Acupuncture & Herbal Medicine

The two components of Traditional Chinese Medicine are acupuncture therapy and herbal medicine therapy.

Acupuncture therapy

Acupuncture works by stimulating the body's own healing responses and immune system. Acupoints lie along lines, or channels, in the body. They are stimulated by inserting thin, fine needles at various points, and the combinations of points used for different conditions have been refined over centuries and examined by modern research.

What is involved in an acupuncture session?

Each treatment uses a number of fine stainless steel needles, inserted at specific locations on the body for fifteen to thirty minutes depending on your symptoms. We only ever use pre-sterilised, single-use disposable needles, so safety and comfort are guaranteed.

How will I feel during and after treatment?

Some people feel a slight dull ache. Most experience a sense of peace and relaxation during the treatment. You should be perfectly able to travel home on your own afterwards.

“Westernised” acupuncture

It is worth knowing that many western practitioners — GPs and physiotherapists among them — also use acupuncture for certain conditions. They are rarely applying TCM theory, simply because they have not been trained in it; that training takes several years, as their own medical training does. What they use is a limited set of well-tested needling points that achieve well-proven outcomes, and it can be very effective.

If it is not effective, or only effective for a short while, TCM theory would suggest the treatment is reaching the symptoms rather than the root cause — rather like taking a tablet for a headache. In those cases it may be worth trying acupuncture based on TCM diagnosis.

Chinese herbal medicine therapy

Chinese herbal therapy uses natural plants in raw or processed form. Every herb has its own characteristics and its own medical use, correcting hyperactivity or hypoactivity of yin and yang so that the body can return to its normal physiological functions.

Herbal therapy must be given by a qualified TCM practitioner. The practitioner conducts a diagnostic interview and then prescribes a combination of herbs suited to the individual patient. Chinese herbs do not usually interfere with other medications and can complement western medicine in a number of ways. They may be used on their own, but are often given alongside acupuncture.

Traditionally, dried herbs were boiled up and taken as a drink. We can also provide the same treatment in powder or capsule form — a more convenient method for a busy life, requiring no preparation time and just as effective. Traditional treatment for the modern world.