Acupuncture
Acupuncture for health and wellbeing
Since setting up my acupuncture practice in 2005, I have seen patients presenting with a wide range of conditions including:
Traditional acupuncture is a holistic approach to health based on over 2,000 years of development and refinement in the Far East and is as much about the maintenance of health as the management of disease.
In traditional acupuncture, our starting point is based on the idea of Yin and Yang energies flowing through the human body in the form of Qi (chi). Qi flows through 12 channels of energy (meridians) in the body that can be accessed at certain points near the surface of the skin (acupuncture points or acupoints).
The flow of Qi can be disturbed by many physical, mental and emotional factors:
- Anxiety
- Chronic illness
- Emotions – anger, sadness, anxiety, depression, fear, grief
- Hereditary factors
- Infections
- Physical and/or mental trauma
- Poor diet or nutrition
- Stress
- Weather conditions
By inserting fine needles into the meridians, acupuncturists aim to simulate the body’s own healing response and help restore its natural balance and flow of Qi. The skill of an acupuncturist lies in their ability to make a traditional diagnosis from what is often a complex pattern of disharmony.
The exact pattern and degree of disharmony is unique to each individual and is treated as such with a personalised treatment plan.
Western (or ‘Medical’) acupuncture views inserting needles into the body as stimulating the nerves in skin and muscle to produce a variety of effects: it increases the body’s release of natural painkillers – endorphin and serotonin – in the pain pathways of both the spinal cord and the brain, thereby modifying the way pain signals are received.
Modern research into acupuncture also shows that acupuncture can affect most of the body’s systems – the nervous system, muscle tone, hormone outputs, circulation, antibody production and allergic responses, as well as the respiratory, digestive, urinary and reproductive systems.
To make an enquiry, or to book an appointment at my clinic in Cookridge, Leeds, please get in touch