Acupuncture Treatment

Acupuncturists of the Five Element lineage use a fine needle technique - this means that the guage of the needle is very small, and the depth is also is shallow. However, needling is an art in itself, that an acupucturist will hone over years of practise - and the patient should feel no more than an insect bite that goes off straight away -some people don’t feel anything at all. This needling is different than modern era Chinese needling that seeks ‘de qi ‘ - it is has more similarity with needling in different parts of Asia, eg. Japan - where the focus is not to create a disturbance in the patient. This is why I can work with the most sensitive of energies and I will always seek to find a way to make the treatment as comfortable for you as possible . Patients who do feel the needling, often report it as a sense of release.

As you begin your search for an acupuncturist you will come across other health professionals such as doctors, physios, osteopaths and other physical therapists who say they incorporate acupuncture into their practice. The main difference between the practice of these practitioners and Traditional Acupuncturists is that Traditional Acupuncturists have three full years training and therein are qualified to become members of the professional body, the British Acupuncture Council (BAcC). The BAcC is a member of the Accredited Register Scheme run by the Public Standards Authority (PSA), backed by the government. The BAcC is hallmarked , in terms of its historical development of clinical and educational standards for acupuncturists and the colleges they train at. Moreover, for the most part, Traditional Acupuncturists, are professional acupuncturists - it is the main thing we do day in and day out, with our skills being honed through years and sometimes decades of practice. Medical Acupuncturists , or physical therapists, often do very short day courses, and do not generally train in the Chinese system of diagnosis and treatment and needling arts. They generally have a short training in trigger points, and practise what is termed ‘dry needling’. This is a very useful adjunct for physical therapists , when practised well, and can be effective in the short term relief of symptoms at their branch level. Traditional Acupuncture, however, through the merits of its ancient system of diagnosis, addresses the deeper root of the problem as well the branch level. This is because Traditional Acupuncture diagnosis holistically takes on board the wider constitution of the patient as well as the symptoms that are shouting out.