Acupuncture

Acupuncture is one of the oldest and most commonly used systems of healthcare in the world. It originated in China at least 2000 years ago and has become popular in the UK over the past few decades.

The theory behind acupuncture is that there are a number of channels (sometimes called meridians) that travel throughout the body. These channels hold a substance called Qi (or energy), and it is an imbalance of Qi within sthese channels that causes illness to result. Acupuncture points are places on the channels where the body’s Qi can be accessed using a needle with each point having a different effect on the Qi that passes through it.

The flow of Qi can be disrupted by a number of causes – improper diet and lifestyle, emotional disturbances, physical trauma, and environmental factors to name a few. By examining the causes of the illness a suitable number of acupuncture points can be selected to rectify the imbalance and restore health.

Although moxibustion and cupping are often seen as separate treatments from acupuncture they are frequently used together. The actual Chinese character for acupuncture, translated literally, means "acupuncture-moxibustion."

A number of clinical trials have shown that acupuncture increases the success rate of IVF cycles by up to 65% and is an effective treatment for a variety of conditions such as back pain, headaches, osteoarthritis, painful periods, and breech presentation to name but a few.

Also See:

• What is Moxibustion?
• What is Cupping?