Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine {T.C.M.}

Dates back 1000's of years

Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine dates back thousands of years. It is used to treat and diagnose illnesses, improve well being and prevent disease. Acute conditions can be resolved quite quickly, while chronic conditions may take longer.

Acupuncture

involves the insertion of extremely fine sterilised needles into specific points on the body, to restore health. It can be used alone or combined with other forms of T.C.M

Moxibustion

Is mugwort (Artemisia argyi) it is a method of healing used to complement acupuncture with needles, but can be used independently. The heated moxa is used to stimulate circulation and break up congestion or stagnation of blood and Qi. The moxa is applied to specific acupuncture points, either directly or non directly. It is proposed that Moxibustion elevates immune responses and stimulates the circulation of white blood cells in the body. Moxa has antiseptic, antibacterial and analgesic (pain relieving) affects, by virtue of one of its components, borneol, which is commonly applied to the skin. Moxibustion may improve circulation and enhance localized drug uptake in areas of the body being targeted by therapeutic drugs

Fire Cupping

Is a traditional Chinese therapy used to treat illnesses and imbalances for over 2500 years. Usually a number of suctioning cups are applied to the patients’ skin for several minutes and then removed. While cupping is not considered painful, it may leave round red marks on the skin for a day or more. One way to think of cupping is to compare it to massage, but in reverse: The cups pull your muscles up, rather than pushing them down. Ultimately, fire cupping brings the same relief from body aches and pains that a deep massage would offer. However, cupping takes less than half the time. Just 5 to 15 mins. Deeper than deep tissue, fire cupping gets your blood moving toward optimal health. Fire cupping’s most potent impact by far is its tried and true ability to optimise circulation. Increased blood flow to all areas of your body provides a number of important health improvements, from cell growth and organ function to the appearance of your skin. Red blood circulates oxygen throughout your body, and the more efficiently that happens, the better you’ll look and feel.

Chinese Fire Cupping

By bringing fresh blood to the surface of the skin, cupping can:

  1. Open the chest and lungs
  2. Alleviate menstrual cramps
  3. Diminish digestive problems
  4. Clear up coughs, wheezing and other respiratory problems
  5. Halt migraines
  6. Manage acute and chronic pain.

Tui Na {Chinese Medical Massage}

The name comes from two techniques used within the system. TUI, which is to push & NA, which is to grasp. All TUINA techniques contain an aspect of either TUI, or NA to some extent. The practise is largely aimed at the purpose of treating and preventing disease by applying therapeutic manipulations and techniques to certain areas of the human body. The principles behind the manipulations include balancing yin and yang, regulating and harmonising the zang fu (internal organs), cleaning the jing luo (channels), and promoting the free flow of blood and Qi. Tuina also shares the same principles of meridians and points as traditional acupuncture. From Tuina, other branches of hands on physical therapy developed including chiropractic, osteopathy and reflexology.

Herbal Medicine

Chinese herbal formulas are available on their own or to support acupuncture. They can be taken as teas, fresh herbs, pills or powdered.

Dietary and Lifestyle Advice

The patients’ lifestyle and diet are looked at and depending on their presenting illness or pattern a diet plan may be suggested. Tai Qi or Qi kung may be suggested as exercise routines to improve health and wellness.

The World Health Organisation listed the following diseases which respond well to Acupuncture:
  1. Acne
  2. Allergies
  3. Anaemia
  4. Anxiety
  5. Arthritis
  6. Asthma
  7. Back pain
  8. Bells Palsy
  9. Constipation
  10. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
  11. Depression
  12. Digestive and bowel Disorders
  13. Eczema
  14. Hay Fever
  15. Hypertension
  16. Indigestion
  17. Insomnia
  18. Impotence
  19. Infertility
  20. Menopause
  21. M.E. Lack of energy
  22. Migraine and Headaches
  23. Menstrual Disorders
  24. Muscle and joint problems
  25. Nervous Problems
  26. Oedema
  27. Pain of all sorts
  28. Palpitations
  29. P.M.S
  30. Rheumatism
  31. Sciatica
  32. Smoking cessation
  33. Sport Injuries
  34. Stress
  35. Stomach Disorders
  36. Tinnitus
  37. Urogenital Disorders.

Needling Techniques

TThe patient might imagine that once a needle is inserted into the appropriate point, nothing else happens until it is later removed.

However, this is far from the case. The subtlety and skill of the acupuncture practitioner involve far more than simply locating the right point on the body; the needle must then be correctly inserted and manipulated to enhance the desired therapeutic effect. In all instances the therapist is seeking to access the patient’s Qi flow with the needle. The sensation of accessing the Qi is called ‘Deqi’ – Literally, ‘Acquiring the Qi’ and can be sensed by both patient and practitioner. The patient may experience deqi as a tingling or a numb sensation. On occasions, the sensation will spread along the line of the channel. It is very difficult to explain the experience; It differs quite markedly from the sensation experienced when being given an injection, for example.

However, once experienced, deqi is never forgotten, and the patient can become quite instrumental in advising the practitioner on when the needle has reached the correct point. The sensitive and experienced can also develop a subjective sense of when deqi is achieved that cannot be analyzed.

Needles are retained anything from 10 mins to an hour, depending on the condition being treated.

There are conditions where the Qi is deficient and conditions where the Qi is in excess. If a deficient condition is identified, the treatment needs to emphasize tonification; and with an excess condition, it needs to emphasize reduction.