Wellness, while often used as a buzzword in modern culture, is nothing new. Many ancient medicinal disciplines and cultures subscribed to the importance of a preventative-focused approach to health, and the main qualities defined by these disciplines remain the hallmarks of wellness today: To live long and well, individuals need to attend to their physical, cognitive, emotional and spiritual selves in unison. Here, nothing is separate and as an acupuncturist my job is to remind you of that.
The British Acupuncture Council (BAcC) lists an A-Z of the evidence base for acupuncture and how it can be beneficial for a variety of conditions.
Some common complaints that individuals typically seek help with:
Anxiety
Everyone has feelings of anxiety at some point in their life, whether it’s dwelling on the past, not being anchored in the present or catastrophizing about the future. It is all-encompassing and can leave us feeling nauseous, tight in the chest or even dizzy. This is a way of showing imbalance in the body. When balance is restored, it calms the mind’s chatter and any self-sabotaging voices that provoke us into feeling we’re not good enough or that we’re not realising our full potential.
Stress
We all experience stress. It is an essential part of our lives which helps us to achieve our goals, but when it’s not managed, it can be easy to experience misalignment in ourselves. We are unsure of why we feel a certain way or how to best navigate an uncertain or painful time. This can often leave us feeling overwhelmed. When we are in balance and managing our energy wisely, we can flow effortlessly between work, rest and play.
Insomnia & Tiredness
Sleep is essential, but most of us at some stage have experienced disturbance in our quality or pattern of sleep: Sometimes it can be hard to fall asleep, hard to stay asleep or we wake up too early and can’t get back to sleep. This can sap our energy levels, mood, but also our health, work performance and quality of life. Whilst strategies are available to manage it, it can be difficult to put right. When our circadian cycle falls into a natural healthy rhythm, we dream peacefully, wake feeling refreshed and have enough energy to embrace the day ahead.
Digestion
Belching and passing gas is natural and common, however, when excessive and accompanied by bloating, pain or swelling of the abdomen, it can occasionally interfere with daily activities and often cause discomfort and embarrassment. As does an excessive or strained bowel movement. When our digestive system is functioning as nature intended, we have a regular bowel movement and are able to eat and drink everything in moderation and with gusto.
Gynaecology
Menstrual disorders such as period pain, PMS, heavy periods, no periods, endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are outwards signs of a woman’s fertility and how a woman’s cyclical nature of her body is out of balance. When a woman is in balance, the menstrual cycle should flow smoothly every month, reassuring her that the internal systems are working well.
Fertility
A couple’s fertility depends on many factors such as constitution, age, lifestyle, diet and stress levels. If there is no diagnosed reason for male or female infertility, acupuncture aims to strengthen constitution, improve egg and sperm quality and create a harmonious environment for conception.
IVF
Deciding to pursue IVF treatment can be a highly emotive and demanding process that often follows years of hope, frustration and grief. By restoring balance acupuncture can support not only how you feel during your IVF cycle, but also your chances of success and it can be used as a support for all stages of IUI, IVF, FET and ICSI treatment.
Pregnancy & Postnatal
There is little doubt that pregnancy can be the one of the most wonderous and rewarding journeys in life. But for many, if not for most, it is not as idyllically simple as that. Acupuncture can ease symptoms of pelvic and lower back pain, morning sickness, turn breech babies and help to induce labour for women who are past their due date.
In Chinese medicine the health of the mother determines the health of the child and postpartum acupuncture can help with restoring vitality and strength after birth, supporting milk production, repairing scar tissue and aiding hormonal balance.
During both these phases acupuncture offers a real alternative to simply dealing with symptoms and can often offer dramatic improvement, putting the woman back in control.
Other symptoms
Headaches · Skin disorders · Asthma · Hay fever · Cystitis · Addictions · Depression · Sweating · Muscular pain · Chronic Fatigue Syndrome · Fibromyalgia