Excitingspas

Acupuncture is part of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and dates back thousands of years. It involves inserting fine needles into specific points on the skin or applying various other techniques to the acupuncture points to bring about healing.

The foundation of Chinese acupuncture is the belief in an energy force called Qi (pronounced 'chee'). This energy, or life force, circulates around the body through invisible channels called meridians. If the flow of Qi in the meridians is disrupted, then disease may follow. By inserting fine needles into particular acupuncture points, the disruption can be corrected and the flow of Qi restored. Whether or not you believe in the philosophy of Qi makes no difference to the effects of acupuncture. Scientific trials around the world have found that acupuncture is a safe and useful treatment for many different disorders.

Yin and Yang
The ancient Chinese proposed that a balance of two opposing yet complementary forces of energy, called Yin and Yang, sustain every living thing. Half the body's organs and meridians are defined as Yin in relation to the other half, which are defined as Yang. When Yin and Yang are out of balance in the body, disease may occur.

Research has found that acupuncture may be effective in treating a range of disorders. Some of these include:

• Digestive - colitis, constipation, diarrhoea, gastritis, ulcer.
• Emotional - anxiety, depression.
• General - chronic fatigue syndrome, giving up smoking, muscle injuries, obesity, stress management, tiredness, travel sickness.
• Gynaecological - heavy menstrual bleeding, painful periods, menopausal symptoms, pre-menstrual syndrome.
• Musculo-skeletal - back pain, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, tennis elbow and whiplash.
• Neurological - Bell's palsy, carpal tunnel syndrome, headache, Meniere's disease, migraine, pain, paralysis, shingles.
• Respiratory - asthma, bronchitis, common cold, hayfever.
• Vascular - haemorrhoids, high blood pressure, varicose veins.
  

The British National Health Service carried out a systematic review of the evidence for the use of acupuncture to treat or manage a range of disorders. They found that there was evidence that acupuncture is effective to treat dental pain, jaw pain and to control nausea after operations and chemotherapy treatment.

For many conditions where acupuncture can be used, the evidence has not been systematically reviewed, or the current scientific evidence to prove that it is effective is not yet established.

Clinical guidelines published in many different countries have found that acupuncture is moderately helpful in a wide range of conditions, particularly those which involve pain.