of the connections and correspondences within in a human being involving this network of channels, and the imbalances which occur when the Qi is not flowing smoothly. This unique way of looking at each individual in health and illness provides a different model to that of Western Medicine, and the acupuncture points used in treatment are chosen for specific functions according to this ancient and ever evolving system of medicine.
Chinese Medicine has benefited from enquiry and research since ancient times. It has developed and refined its unique understanding of health and illness, and its treatment techniques, over more than 2,000 years. Modern scientific research continues to identify the benefits of acupuncture for patients with many conditions, as well as investigating and measuring details of different ways that acupuncture affects the qi, nerves, muscles and other systems of the body. Information about research into acupuncture can be found on the British Acupuncture Council website.
"Acupuncture has it's own diagnostic system, that of Chinese Medicine, which due to it's holistic nature provides a truly individual approach to treatment."
