Therapies
Acupuncture
What
is acupuncture?
Acupuncture
is an ancient system of healing developed over 1000 years in China and other
Eastern countries which is increasingly being recognised as ‘effective’
by Western health professionals and patients. It is based upon detecting
disharmonies within a person’s body and mind. These are determined by
asking questions about presenting symptoms, life style, sleeping patterns,
emotions, and feelings as well as examining the tongue, its colour, shape,
and coating and taking a series of pulses on both wrists.
A traditional diagnosis is then made leading to a
treatment plan which will primarily involve the use of fine needles inserted
into carefully chosen points.
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What
conditions are treated?
Acupuncture
can and is used to treat a wide variety of conditions. In traditional
acupuncture in which illness is seen to result in an imbalance of energy,
treatment can benefit almost any ill person as long as a degenerative
process is not too extensive. Typical conditions treated are:
anxiety/depression, arthritis, asthma, pain, eczema, sports injuries,
allergies and hayfever, migraine, menstrual disorders, gastrointestinal
problems and pregnancy management and delivery. It is also used in a
preventative manner to keep the body in tune.
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Who
Has Acupuncture?
Many people
come to acupuncture for help with specific symptoms or conditions. These
might include anxiety states, arthritis, asthma, back pain, circulatory
problems, depression, facial paralysis, fibrositis, high blood pressure,
indeterminate aches and pains, infertility menstrual problems, migraines,
rheumatism, sciatica, skin conditions or ulcers.
Acupuncture is a safe treatment for all. It has
proved to be effective in pregnancy management and for the relief of pain in
childbirth. Acupuncture is also helpful for people trying to overcome
addictions such as those related to smoking, alcohol, food or drugs.
Some people may have acupuncture as a preventive
measure to strengthen their constitution, or because they feel unwell in
themselves without being ‘ill’ in the Western sense. It can also be used
alongside conventional medicine in the treatment of both acute and chronic
disease. As with any therapy, the response to acupuncture can vary from one
person to another.
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What
will happen on my first visit?
Your first
consultation may he longer than subsequent sessions. The acupuncturist needs
to assess your general state of health, in order to identify the underlying
pattern of disharmony and give you the most effective treatment.
You will be asked about your current symptoms and
what treatment you have received so far, your medical history and that of
your close family; your diet, digestive system, sleeping patterns and
emotional state. To discover how the energies are flowing in your body, the
acupuncturist is likely to feel your pulses on both wrists, noting their
quality, rhythm arid strength. The structure, colour and coating of your
tongue also gives a good guide to your physical health.
Once enough information has been gathered to
determine the likely causes of your problems. the acupuncturist can select
the most appropriate treatment. The aim is to discover which energy channels
need adjusting for your specific complaint to improve, and which require
treatment to boost your overall energy and vitality.
There are around 500 recognised acupuncture points
on the body: of which about 100 are most commonly used. Stimulation of
specific areas on the skin affects the functioning of certain organs in the
body. However, those areas max not be close to the part of the body where
the problem is experienced. For example, although you may suffer from
headaches, needles may be inserted in your foot or hand.
The acupuncturist may supplement the needle
treatment with moxa, a smouldering herb which is used to warm acupuncture
points to encourage the body’s energy to flow smoothly Other methods of
stimulating acupuncture points include using lasers or electro-acupuncture.
Massage, or tapping with a rounded probe are techniques particularly
suitable for small children or for people with a fear of needles.
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How
long does a treatment take?
The first
consultation may last between forty minutes and one hour. Subsequent
treatments may be a little shorter. A series of treatments will be required
and the number will depend on the patient’s energy level.
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What
does it feel like?
Most
people’s experience of needles is of those used in injections and blood
tests. Acupuncture needles hear little resemblance to these. They are much
finer and are solid rather than hollow. When the needle is inserted, the
sensation is often described as a tingling or dull ache.
Needles are inserted either for a second or two, or
left in place for up to 20 minutes, depending on the effect required. During
treatment, patients commonly experience heaviness in the limbs or a pleasant
feeling of relaxation.
The benefits of acupuncture frequently include more
than just relief from a particular condition. Many people find that it can
also lead to increased energy levels, better appetite and sleep as well as
an enhanced sense of overall well being
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How
often will I need Treatment?
