Different styles of acupuncture

Acupuncture has been practiced for thousands of years. There are many styles of acupuncture. Some modern styles focus on just musculoskeletal pain relief, which you would receive from a physiotherapist or osteopath. Five Element Acupuncture is a classical style that is informed by eastern psychology. The universality of the wisdom that underpins it is awe inspiring. It is simple, elegant, and profound. It understands how different emotions can knot, scatter, sink, raise, or dissolve energy, creating pathology in the body. With western anatomy and physiology forming a significant part of degree level training, it is a safe and effective treatment.

Modernity has led to a disconnect from our bodies

A core principle of Five Element Acupuncture is the recognition that the state of our body, mind and spirit are linked. This knowledge pervades our modern language: we are ‘sick with worry’, our ‘hearts flutter with excitement’, and we ‘go green with envy’. With acupuncture treatment, there is no judgement on what may cause emotional or mental difficulties such as stress and anxiety: they are simply regarded as blocks in the free-flow of energy.  

Seeing with a healer’s eye

Energetic blocks can have a knock-on effect and cause symptoms far from their site of origin. I am trained to make an in-depth and sophisticated diagnosis of your constitution by looking at the subtle signs from pulse taking, tongue analysis, palpation, and medical history. From this it is possible to see how the different physiological systems are relating, and how to boost their function. As your qi is harmonised, you may start to see an improvement in areas other than the presenting symptoms.

Take a look at the research page for typical evidence on how acupuncture modulates hormone signalling and neurotransmitters here.