Acupuncture Guide

What is on this page:

How Does Acupuncture Work

Yin & Yan

The Five Elements

The Consultation

The Treatment

The Acupuncture Facial

Learn Acupuncture at College

Acupuncture Clinics Manchester

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Acupuncture
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Acupuncture Guide

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Yin & Yan Back to Top

Yin and Yang are opposite forces, and when in balance work together any upset in the balance causes chaos. Yin is negative, female-passive, dark, moist, cold. Yang is positive, male- light, warm, dry, active. Nothing it completely yin or yang even humans are a bit of both a part of yin the mother and yang the father. Too much yang causes over activity and heat not enough yang causes tiredness, chilliness, poor circulation. Too much yin causes coldness, dampness, not enough yin causes excitability, insomnia.

One of the main aims of the acupuncturist is to maintain a balance of yin and yang within the whole person to prevent illness occurring and to restore existing health. Acupuncture is a yang therapy because it moves from the exterior to the interior. Herbal and nutritional therapies, on the other hand, are yin therapies, as they move from the interior throughout the body. Many of the major organs of the body are classified as yin-yang pairs that exchange healthy and unhealthy influences

The Five Elements Back to Top

The Meridians Back to Top

The meridians are channels which the Qi flows through the body, there are 12 well known meridians, all 12 meridians are bilateral making 24 in total. Each meridian is associated with an organ or function. When you press on a point on a meridian you are stimulating the nerves, tissue and flow of  Qi through the meridians. Dotted along these meridians are more than 400 acupuncture points. The acupuncture points have been proven to have a lower electrical resistance , many of these points are trigger points which cause the muscle to contract or relax. 

When Chi flows freely through the meridians, the body is balanced and healthy, but if the energy becomes blocked, stagnated or weakened, it can result in physical, mental or emotional ill health. An imbalance in a person's body can result from inappropriate emotional responses such as: excess anger, over-excitement, self-pity, deep grief and fear. Environmental factors such as cold, damp/humidity, wind, dryness, and heat can also cause imbalance so as factors such as wrong diet, too much sex, overwork and too much exercise.

To restore the balance, the acupuncturist stimulates the acupuncture points that will counteract that imbalance. So, if you have stagnant Chi, he will choose specific points to stimulate it. If the Chi is too cold, he will choose points to warm it. If it is too weak, he will strengthen it. If it is blocked, he will unblock it, and so on. In this way, acupuncture can effectively rebalance the energy system and restore health or prevent the development of disease. The points that the practitioner chooses to stimulate may not necessarily be at the site of the symptoms.

What is QI                                                                                                                         

Pronounced chi it is the invisible vital energy that runs through our bodies along the meridian channels, there are 5 main forms of Qi  below.

QI Matter,energy: vital energy of all living things, movement and change in the universe

Click thumbnails below to enlarge

The Consultation Back to Top

When a acupuncture therapist examines you they use a though system called the four examinations: looking, inquiring, listening, smelling, touching, included in that are the following stages:

• Asking questions: in doing so they evaluate your mental and physical state, your emotional behaviour, voice and appearance.

• The tongue: the shape, colour, fur or spots on the tongue can tell the practitioner a lot about your state of health.

• Body language: the practitioner looks at the way you walk, how loudly you talk and if you slouch or sit straight. 

• Facial colours: are associated with different organs and you may have a combination of several red~ heart, green~ liver, yellow~ spleen, white~ lungs black~ kidneys.

• The voice: the sound and level of the voice and the way you breath or cough are also indications of problems.

• Smell: there are  certain odors we give off through sweat and body fluids which indicate certain problems

• The pulse: practitioners spend time reading your pulse and use a complicated system of evaluation to determine the value of your pulse

• Touch: pressure on acupuncture points to evaluate pain, pain that feels better when pressed is due to deficiency, pain that feels worse when pressed is due to excess.  

The Acupuncture Treatment Back to Top

Acupuncturist use 6-9 different needles, there are several methods of insertion at different angles, you will feel a sensation when a needle is inserted called dequi which is not considered painful. After the needle is inserted the following techniques may be used on the needle:  raising and thrusting, twirling, plucking, scraping or trembling (vibration). 

There are also several other applications, electro-acupuncture which uses very small electrical impulses through the needles this method is used for pain relief and in China actually used during surgery, there are small battery operated electro-acupuncture devices without the use of needles available. Lasers, heat and sonopuncture (sound waves) are also used. Auriculotherapy acupuncture points. Vacuum suction using a small glass or wooden cups over points is another method and is a good way of reducing  fluid in an area and improving blood circulation.

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The Acupuncture Facial Back to Top

Have you read the treatment menu at your spa lately? you may have noticed a new and intriguing addition- Cosmetic acupuncture – also known as acupuncture facial rejuvenation or acupuncture facelift - is finding its way into an increasing number of full-service spas, and for good reason. This new modality can enhance not only your physical appearance but also your overall health, giving you a glow that radiates from deep within. While cosmetic acupuncture as a spa feature is a somewhat new phenomenon, there are nevertheless centuries-old records of it being used in the service of beauty. What’s more, acupuncture’s ability to improve a variety of skin conditions has now been documented in legitimate clinical studies. Its effectiveness is no longer a question of hearsay or testimonials. Before signing up for a course of facial acupuncture treatments, however, there are a few things you should consider.

Is it really a facelift? The answer is an unequivocal no. Nor is it intended to replace a facelift. Cosmetic acupuncture entails no incisions, sutures or acid peels and it will not produce sudden, drastic changes in underlying structures. In fact, the American Cosmetic Acupuncture Association discourages the use of the term, “facelift” in connection with acupuncture, as this creates unrealistic expectations and, ultimately, disappointment. Remember, it took decades of stress, sun damage and exposure to environmental toxins for your skin to reach a state of crisis, and the damage will not be instantly undone. The remedy cosmetic acupuncture may offer is the reduction or erasure of fine lines and the softening of deeper ones. Additionally, patients may experience the firming of jowls and a reduction in the size of under-eye bags. It is not unusual for clients to report enhanced skin tone, increased energy and eyes that sparkle.

But it doesn’t stop there. Since facial acupuncture is based on time-tested principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine, a person’s overall health may also benefit. Insomnia may be corrected and weight gain may be controlled. Cosmetic acupuncture is, after all, a whole-body treatment. In the Traditional Chinese Medicine view, a person’s face is affected selectively by his or her internal organs. Facial features reflect organic strengths, and as internal organs are fortified, one’s face reflects the improvement. Besides addressing a patient’s condition holistically, the practitioner will probably work locally, inserting painless, ultra-fine needles into--and around--specific wrinkles, acu-points or muscle points, depending on the technique employed. Techniques can be Spartan or luxuriant, and practitioners will often incorporate herbal poultices, moisturizers, pulsed light or essential oils into a treatment. An imperceptible electrical current may also be passed among the needles.

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Learn Acupuncture at College Back to Top

Further information about the work of the BAAB, can be obtained by contacting:
Tel. +44 (0) 20 8735 0466 Fax. +44 (0)20 8735 0477

Northern College of Acupuncture
(affiliated to the University of Wales)
61 Micklegate, York YO1 6LJ
Tel: +44 (0) 1904 343305
Fax: +44 (0) 1904 330370

College of Traditional Acupuncture (UK)
(affiliated to Oxford Brookes University)
Haseley Manor, Hatton, Warwick
Warwickshire, CV35 7LU
Tel: +44 (0) 1926 484158 Fax: +44 (0) 1926 484444

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