Acupuncture

 

Acupuncture first came to public attention in the West when President Nixon visited the Peoples' Republic of China in the early 1970s. Since then it has earned a reputation worldwide as an effective intervention for a wide range of medical conditions.

Traditional Acupuncture, is an holistic therapy, based on principles of vitalism; our health is maintained by the regulated, coordinated movement of Qi. Qi can be translated in many different ways, but broadly, it is our life force; the power which gives us life and health. Qi flows through a network of channels, which flow throughout our bodies, animating our vital organs, circulating blood and regulating our vital functions (consciousness, memory, appetite, sleep etc).

The flow of Qi can be disturbed by a number of factors. These include; emotional states such as anxiety, stress, anger, fear or grief; poor nutrition; weather conditions; hereditary factors; infections; poisons and trauma. The principle aim of acupuncture in treating the whole person is to restore our physical, emotional and spiritual equilibrium. By the insertion of fine needles, the strength and smooth flowing of Qi can be enhanced and revitalised.

I am registered and insured by the British Acupuncture Council (BAcC). Members of the BAcC are bound by strict Codes of Professional, Ethical and Hygienic Practice.

 

Chinese Herbal Medicine

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Chinese herbal Medicine (CHM) is one of the great herbal traditions of the World, with a recorded history of more than two thousand years. It has retained a strong presence in health provision in China today, where it is practiced alongside western medicine in state hospitals throughout the country, in the treatment of a wide range of conditions.

Treatment with CHM involves the use of combinations of herbs which are tailored to address the particular disharmony of the individual patient; the Chinese materia medica contains several hundred commonly used ingredients, including roots, stems, flowers, leaves and barks, together with some non-plant materials. This allows the practitioner to create prescriptions which match individual patients' patterms of disharmony, and which can be adapted to meet each patient's changing needs as treatment progresses.

 

The possible uses of CHM are wide and varied, and people of all ages and constitutions can benefit from it. Treatment may also include lifestyle and dietary advice, which is based upon the energetic and medicinal qualities of foods.

 

CHM is commonly administered in two forms;

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Loose herbs;

At Bank Lane Practice I have an on-site dispensary; this is my preferred way of prescribing. Each prescription is tailor made to suit your individual needs and, modified as treatment progresses. On each visit you may be given 7 to 10 bags of medicine; each bag providing medicine for two days. Herbs prescribed in this clinic are ethically sourced

 

Freeze Dried Granules/Powders;

Freeze drying herbs and making them into powder/granules which are dissolved in warm water form is a modern technological advance which has been developed in Japan and Taiwan during the recent past. Powders/granules are dispensed through a third party provider.