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Acupuncture Members of the British Acupuncture Council (BAcC) practise acupuncture based on Chinese medicine principles that have been developed, researched and refined for over 2,000 years.
The BAcC currently registers over 3,000 qualified practitioners. Acupuncture works to help maintain your body’s equilibrium. It involves the insertion of very fine needles into specific points on the body to regulate the flow of ‘qi’ (pronounced Chi)’, your body’s vital energy. For a number of lifestyle and environmental reasons, qi can become disturbed, depleted or blocked, which can result in some symptoms of pain and illness. In certain instances, traditional acupuncture can be an effective therapy to help restore balance and promote physical and emotional harmony.
Treatment is aimed at the root of your condition as well as your main symptoms. This approach helps with resolving your problem whilst also enhancing your feeling of wellbeing. You may notice other niggling problems resolve as your main health complaint improves.
Who has acupuncture? Many people come to acupuncture for help with specific conditions or symptoms or to relieve particular pains like osteoarthritis of the knee. Some use acupuncture because they feel generally unwell but have no obvious diagnosis. Others choose acupuncture to reduce stress or simply to enhance their feeling of wellbeing. Acupuncture is considered suitable for all ages including babies and children. It can be used effectively alongside conventional medicine.
What can it do for me? Because traditional acupuncture is a holistic discipline, it can be effective for a wide range of conditions and won’t just treat symptoms in isolation. Treatment can also be used as a preventative measure or simply to help maintain good health. Remember that acupuncturists treat the whole person, not just the condition which they have, so each patient’s treatment plan will be different. However, you can always ask your practitioner about other patients’ experiences, to give you an idea of what to expect. Many people return to acupuncture again and again because they find it so beneficial and relaxing.
In 2009 the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommended that acupuncture should be made available on the NHS, as a cost-effective short-term treatment for the management of early, persistent non-specific lower back pain. The World Health Organisation (WHO) indentified 41 diseases that have been helped by acupuncture. Research and development of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine is ongoing and developing in the UK and many other countries.
You can get more information on current scientific research into the effectiveness of acupuncture by visiting www.acupuncture.org.uk or by speaking to a BAcC registered acupuncturist.
Oriental The term Oriental medicine refers to the healing traditions of Asia. These medical systems have evolved over centuries of practice and due to encounters with other cultures. In the West today, Oriental medicine comes under the umbrella of complementary or alternative medicine, although in Asia they are often practiced alongside biomedicine. What distinguishes Oriental medicine is that it is based on large bodies of traditional knowledge and are influenced by religious philosophies such as Buddhism, Hinduism or Taoism.
Although they are distinct and complete systems, they share similar principles and practices. Oriental medicine is based on various ancient theoretical frameworks; such as Yin-Yang, the Five Elements, the meridian systems or the bodily humours. They consider illness to be a combination of physical, emotional and environmental factors.
All the processes of the human body are seen to be interrelated and in constant interaction with the natural world. Health is therefore the result of finding balance within the body and living in harmony with the seasons and one's environment. The traditional systems of tongue and pulse diagnosis or urine analysis are employed, which give a detailed indication of a person's internal functioning. The patient is viewed as a whole, although presenting symptoms help the practitioner to understand and treat disease. There is also a large emphasis on preventative medicine and the maintenance of health in the broadest sense of the word.
Herbal Chinese Herbal Medicine is one of the great herbal systems of the world, with an unbroken tradition going back to the 3rd century BC. Yet throughout its history it has continually developed in response to changing clinical conditions, and has been sustained by research into every aspect of its use. This process continues today with the development of modern medical diagnostic techniques and knowledge. Because of its systematic approach and clinical effectiveness it has for centuries had a very great influence on the theory and practice of medicine in the East, and more recently has grown rapidly in popularity in the West. It still forms a major part of healthcare provision in China, and is provided in state hospitals alongside western medicine. Chinese medicine includes all oriental traditions emerging from Southeast Asia that have their origins in China. Practitioners may work within a tradition that comes from Japan, Vietnam, Taiwan or Korea. It is a complete medical system that is capable of treating a very wide range of conditions. It includes herbal therapy, acupuncture, dietary therapy, and exercises in breathing and movement (tai chi and qi gong). Some or several of these may be employed in the course of treatment.
Chinese Herbal Medicine, along with the other components of Chinese medicine, is based on the concepts of Yin and Yang. It aims to understand and treat the many ways in which the fundamental balance and harmony between the two may be undermined and the ways in which a person's Qi or vitality may be depleted or blocked. Clinical strategies are based upon diagnosis of patterns of signs and symptoms that reflect an imbalance. However, the tradition as a whole places great emphasis on lifestyle management in order to prevent disease before it occurs. Chinese medicine recognises that health is more than just the absence of disease and it has a unique capacity to maintain and enhance our capacity for well being and happiness. Did you know that green tea comes from the same plant as black tea, Camellia sinensis?
Herbal Medicine and Modern Pharmacology There is a growing body of research which indicates that traditional uses of plant remedies and the known pharmacological activity of plant constituents often coincide. However, herbal medicine is distinct from medicine based on pharmaceutical drugs. Firstly, because of the complexity of plant materials it is far more balanced than medicine based on isolated active ingredients and is far less likely to cause side-effects. Secondly, because herbs are typically prescribed in combination, the different components of a formulae balance each other, and they undergo a mutual synergy which increases efficacy and enhances safety. Thirdly, herbal medicine seeks primarily to correct internal imbalances rather than to treat symptoms alone, and therapeutic intervention is designed to encourage this self-healing process.
What does the RCHM believe that Chinese Medicine can treat? The RCHM's Code of Ethics, to which all RCHM members must adhere states that: "Herbal practitioners must always be aware of the necessity to communicate with other healthcare professionals, directly or indirectly, when the expertise of such professionals fits more properly the needs of a particular patient."
RCHM members will therefore not discourage essential medical treatment for conditions where western medical supervision or advice should be sought. They will always advise patients, in the case of serious illnesses or uncertain diagnosis, to seek advice and treatment from their GP/consultant. RCHM members will also, with the patient's consent, liaise with that patient's other health professionals, where appropriate, when offering complementary treatment.
The RCHM believes that Chinese herbal medicine has a role to play in the treatment of the following conditions: Skin disease, including eczema, psoriasis, acne, rosacea, urticaria Gastro-intestinal disorders, including irritable bowel syndrome, chronic constipation, ulcerative colitis, Gynaecological conditions, including pre-menstrual syndrome and dysmenorrhoea, endometriosis, infertility Hepatitis and HIV: some promising results have been obtained for treatment of Hepatitis C, and supportive treatment may be beneficial in the case of HIV Chronic fatigue syndromes, whether with a background of viral infection or in other situations Respiratory conditions, including asthma, bronchitis, and chronic coughs, allergic and perennial rhinitis and sinusitis Rheumatological conditions (e.g. osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis) Urinary conditions including chronic cystitis Psychological problems e.g. depression, anxiety)
Many of these conditions, especially in their chronic forms, create great difficulty for conventional medicine, whilst Chinese Herbal Medicine has a great deal to offer. The results that can be expected and how long a patient will have to take the herbs for will depend on the severity of the condition, its duration, and the general health of the patient.
Any RCHM member will be happy to discuss their experience of treating your type of problem with you before you commit yourself to taking Chinese herbal medicine.
