Serving the health needs of the public for over 3,000 years.
Overview
Acupuncture is a holistic approach to healing and management of disease, as well as the maintenance of health, which has been practiced in China and other Far Eastern countries for thousands of years. Although often described as a means of pain relief, it is in fact used to treat people with a wide range of illnesses. The skill of an acupuncturist lies in the ability to make a traditional diagnosis from what is often a complex pattern of disharmony. The focus is on improving overall well being, rather than the isolated treatment of specific symptoms. According to traditional Chinese philosophy, our health is dependent on the body's motivating energy - its Qi - moving in a smooth and balanced way through a series of pathways in the body. The exact pattern and degree of disharmony is unique to each individual and with traditional acupuncture will be treated as such with a personalised treatment plan.
Qi
Qi consists of equal and opposite qualities - Yin and Yang - and when these become unbalanced, illness may result. By inserting fine needles into the body's Qi energy channels, an acupuncturist can stimulate the body's own healing response and help restore its natural balance. The flow of Qi can be disturbed by a number of factors. These include emotional states such as anxiety, stress, anger, fear or grief, poor nutrition, weather conditions, hereditary factors, infections, poisons and trauma. The principal aim of acupuncture in treating the whole person is to recover the equilibrium between the physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of the individual.
History
The Chinese and other Far Eastern peoples have been using acupuncture to restore, promote and maintain good health for about 4,500 years. Stone needles were originally used, and later bronze, gold and silver needles. Today needles are made of surgical stainless steel.
The first medical account of acupuncture is 'The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine' which dates from about 3,000 years ago. It is composed of two sections: the Suwen and Lingshu. This book is a summary of the theoretical knowledge and medical experience prior to the Waring States period of 220 BCE. It is also a foundation text for all TCM schools of acupuncture. In it acupuncture is presented as part of a configuration of healing modalities including herbal, dietary and exercise prescriptions based upon the same underlying principles of Qi energetics. These healing arts have continued under varying conditions in China to the present date.