Acupuncture Clinic: About Acupuncture
"Acupuncture is a technique of inserting and manipulating fine filiform needles into specific points on the body to relieve pain or for therapeutic purposes."
Practised for over 2,500 years in China where it originated and refined in the Far East,
Acupuncture is part of the holistic system of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), which views health as a
constantly changing flow of energy, or Qi (pronounced "chi").
In TCM imbalances in this natural flow of energy
are thought to result in disease. Acupuncture aims to restore health by improving the flow of Qi, which flows
through the body via 14 primary meridians or channels, and stimulate the body's own healing response and help
to restore its natural balance.
Although sometimes described merely as 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, rather than the isolated treatment of specific symptoms.
The skill of an acupuncturist lies in their ability to make a traditional diagnosis from what is often a
complex pattern of disharmony. The exact pattern and degree of disharmony is unique to each individual and
so following diagnosis, the acupuncturist puts together a personalised treatment plan.
The World Health Organization published a review of controlled trials using acupuncture and
concluded it was effective for the treatment of 28 conditions and
there was evidence to suggest it may be effective for several dozen more.
Additionally, the National Centre for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) of the National Institutes
of Health (NIH), the American Medical Association (AMA) and various government reports have studied and
commented on the efficacy of acupuncture.
