Acupuncture is based on concepts such as Qi (vital force), Yin Yang and Five Elements, which are largely unfamiliar in the West. These concepts have evolved from observation of the rhythms and patterns of nature and the way we embody them. They are, therefore, applicable to anyone irrespective of the individual’s origins or belief system.

The concepts and perceptions of health and ill-health underpinning acupuncture and Chinese Medicine differ significantly from the Western medical concept of aiming to identify an external pathogen or a physiological abnormality and then isolating and controlling it with medication or surgery. In Chinese Medicine disease is described as a pattern – or several patterns – of disharmony (of Qi, Yin Yang or among the Five Elements) within the person rather than as a specific entity separate from the patient. Disharmony may manifest in any aspect of life – physical, mental and emotional – these aspects are indivisible within the framework of Chinese medicine. It is the aim of acupuncture treatment to restore harmony among these aspects, thereby re-establishing a state of good health.

According to Chinese Medicine, health and well-being depend on unhindered flow of Qi around the body. Qi is said to circulate within the body via an intricate network of channels (called meridians) and can be reached and influenced through any of some 500 points located on these meridians.

Acupuncture works through insertion of very fine needles into these points to stimulate, regulate, unblock and rebalance the Qi. This, in turn, helps the body’s own self-healing and self-regulating ability to restore and maintain health. It is a very gentle and subtle system of medicine that can bring about profound and long-lasting changes.

There are several styles of acupuncture currently practised in Britain, the most prominent being the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Five Element Acupuncture and Stems and Branches Acupuncture.

In my practice I use Five Element Acupuncture and the Traditional Chinese Medicine approaches in an integrated and complementary way. I find this gives me great flexibility as well as precision in diagnosis and treatment, allowing me to respond sensitively to the individual needs and unique energetic nuances of every patient.