Acupuncture is one of the earliest forms of medical treatment known to man and can be traced back to the first documented texts in China from 2,000 years ago. This text is called the ‘Huang Di Nei Jing’, now better known as the translated text ‘The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine’. 

Acupuncture is performed by inserting ultra-fine, single use, sterile needles into specific acupuncture points. 

The points are chosen using a wealth of knowledge about an ancient theory of ‘channels’ and ‘meridians’. These ‘channels’ and ‘meridians’ can be thought of as an ‘unseen network’ within the body, which Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) believes to carry the flow of ‘Qi’ (pronounced ‘chee’) or energy. 

The aim of a TCM practitioner is to restore the body to a balanced physical, emotional and mental state. In ancient Chinese theory, this is classed as restoring the flow of Qi. These blockages can present with pain or tension. 

When Qi does not flow freely this may cause illness. The aim of acupuncture is to bring the body back into balance and therefore eliminate disease. TCM practitioners work holistically by treating the whole person to find the root cause of the problem, not just the presenting symptoms. This is one of the main differences of TCM and Western Medicine.

Acupuncture has proven safety and efficacy. In modern science, acupuncture’s impact is explained through the stimulation of specific chemical responses within the body, this may lower stress, promote sleep, and release endorphins which provide pain management and anti-inflammatory benefits.