Acupuncture is part of the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) system and has over 3000 years history in clinical experiences, it has its own profound framework and offers a range of unique therapies of which acupuncture is one and Chinese herbal medicine is another.
According to the TCM theory and especially the treatment of acupuncture, it is believed the human body is an organic whole interconnected through “12 regular meridians which belong to the Zang-fu organs internally and connect to the extremities and joints externally”
TCM considers acupoints as defined areas gathering the Qi (vital energy) of organs and meridians. The function of the meridians is to deliver the Qi and blood to maintain all parts of the body. The relevance between meridians and Zang-fu organs is the central theory in the meridian doctrine and acupoints are regarded as an important link in the relationship between meridians and Zang-fu organs.
If one of the internal Zang-fu organs is out of balance it will influence other organs and cause an imbalance within the whole body, this will cause emotional and/or physical symptoms. Conversely if the emotions or physical system is out of balance then this will influence the internal Zang-fu organ function.
TCM believes the emotional and physical are very closely connected and have a significant influence between each other. It is believed that humans have seven emotional activities, these are: Joy, Anger, Anxiety, Worry, Grief, Fear and Fright and each Zang-fu organ is responsible for an emotion. The heart organ stores the spirit and connects to Joy, the liver organ relates to anger, the spleen organ to excessive worry and anxiety, the lung organ with grief and the kidney organ relates to fear and fright. These seven emotions correspond to the internal organs and the health and condition of the body, if an emotional problem exists this will in turn cause a physical problem, this also works if a physical problem is present then it will trigger an emotional response.
Therefore, the principle of TCM treatments is to diagnose and treat the root cause of the problem, the emphasis being on treating the whole body and restoring wholeness, harmony and balance between the internal Zang-fu organs and the emotional and physical body.
Acupuncture stimulates acupoints and unblocks the meridians, this will improve the function of delivery of the Qi – vital energy by restoring the function of the internal Zang-fu organs, this will help reduce the tension, relax and calm down the emotions and assist in relieving physical symptoms, thereby balancing both the emotional and the physical together.
What can Acupuncture treat?
Acupuncture therapy can treat and regulate the body for the following diseases:
1) To help balance the mediation function of the cardiovascular system with a two-way effect on the blood pressure regulation such as heart disease and high blood pressure and is a good additive that enhances the effectiveness of medical treatment and a therapy that helps reduce the risk of strokes.
2) To treat respiratory disease and improve the body’s immune system, such as cough, asthma, hay fever and other respiratory conditions.
3) The regulation of the digestive system treating irritable Bowel Syndrome, Thyroid, Acid reflux, Diabetes, Weight gain.
4) Treatment of the urinary tract system water retention, frequent urination, incontinence, also balancing the body’s hormone levels and the effects of aging such as Impotence, Prostate, PMS, Period Problems, Infertility, Menopause.
5) Has a good effect on the function and feeling of the nervous system treating: Anxiety, Depression, Stress, Insomnia, Panic attacks, Fibromyalgia, Meniere’s disease.
6) Effective for Systemic or local pain disorders such as neck and shoulder pain, Tennis elbow, Carpal tunnel, sciatica, arthritis, sports injuries.
Case Study
I recently treated a 72 year old lady. She had suffered from emotional problems for the past 6 years since she lost her husband. At the beginning she was always worried and suffered badly with grief and depression. Gradually her condition worsened, she had very bad tension headaches and her neck and shoulders were constantly stiff and aching. She was unable to sleep, had difficulty breathing and was very tired all the time. She also suffered acid reflux, bloating and constipation.
In TCM we believe that her constant worrying, grief and depression will affect her internal Zang-fu organs, such as the lungs, spleen and stomach. This meant that her whole body was out of balance causing lots of symptoms and because the emotion and physical wellbeing are interlinked they will influence each other leaving her in a bad cycle.
After 6 weeks of Acupuncture with me she feels her emotions are much calmer. Her headache and neck/shoulder aching have gone and her sleep pattern and digestive system are back to normal.
About Dr Wen
Dr Wen trained for six years at the Heilonyang University China studying Traditional Chinese Medicine.
After qualifying and gaining his degree he worked in the University hospital before coming to England eleven years ago. He then worked for a Chinese company as a doctor for six years and during this time he worked in London, York, Edinburgh and Manchester, where he gained valuable knowledge, experience and insight into working with British patients.
He now works privately at a number of clinics across Manchester including Physio & Therapies in Todmorden. He is a member of the Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture UK.
For treatments and appointments please contact the team and Physio & Therapies on 01706 819464