In
traditional acupuncture philosophy each person is considered as unique, and
therefore the number of treatments required depends on the individual. Some
change is usually felt after five treatments. Normally you are recommended
to visit your acupuncturist once or twice a week at first, although some
conditions may need less frequent attention.
Sometimes the effects of the treatment are dramatic
and only one or two treatments are required. With other patients, the
effects are more subtle and they may’ need treatment over several months.
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More
about the needles
The sterile
needles used in acupuncture are very fine and when placed correctly by a
qualified acupuncturist give a sensation rather than any pain. The depth of
insertion of the needles varies depending upon the location and the
condition being treated. The needles are left in place for up to thirty
minutes. For people who do not like needles, acupressure with the fingers
and thumbs is used.
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What
does it cost?
Each
session of acupuncture costs between £20 and £40. Some health policies
will cover the cost. A GP may also arrange payment on the NJIS.
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Should
my Doctor Know?
If you are
receiving treatment from your doctor then it makes sense to tell him or her
about your plans to have acupuncture. The acupuncture treatment may’
enable you to reduce or ex en stop taking some forms of medication. but your
doctor should he consulted regarding any’ change of prescription.
You should always tell your acupuncturist about
any’ medication you are taking as this may affect your response to the
acupuncture treatment.
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Is it
Safe?
All members
of the British Acupuncture Council (BAcC) must observe a Code of Practice
which lays down stringent standards of hygiene and sterilisation for needles
and other equipment. These procedures have been approved by’ the
Department of Health and provide protection against the transmission of
infectious diseases.
Patients who have been treated by a BAcC member are
eligible to donate blood through the National Blood Service.
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History
of Acupuncture
The Chinese
and other eastern peoples have been using acupuncture to restore, promote
and maintain good health for about 2,500 years needles were originally used,
and later bronze, gold and silver needles. The first medical account of
acupuncture was ‘The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine’
which dates from about 300 BC. Acupuncture is rooted in the Taoist
philosophy of change, growth, balance and harmony, and this text outlines
the principles of natural law and the movements of life - yin and yang, the
Five Elements, the organ system and the meridian network along which
acupuncture points are located. Amazingly, these records also contain
details of pathology and physiology, which provide the theoretical
foundation for acupuncture today, some 2000 years later.
Acupuncture practice was gradually developed and
refined. During the Ming Dynasty (1368- 1644), the famous Chinese herbalists
Li Shi Zen published his 50-volume ‘Compendium of Materia Medica’, as
well as a study of the Pulse and the Extraordinary Meridians. But from the
mid-seventeenth century there was a decline in acupuncture and herbalism,
which coincided with the increasing influence of Western ideas of China.
Although acupuncture was always practised in rural
communities, it was not until after the Liberation and the establishment of
the People’s Republic in 1949, that there was a great resurgence of
interest in it at a national level. During the Cultural Revolution
(1966-76), with the persecution of surgeons and doctors practising Western
medicine, traditional Chinese medicine was given new opportunities to
develop. Today acupuncture is used far more extensively in China than in the
West, in a hospital-based system with facilities for treating acute as well
as chronic cases. The national policy is to pursue both systems side by
side, with extensive clinical research.
In Britain, serious study of traditional
acupuncture did not develop until the 1950s and early 1960s. The links were
made either through Europe or through direct contact with teachers and
schools in Taiwan, Korea and elsewhere. The serious students of acupuncture
came from the ranks of those who were already interested in, or actually
practised, natural medicines - osteopaths, homeopaths and naturopaths. To
many it seemed that traditional Chinese medicine had formalised and set down
many of the concepts they had found through their own experience.
Over the last 20 years there has been a dramatic
rise from just a handful of qualified acupuncturists to over 1600 registered
with The British Acupuncture Council (BAcC). The Council was formed in 1995
as an amalgamation of five separate organisations, who agreed that one body
should represent and govern their professionally qualified traditional
acupuncturists in all aspects of their work. The BAcC maintains common
standards of education, ethics, discipline and codes of practice to ensure
the health and safety of the public at all times. Members carry insurance in
the same way as doctors do. The training of member acupuncturists is
regulated by the British Acupuncture Accreditation Board under the
Chairmanship of Lord Baldwin. Training is for a minimum of two years
full-time or its equivalent on a part-time basis.
Acupuncture is becoming increasingly popular in the
United Kingdom as more people seek and find its benefits in promoting health
as well as managing illness.
Source: - British Acupuncture Council
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