What is Acupuncture?
Traditional acupuncture is a comprehensive medical system which is over two thousand years old. It is based on a model of good health and function where pain and illness are indications that the body is out of balance. Acupuncture treatment is focused on returning the body to equilibrium.
One of the great strengths of traditional acupuncture is that the physical, emotional and mental health of a person are seen as interdependent and a holistic approach to cause and treatment is taken.
Traditional acupuncturists are trained to use diagnostic techniques that have been developed and refined for centuries. The focus is on the individual, not their illness, and all the symptoms are seen in relation to each other. Each patient is unique; two people with the same western diagnosis may well receive different acupuncture treatments.
The underlying principle of treatment is that illness and pain occur when the body’s qi, or vital energy, cannot flow freely. There can be many reasons for this; emotional and physical stress, poor nutrition, infection or injury are among the most common. By inserting very fine sterile needles into specific acupuncture points, a traditional acupuncturist seeks to re-establish the free flow of qi to restore balance and trigger the body’s natural healing response.