About Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture
It has evolved over the years to meet the changing demands of a changing world, but Traditional Chinese Medicine has been with us for millennia – certainly as many as 2,000 years, and there’s evidence to indicate it may have been first introduced as many as 4,000 years ago.
There are two key theories which bind the principles of acupuncture – the Yin Yang Theory and the Five Element Theory – but the simple heart of acupuncture as a concept lies in the fundamental belief that everything in the universe is interconnected.
That’s why acupuncturists won’t simply treat the symptoms that brings a patient to them, because the interconnected nature of human physiology dictates that what happens in one part of the body must, by extension, also affect another part.
So, whilst you may arrive at an acupuncture clinic with a pain in your knee, the knee is not necessarily where the root cause of the pain is located.
As acupuncturists, we concern ourselves with energy. It isn’t possible, in Traditional Chinese Medicine, to treat the mind and body as two separate entities. Instead, acupuncture considers your mental and physical health as a shared energy – a life force we call qi and pronounce as ‘chi’ and which, when out of kilter, manifests as illness.
It’s the balance – or lack of it – in this energy that are at the heart of wellbeing. To treat your wellbeing, it’s necessary to treat and reset your qi.
In practice, Traditional Chinese Medicine operates along a complex network of pathways known as meridians. In humans, there are 20 meridians in total. Of these, 12 relate to specific organs and functions and are considered primary.
Acupuncture has been recognised by the British Medical Association as a complementary treatment to be incorporated into the range of services offered by the NHS, whilst the World Health Organisation also records a number of medical conditions that have been the subject of conclusive clinical trials. Please click here: The World Health Organisation website for further information.
Want to find out about acupuncture? We love to educate! Contact The Acupuncturists for more information about the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Our comfortable and relaxing clinic is conveniently located in the heart of Marylebone, London, allowing our patients flexibility in fitting consultations and appointments into their busy lives.