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What is it?Traditional acupuncture enables the body mind and spirit to heal itself as far as nature will allow. Any illness or symptom, physical, mental or spiritual is associated with an imbalance in the person’s vital life energy or Qi (pronounced chee). Qi runs throughout the body in pathways known as meridians or channels. Each meridian is linked with a particular organ and is responsible for many functions in our body, mind and spirit. These meridians can be compared to the blood system, with main arteries through to the capillaries carrying blood to every cell. Qi is carried to every cell in the body through the meridian system and this is why an acupuncture point on the foot can be so effective in the treatment of a pain in the shoulder. In Chinese medicine any illness or symptom, whether physical, mental or of the spirit, is associated with an imbalance of Qi. The Qi must be rebalanced to restore health. It is the job of the traditional acupuncturist to identify and treat the underlying imbalance rather than simply treat the symptoms. An acupuncture point can affect the individual at any or all of the levels of body mind and spirit, but by the choice of certain points and using particular techniques, the practitioner can direct her treatment towards a specific level. In this way the treatment may help the person feel better in a general way, promoting an improved quality of life as well as helping with specific illness.
What do we mean by body, mind and spirit?Spirit – the Chinese consider that the emotions emanate from the spirit. They regard the health of the spirit as crucial to health and chances of recovery. Mind – this is the ability to think and understand. In the context of acupuncture, symptoms on the mental level include a person being obsessed, forgetful, indecisive, unable to concentrate, vague, inarticulate, dyslexic etc. Body – this refers to physical symptoms such as aches and pains Who comes for acupuncture treatment?In ancient times, acupuncture was used to keep a person well. An imbalance in energy always precedes the appearance of symptoms so traditional acupuncture is used as a preventative treatment aimed at maintaining health on all levels. The benefits of acupuncture for pain relief are well documented but as well as helping physical problems, acupuncture can benefit people with stress related disorders and the effects of mental and emotional conflict in their lives.
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