Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine

Acupuncture - Part of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Acupuncture is a highly effective ancient method of treatment which originated in ancient China thousands of years ago.

Acupuncture involves the insertion of fine, sterile needles into specific points on the body as a treatment for almost every disorder ranging from asthma to drug addiction.

Principles of Acupuncture

One of the key principles of acupuncture is that each of the internal organs e.g. the liver, stomach, kidney etc relates to certain areas of the body via its pathways called channels.  These internal pathways have a functional nature, rather than a physical one like a vein.

For example, oriental medicine has observed over thousands of years the process of disease that not only affects an organ or region of the body, but rather how it affects the whole body.  And so it was seen that the Liver organ, for example, relates to the eye, the regulation of the emotional response, influences the tendons, regulates gynecological functions and influences the process of digestion.  The Liver influences these functions and tissues through its channel, an internally connecting pathway of functional significance.  Other organs also relate to areas outside the scope of their western medical defined anatomical and physiological nature. 

So, in oriental medicine theory the eye is related to the Liver.  Therefore, problems of the eye can be treated through acupuncture points on the Liver channel. Some of these points are found on the foot.

Acupuncture points are strong areas of influence along a channel which relate to internal organs and the areas of the body which they control.

Inserting needles into these points results in powerful immune, hormonal, nervous and anti inflammatory responses within the body allowing conditions of pain, disease, stress, injury and trauma to be treated effectively without side effects commonly associated with drug use.

Brendan practices a highly efficient and advanced style of acupuncture known as 3E which allows for minimal number of point used with a results driven emphasis.

Chinese Herbal Medicine - is highly effective system of holistic healing based on the thousands of years of clinical experience and the principle that diagnosis and prescriptions are based on an individual’s pattern of symptoms rather than looking for a named disease. This approach is very different to traditional western medicine which can tend to treat every patient with the same named disease with the same drug.

Chinese Herbal Medicine is not concerned with the use of a single herb cure all applicable for all patients, this is simply not realistic nor does it generally result in long lasting and significant treatment outcomes.  A single herb may be fantastic for one person’s arthritis but may produce a nil or negative affect in another persons arthritis.  It is not the shortcoming of the product or herb but the incorrect treatment for the patient.

A course of Chinese herbs is usually prescribed as a formula in raw material to be cooked as a tea or a formula may include several types of herbs, each with their own specific role in treating the individuals symptoms and root cause of the problem which are more often than not varied from individual to individual. It is not enough to quash or suppress the symptoms for them only to reappear as another problem somewhere else.  Much like the cartoon character which tries to plug holes in the dam with his fingers, he will soon find that he will run out of fingers and new leaks will spring!  Chinese Medicine has a two phase approach which aims to allay the symptoms and to strengthen the body.  Thus health is not merely the absence of disease but also a strong healthy happy individual which enables the prevention and defence against further disease.

The World Health Organisation identified the following disorders and illnesses that are treatable through Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine.

Neurological conditions

  • headaches,
  • migraines,
  • insomnia
  • fatigue,
  • nervous tension,
  • stroke,
  • some forms of deafness,
  • facial and inter-costal neuralgia,
  • trigeminal neuralgia,
  • some forms of paralysis,
  • sequelae of poliomyelitis,
  • peripheral neuropathy,
  • noises in the ears,
  • dizziness,
  • Meniere's disease.

Cardiovascular disorders

  • high or low blood pressure,
  • fluid retention,
  • chest pain,
  • angina pectoris,
  • poor circulation,
  • cold hands and feet, 
  • muscle cramps.

Respiratory conditions

  • bronchial asthma,
  • acute and chronic bronchitis,
  • acute tonsillitis,
  • rhinitis,
  • sinusitis,
  • hay fever,
  • chronic cough,
  • laryngitis,
  • sore throat,
  • influenza
  • the common cold.

Digestive system disorders

  • toothache,
  • post-extraction pain,
  • gingivitis,
  • mouth ulcers,
  • hiccough,
  • spasms of the oesophagus,
  • gastric and duodenal ulcers,
  • gastric hyperacidity,
  • gastritis,
  • heartburn,
  • hiatus hernia syndrome,
  • irritable bowel syndrome,
  • flatulence,
  • paralytic ileus,
  • colitis,
  • diarrhoea,
  • constipation,
  • haemorrhoids,
  • liver and gall bladder disorders,
  • weight control.

Urogenital disorders

  • cystitis,
  • prostatitis,
  • orchitis,
  • low sexual vitality,
  • urinary retention,
  • kidney disorders,
  • nocturnal enuresis (bed wetting),
  • neurogenic bladder dysfunction.

Gynaecological and obstetric disorders

  • PMT,
  • painful, heavy or irregular, or the absence of periods,
  • abnormal uterine bleeding or discharge,
  • hormonal disturbances,
  • disorders associated with menopause,
  • prolapse of the uterus or bladder,
  • difficulty with conception (infertility),
  • morning sickness,
  • impotence and prostate disorders.

Skin conditions

  • eczema,
  • dermatitis,
  • psoriasis,
  • nerve rash,
  • herpes zoster,
  • acne,
  • scar tissue and resultant adhesions,
  • hair loss
  • dandruff.

Eye conditions

  • visual disorders,
  • red, sore, itchy or watery eyes,
  • conjunctivitis,
  • simple cataracts,
  • myopia in children,
  • central retinitis.

Musculoskeletal disorders

  • osteoarthritis,
  • sciatica,
  • lumbago,
  • weak back,
  • low back pain,
  • rheumatoid arthritis,
  • gout,
  • tenosynovitis,
  • shoulder and neck pain,
  • cervicobrachial syndrome,
  • "frozen shoulder",
  • "tennis elbow".

Sporting injuries

  • sprained ankles and knees,
  • cartilage problems,
  • corking and tearing of muscles,
  • torn ligaments
  • bruises.

Psychological conditions

  • depression,
  • phobias,
  • emotional disturbances,
  • anxiety,
  • nervousness
  • addictions such as smoking.
  

The disorders above which appear in bold have been recognised by the World Health Organisation (December 1979) as having been successfully treated by acupuncture. The disorders which do not appear in bold above are other common disorders which have been found to respond well to acupuncture.