Acupuncture

Acupuncture has been used in China for several thousand years and has developed into a sophisticated and powerful system of healing. It involves the insertion of fine needles into precisely located acupuncture points to help stimulate the circulation of the vital energy of the body-traditionally known as “Qi”. If the Qi is blocked or deficient then symptoms of illness will start to manifest. By identifying the origins of these blockages and deficiencies and then stimulating key points the acupuncturist is able to help restore a healthy circulation of Qi within a person.

Acupuncture also involves the burning of herbal moxa or mugwort (Artemesia vulgaris) over specific acupuncture points and may also include the use of cupping, massage, visualisation, and a technique known as Gua Shi. The use of needles, moxa and massage provide an unbroken therapeutic link into very ancient medical practices but nowadays acupuncture is described more in terms of its neurological, hormonal or fascial effect. The cutting edge research of the day is examining the effects of acupuncture on key areas of the brain but the language and practice of acupuncture maintains a strong connection with the past.