Traditional Acupuncture is a complete system of medicine which looks at all aspects of a person’s health in order to arrive at the correct diagnosis and treatment. Consequently, patients will feel improvements in their overall well-being and not just with the symptom that prompted them to seek help. It is a holistic treatment which treats body, mind and spirit. 

The Traditional Diagnosis (with treatment) takes about one and a half hours. The consultation involves asking the person about their main complaint, other complaints, medical history, life-style, body functions, relationships and stresses and includes a physical examination; this includes taking pulses and looking at the tongue. The diagnosis seeks to establish the cause of the person’s imbalance in their energies. It is unique to that person and consequently treatments and outcomes are individual. 

Subsequent treatments can last between half an hour and an hour, usually driven by the needs of the patient. Treatment may use acupuncture needles (often not retained) and the burning of a Chinese herb, called moxa. To begin with people generally need to have treatment for five consecutive weekly sessions. Each treatment builds on the previous ones. Frequently people start to feel ‘better in themselves’ alongside whatever complaint they came with. 

What changes in well- being might occur?

The process is one of empowering the person with responsibility for their own health, often when people arrive they have lost sight of this. Joint decisions then become possible between Chris and the person about further treatment. People begin to develop much healthier life styles themselves, because of the positive loop that they now find themselves in; for example, maybe taking more exercise, drinking more water and decreasing coffee and tea intake, eating wholesome foods, taking better care of themselves and so on. People may decide to have ongoing treatment or to end the course, being satisfied with the outcome.

Many people realise the long-term benefits and continue with regular treatment ranging from a few to several weeks apart. For example, Chris began weekly treatments in 1983 and now generally has four treatments a year at the change of the season. This way acupuncture can be used as a preventative medicine.

How do you know you’ll be safe?

Chris is a member of the British Acupuncture Council.( Membership number: 956178). All procedures are in accordance with strict guidelines of ethical and safe practice issued by the British Acupuncture Council.