Alive + Well - Programmes

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a method of encouraging the body to heal naturally and improving its function by promoting physical and emotional wellbeing. It has an extraordinary ability to transform peoples' lives by relieving suffering and disharmony. Many people have Acupuncture as a preventative treatment or because they feel generally unwell but are not ill in the Western sense. The principle aim of Acupuncture in treating the whole person is to recover the equilibrium between the physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of the individual.

Chinese Medicine is an integral part of the rapid growth of complementary therapy in the UK. Its holistic approach to health is based on knowledge gathered over 2000 years, making it one of the oldest and most widely used systems of medicine in the world. It views the individual as an energy system in which body and mind are unified, each influencing and balancing the other. Good health is dependent on the body's motivating energy - known as Qi ('chee') - moving in a smooth and balanced way through a series of meridians (channels) beneath the skin, thereby regulating a person's wellbeing. If Qi is blocked, pain, dysfunction and disease can occur. The flow of Qi can be disturbed by a number of emotional states, the most common of which are anxiety, stress, anger, fear of grief, poor nutrition, weather conditions, hereditary factors, infections and trauma.

Acupuncture can successfully treat:

· gastrointestinal disorders such as food allergies, constipation, chronic diarrhoea, indigestion, gastrointestinal weakness

· urogenital disorders including stress incontinence and urinary tract infections

· gynaecological disorders, such as irregular, heavy or painful menstruation, endometriosis, pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS), menopausal symptoms and infertility in women and men

· respiratory disorders such as the common cold, emphysema, sinusitis, asthma, allergies and bronchitis

· disorders of the bones, muscles, joints and nervous system such as general aches and pains, arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, migraines and headaches, insomnia, dizziness and low back, neck and shoulder pain

· circulatory disorders such as hypertension and anaemia

· emotional and psychological disorders including depression, stress and anxiety

· substance addictions such as alcohol, nicotine and drugs

· many nose, throat and eye disorders including hayfever, allergies and tinnitus