The body has a natural immune system, which protects against invasion by "hostile" diseases and illness resulting from the degeneration of aging.

Western medical treatment has been largely based on "attacking" each disease or injury by using a drug or surgical procedure specific to that condition. It is only recently that a broader based "holistic" approach to health care has gained acceptance in western medicine.

By comparison, Chinese medicine has always been holistic in nature. Traditional Chinese medical practice is based on the belief that if the body's separate systems (circulation, nervous system, digestion, etc.) are maintained in the correct state of balance and properly nourished the immune system will ward off all but most acute conditions, and injuries and deterioration will be repaired in a natural and safe manner, without inflicting drugs or substances which are foreign to the body's natural chemistry.

Centuries of observation and experiment have developed a range of proven natural treatments which restore balance, nourish the nervous and other systems, and stimulate the body's immune system.

How Chinese Traditional Medicine Works

Chinese medicine sees most ailments as occurring because of weakness in some part of the body's natural protection and renewal systems. Over some 4,000 years the therapeutic effects of a great range of herbs, plant extracts and other natural compounds have been painstakingly observed. The result is a well proven medical system which is gaining increasing acceptance in most of western countries and which provides effective remedies for most common ailments. Treatment regimes are typically very gentle without side effects, and as they work by strengthening the body, the benefits are long term.

If you have any questions or require advice please consult out resident physician.

Acupuncture Diagnosis and Treatment

During the first consultation, the practitioner aims to determine the nature of the disharmony in the patient's mind/ body by careful questioning and observation.

A detailed understanding is required of the patient's symptoms, past medical and family history, lifestyle and diet, behaviour of all the systems in the body such as digestion and circulation, sleep patterns, and emotional feelings. Diagnosis may also include examination of the tongue for its structure, colour and coating and of the pulses at the wrists, which are felt for their quality, rhythm and strength.

What the practitioner is looking for is not symptoms in isolation, but rather a pattern into which is woven a total picture of the patient. Having decided on the cause or causes of the problem, the points and appropriate method of treatment are selected according to various rules governing the movement of Qi in the body.

During acupuncture treatment, needles are either inserted for a second or two or left in place for up to 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the effect required. During this time there may be a heavy sensation in the limbs and a pleasant feeling of relaxation.

Sometimes, a herbal preparation known as moxa is smouldered on or held near to the acupuncture point and removed when the patient feels it becoming hot. Gentle electrical stimuli may also be applied through the needles. Giving a sensation of tingling or buzzing. Other methods of treating acupuncture points include massage (acupressure), tapping with a rounded probe, and laser. These are techniques that are particularly suitable for children or for people who have a genuine fear of needles.

Treatment with acupuncture can produce rapid results but more often it requires a number of treatments over a period of time. Usually treatments are once or twice a week, but they can be less frequent. Sometimes the effect is quite dramatic and the patient will only need one or two treatments. Sometimes the effect is subtle and may require treatment for several months. There is, however, usually some change after about five treatments.

What Can Acupuncture Help?

An acupuncturist may be consulted by people with specific symptoms or conditions, such as pain, anxiety, arthritis, eczema, sports injuries, hay fever, asthma, migraine, high blood pressure, menstral disorders, intestinal problems or pregnancy management and delivery.

While extensive practice and research has shown that acupuncture is effective in helping people with such conditions as well as with many others, it does more that simply relieve symptoms. The aim of acupuncture is to treat the whole patient and to restore the balance between the physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of the individual.

In traditional acupuncture, since all illness is considered the result of imbalance of energy, treatment can benefit almost any ill person as long as the degenerative process in the tissues of the body is not too extensive.

Many people also have acupuncture as a preventative treatment or because they feel unwell in themselves but are not 'ill' in the Western sense.