How does acupuncture differ from medical acupuncture?
These are two completely different therapies:
Traditional acupuncture is a stand-alone system which uses
diagnostic techniques and treatment methods based on the principles of
oriental medicine. As well as relieving immediate symptoms, acupuncture
addresses the underlying causes of illness and promotes ongoing physical
health and emotional wellbeing. It restores the overall health of the
person at the same time as treating their primary condition.
· BAcC registered acupuncturists are trained to:
o read subtle signs in the body to understand the precise cause of any collection of physical symptoms
o know relevant western medicine including anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, pathology and aetiology
o know the location and functions of 360+ acupuncture points on the body
o select the most appropriate points prescription for each individual patient
o treat both the underlying cause of an illness as well as relieve immediate physical symptoms
o
recognise the ‘red flags’ that indicate cancer, cardio-vascular
disease, diabetes and other life-threatening illnesses, and refer those
patients to other healthcare practitioners for tests and treatment where
appropriate.
Medical acupuncture is a recent
development used by doctors, nurses, midwives, dentists,
physiotherapists, osteopaths and chiropractors. Sometimes called ‘dry
needling’, in this version of acupuncture a very small number of
acupuncture points are used to relieve immediate physical symptoms of muscular pain or spasm. Dry
needling is used as an adjunct to the main therapeutic technique and
within the framework of a western medical diagnosis. Unlike traditional
acupuncture it does not seek to regulate qi or address the underlying
imbalance that caused the symptoms to arise.
