Traditional acupuncture is a holistic complementary medicine which seeks to balance all aspects of your well-being: physical, mental and emotional. Acupuncture is an ancient system of medicine used in eastern cultures for thousands of years. Today, acupuncture is used worldwide as more and more people are finding acupuncture offers an effective treatment for a wide range of physical, mental and emotional complaints. Based on the principles of the natural world, acupuncture is safe and free from harmful side-effects.

Five Element acupuncture

Five Element acupuncture is a gentle yet potent system of acupuncture, and is one of the most ancient forms of acupuncture. Five Element Acupuncture treats you as a unique individual, not just your symptoms. The Five Element acupuncturist understands your symptoms as distress signals and looks to their root cause. Treating at the root level has long-lasting results and is an efficient way of treating multiple symptoms with the least intervention. Five Element acupuncture is based on the understanding that there are five elements in the world around us and within us. Each of us has a special affinity with one particular element – this is your potential. Five Element acupuncture seeks to allow you to make the most of your potential.

How does acupuncture work?

Physical, mental or emotional symptoms are understood to be imbalances of Qi within your body.  Qi is vital energy that reaches every corner of your body through a network of channels much like rivers flowing through the earth.  When the rivers are flowing smoothly and freely, there is health. But if the flow is blocked or weak, the water may start to stagnate.  Similarly, the flow of Qi may become blocked or depleted and so we become susceptible to illness or pain.  Various triggers can disturb the flow of Qi, such as injury, stress, acute and chronic conditions and emotional upset.  Acupuncturists use disposable sterile and very fine needles (about one or two hairs' breadth) which are inserted into different acupuncture points on your body to remove blocks to the flow of Qi, to detox Qi, and to increase or decrease the flow of Qi.  Re-balancing your Qi stimulates your body's own natural healing process.

Who has acupuncture?

Acupuncture is safe for all ages and may be used alongside conventional medicine. Many people come for acupuncture for help with specific conditions or symptoms.  Others choose acupuncture as a preventative treatment to maintain good health, or just because they feel generally below par. 

What can acupuncture help?

The World Health Organisation has endorsed acupuncture for treatment of over 180 conditions. These include:

  • Chronic pain, back pain, arthritic pain
  • Depression, anxiety and stress
  • Insomnia
  • IBS and other digestive problems
  • Migraines and other types of headaches
  • PMS, menstrual irregularities and menopausal symptoms
  • High blood pressure and circtulatory problems
  • Infertility, pre- and post-natal support (including turning breech babies and inducing labour
  • Skin conditions such as acne and ezcema
  • Asthma and other respiratory disorders
  • Hay fever and other allergies
  • Withdrawal symptoms during detoxification from addictive substances including alcohol and nicotine

 

Acupuncture treats more than just any condition you may have, it treats you as a unique individual by rebalancing your Qi.  As your Qi affects everything, from the functioning of your vital organs to your emotional stability and clarity of thought, the effect of acupuncture offers more than relief from a condition.  Most people experience improvement in overall well-being, increased energy and vitality, greater enjoyment of life, better sleep and improved digestion.  At the same time, with acupuncture treatments you are boosting your immunity and strength to help prevent future conditions.  This preventative aspect is partly where AcuWell gets it name:

To wait for the illness to develop
Before remedying it
Is to wait until one is thirsty
Before digging the well,
Is this not too late?
Nei Jing Su Wen (classical Chinese medical text)

You do not need to have a named illness to experience the benefits of acupuncture, some people come for treatment for improved motivation, to gain a general sense of well-being, to gain a sense of peace within themselves or purely for the preventative aspect.