What happens during treatment?

Your first consultation may be longer than subsequent sessions. The acupuncturist will assess your general state of health in order to identify the underlying patterns of disharmony and give you the most effective treatment.

Stimulating specific points affects the functioning of certain organs in the body. However, those points may not be close to the part of the body where the problem is experienced. For example, although you may suffer from headaches, needles may be inserted in your foot or hand.

A selection of perhaps ten or twelve points may be used for each treatment, and it is quite usual for different points to be selected as your condition changes during a course of treatment. 

Needle treatment may be supplemented with moxa, a smouldering herb which is used to warm acupuncture points to encourage the body’s energy to flow smoothly. 

Moxa sticks are used for larger areas such as back, lower abdomen or tracking alone meridian channels.  Individual points can be targetted using moxa on the ends of the needles or directly over the points.

Cupping is another technique - cups make of either bamboo or glass are applied to the surface of the skin by vacuum which is induced either by a flame or suction.  It is often used for joint problems and is also commonly used on the back where it helps in clearing the common cold.  

Gua Sha has a similar effect, but without the vacuum: an aromatic oil is applied and the skin is rubbed or scraped to stimulate surface circulation and release conjestion.

Massage or tapping with a rounded probe are techniques particularly suitable for small children or people with a fear of needles.

Diagnosis

You will be asked about your current symptoms and what treatment you have received so far, your medical history and that of your close family, your diet, digestive system, sleeping patterns and emotional state. Once enough information has been gathered to determine the likely causes of your problems, the acupuncturist can select the most appropriate treatment.

To discover how the energies are flowing in your body, the acupuncturist is likely to feel your pulses on both wrists, noting their quality, rhythm and strength.

The structure, colour and coating of your tongue also give a good guide to your physical health. The aim is to discover which energy channels need adjusting for your specific complaint to improve, and which require treatment to boost your overall energy and vitality.

All this information is used to formulate a Chinese Medical Diagnosis and confirm the principles of treatment.