What is Acupuncture?

Acupuncture is a branch of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) which has been used in China for over 2000 years. Many claim it has its origins more than 5000 years ago, and it is based on the theories and teaching of early Chinese medical philosophers.
The word acupuncture is derived from the Latin -- acus (needle) and punctura (to puncture) as this suggests, the procedure of Acupuncture involves the therapist penetrating the clients skin with very fine (", 0.18mm to 0.51 mm dia.) solid, metallic needles.
These sterilised and disposable needles are inserted into acupuncture points (acupoints) throughout the body, producing a slight tingling feeling. The acupoints relate to specific organs of the patients body. Traditional Chinese Medicine traditionally recognise more than 2,000 acupuncture points that can be used.

Most treatments can involve only one or two needles but occasionally 20 needles may be used depending on the patient and type of treatment that is required.

The needles are usually left in for 10 to 20 minutes and courses of ten treatments usually at weekly intervals are often required.

In many Eastern countries Acupuncture is accepted as a mainstream form of medicine but in the West it is still perceived as a Complementary or Alternative Therapy.

However Acupuncture has seen a rapid growth in Western countries and has become more generally accepted by the general public and by many doctors, with an estimated one in three GP surgeries making Acupuncture available to patients.

Acupuncture is used for a wide range of physical ailments which include arthritis, asthma, neuralgia, high blood pressure, skin conditions, bronchitis, insomnia, and pain of many kinds. It is also thought to be helpful for emotional problems, including anxiety and depression, and is often used to treat alcohol and drug addiction.

Other conditions where acupuncture has been found to be successful is in the treatment of headaches, and has proven to be beneficial for many patients with chronic headache, particularly migraine.

The World Health Organisation has a long list of conditions it feels acupuncture can treat: (whether many acupuncturists would make the same claims is debatable)

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What to expect from an acupuncturist
The therapist will ask you to sit or lie on a treatment couch. You may remain fully clothed or be asked to remove outer garments.

He or she will then feel 12 pulses - including one for each internal organ - along the radial artery on the outside of each wrist. The abdomen and certain acupuncture points may also be checked for tenderness or pain.

Next, the colour, shape and coating of the tongue, face and skin are checked for signs indicating those internal organs that have problems. The sound of your voice, your breath and any body odours will be noted and questions asked to confirm the diagnosis.

Acupuncture points will then be selected for treatment and needles inserted, either by hand or through a guide tube. This should be quick and painless. Some people feel a mild sensation as the needles are inserted, but this usually passes quickly.

Most modern acupuncturists use disposable stainless steel needles of fine diameter (0.007" to 0.020", 0.18mm to 0.51 mm), sterilized with ethylene oxide or by autoclave. The upper third of these needles is wound with a thicker wire (typically bronze), or covered in plastic, to stiffen the needle and provide a handle for the acupuncturist to grasp while inserting. The size and type of needle used, and the depth of insertion, depend on the acupuncture style being practiced

As few as one or two or more than 20 needles may be used in treatment and they are usually left in for 15 to 30 minutes. A course of ten treatments at weekly intervals is common.

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How does Acupuncture work?
Acupuncture is a branch of Traditional Chinese Medicine that has been practised for thousands of years. It believes that a persons health depends on a balanced and harmonious state within their body. Maintaining this harmonious balance depends on the smooth flow of Qi (pronounced chee) along the circuit linking all parts of the body and the internal organs. Acupuncture relies on applying needles to various parts of the body to adjust the flow of Qi and thus rebalancing the body.

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What are the benefits of Acupuncture?
Acupuncture has seen a rapid growth in the Western World and is now generally accepted by the general public and by many doctors, as many as one in three GP surgeries now offer acupuncture to patients.
Acupuncture is used for a wide range of physical ailments which include arthritis, asthma, neuralgia, high blood pressure, back pain, arthritis, circulatory problems, skin conditions, bronchitis, insomnia, and pain of many kinds. It is also thought to be helpful for emotional problems, including anxiety and depression, and is often used to treat alcohol and drug addiction.
Some other conditions where acupuncture has been found to be successful is in treating headaches, and has proven to be beneficial for many patients with chronic headache, particularly migraine.
In Eastern countries it is regularly used as an alternative to anesthetic and in pregnancy management and for the relief of pain in childbirth.

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Choosing an Acupuncturist
Choosing an acupuncturist can be made easier by following a few simple guidelines.:-
Often, one of the best guidelines to use in choosing an acupuncturist is seek advice from friends and family who may have been treated by the practitioner.
Ask if the acupuncturist certified and how long have they been practicing acupuncture. Most qualified British Acupuncturists will have trained at a college accredited by the British Acupuncture Council (BAAB).also it is highly recommended that you choose a practitioner who is a member of the British Acupuncture Council (BAcC).
Question where they qualified and how long they have been qualified.
Establish if the Acupuncturist has any experience of treating people with your condition.
It would be useful to establish, either from an initial meeting or through a telephone call, that you feel comfortable with any potential therapist and you would feel confident they could treat your condition successfully. Feeling at ease with the acupuncturist is vitally important as you may be required to reveal personal details during diagnosis and subsequent treatment sessions.
It is important that you ask questions both before and after any treatment offered or given

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History of Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a branch of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) it is known to have been used in China for over 2000 years. It is thought by many scholars to have its origins more than 5000 years ago, and it is based on the theories and teaching of early Chinese medical philosophers, evidence suggests that the Chinese and other eastern peoples have used acupuncture to restore, promote and maintain good health for around 3 centuries.
The first recorded text, “The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Inner Medicine” was written around 300 B.C. and is still an important textbook today it outlines the principles of natural law and the movements of life - yin and yang, the organ system and the meridian network along which acupuncture points are located, it also contains details of pathology and physiology which still provides the theoretical foundation for acupuncture today, over two centuries later.
Early acupuncture instruments were made of stone and later bamboo, , iron, gold, silver and eventually today we use stainless steel.
Although acupuncture was developed and refined in China for many years it remained rooted in the rural communities until after the establishment of the People's Republic in 1949 which then saw a widespread resurgence of interest and the practice of acupuncture.
In the latter half of the 20th century Acupuncture spread rapidly in the Western World so much so that it is now recognised as probably the most popular Alternative/Complementary Therapy available and is now also generally accepted by the general public and by many doctors, with an estimated one in three GP surgeries making Acupuncture available to patients.

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We have hundreds of therapists listed on our pages so if you want to find an Acupuncturist near you, use our our Find a Therapist page

Our Acupuncturists guide covers the whole of the UK including-:

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The Five Element Theory of Acupuncture