Acupuncture is part of an integrated system of primary health care, known as Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) that has an uninterrupted history of development dating back thousands of years in China and other parts of East Asia.
The origins of acupuncture in China can be traced back at least two thousand years, making it one of the oldest and most long-standing health care systems in the world.
Today, acupuncture is an effective, natural and increasingly popular form of health care that is being used by people from a wide range of cultural and social backgrounds.
Acupuncture takes a holistic approach to understanding normal function and disease processes and focuses as much on the prevention of illness as on the treatment.
When healthy, an abundant supply of qi (pronounced chee) or "life energy" flows through the body's meridians (a network of invisible channels through the body). If the flow of qi in the meridians becomes blocked or there is an inadequate supply of qi, then the body fails to maintain harmony, balance and order, and disease or illness follows. This can result from stress, overwork, poor diet, disease pathogens, weather and environmental conditions, and other lifestyle factors and becomes evident to TCM practitioners through observable signs of bodily dysfunction. TCM practitioners look carefully for these signs of health and dysfunction, paying particular attention not only to the presenting signs and symptoms, but also to the medical history, general constitution, and the pulse and tongue.
Acupuncture treatment involves the insertion of fine, sterile needles into specific sites (acupuncture points) along the body's meridians 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
· effectively treats a wide range of acute and chronic ailments
· treats the underlying cause of disease and illness as well as the symptoms
· provides an holistic approach to the treatment of disease and illness
· assists in the prevention against disease and illness as well as the maintains general well-being
Chinese Herbal Medicine
Chinese Herbal Medicine has developed over the last 3000 years into a unique and highly sophisticated system for understanding health and disease. Having a different perspective to western medicine, it can often cast light on conditions which modern medicine has difficulty treating.
Chinese herbs consist of natural dried leaves, bark, roots and flowers which possess different characteristics and actions on the body. Chinese herbal medicines come in different forms, decoctions, powders, pills, ointments and even creams.
Chinese herbs always work together to correct internal imbalances within your body and activate the body?s self-healing processes. Chinese Herbal Medicine uses exactly the same diagnostic techniques as Acupuncture. It can be used as an adjunct or instead of Acupuncture.
