Zen Acupuncture
Frequently Asked Questions
Acupuncture - What is it? Today in most western societies, Acupuncture is considered as an "alternative" form of medicine. In reality Acupuncture, along with Herbal Medicine, is a practiced medical treatment that can be dated back at least two thousand years.
Chinese medical theory states that every living thing has a natural energy force flowing through it. This energy force is known as Qi (roughly pronounced Chee). It flows in the body in meridians or channels, and assists in maintaining all of life’s essential activities, including the spiritual, emotional, mental and physical aspects. Accordingly, an individual’s health is influenced by the flow of Qi in the body. If the flow of Qi is insufficient, unbalanced or interrupted, the natural energetic balance of the body is disrupted, and illness may occur.
Acupuncture can be described as the insertion of very fine needles into the skin at specific points in order to influence the physiological functioning of the body and restore balance. Traditionally, there are approximately 365 acupuncture points on the body, and each point has one or more energetic functions. The choice of acupuncture point varies from patient to patient and from treatment to treatment and relies upon a comprehensive understanding of both traditional and modern diagnostic techniques.
A Brief History of Acupuncture
Acupuncture may have originated in China thousands of years ago, but it was not just practiced in China. The Egyptians talked about vessels that resembled the 12 meridians in 1550 B.C., in their medical treatises called the Papyrus Ebera. The South African Bantu tribesman scratched parts of their bodies to cure disease, the Arabs cauterized their ears with hot metal probes and the Eskimos used sharp stones for simple acupuncture.
The most significant milestone in the history of Acupuncture occurred during the period of Huang Di -The Yellow Emperor (2697-2597). In a famous dialogue between Huang Di and his physician Qi Bo, they discuss the whole spectrum of the Chinese Medical Arts. These conversations would later become the monumental text, The Nei Jing (The Yellow Emperors Classic of Internal Medicine). Remarkably, these texts contain details of Chinese medical theory, pathology and physiology which all contribute to the theoretical basis for acupuncture today.
Acupuncture is not new to England. In 1823 acupuncture was mentioned in the first edition of the Lancet and in 1824 Dr. John Elliotson, a physician at St Thomas’ Hospital began to use this method of treatment. In 1827 he published a series of results on the treatment of forty-two cases of rheumatism by acupuncture, and came to the conclusion that this was an acceptable and effective method of treatment for these complaints.
What should I expect from my visit?
Your first treatment will involve a consultation during which the presenting condition and relevant medical history are discussed in detail. Traditional diagnostic methods such as pulse taking and tongue diagnosis will be used to assist the practitioner in reaching a diagnostic conclusion. A treatment principle and prognosis will be outlined, and needles will then be inserted into selected points on the body. Other possible treatments include moxibustion, which is the treatment of diseases by applying heat to acupuncture points, and cupping, which is a method of stimulating acupuncture points by applying suction through a metal, wood or glass jar, in which a partial vacuum has been created.
Conditions Treated
According to the World Health Organisation, acupuncture is effective at treating a wide variety of conditions, including, but not limited to : Adverse reactions to radiotherapy and / or chemotherapy, Allergic rhinitis (including hay fever), Biliary colic, Depression, Dysentery, Dysmenorrhoea, Epigastralgia, Facial pain, Headache, Hypertension, Hypotension, Induction of labour, Knee pain, Leukopenia, Low back pain, Malposition of fetus, Morning sickness, Nausea and vomiting, Neck pain, Dental pain, Temporomandibular dysfunction, Periarthritis of shoulder, Postoperative pain, Renal colic, Rheumatoid arthritis, Sciatica, Sprain, Stroke, Tennis elbow.
