Acupuncture is a holistic therapy which originated in China over 5000 years ago. It is now widely practised in the Western world to relieve the symptoms of a wide range of physical and psychological conditions. Acupuncture, as in all Chinese medicine, views the patient as a 'whole' and treats nearly all chronic disease as a manifestation of the individual's particular weaknesses. When acupuncture is directed at these long-standing weaknesses or 'imbalances', the patient is often amazed to find that not only is his or her main complaint improving, but many secondary complaints are too. By inserting very fine needles into specific points on the body, the life force or 'Qi' in the body is stimulated, enabling it to return to health, balance and harmony in body, mind and spirit.
Contents: 1. What is traditional acupuncture? How is it different from Western medicine?; 2. The philosophical basis of Chinese medicine The Dao, Yin/Yang and the Five Elements; 3. The twelve meridians; 4. The causes of disease; 5. How does an acupuncturist make a diagnosis; 6. What to expect from an acupuncture treatment; 7. Acupuncture: past, present and future; Appenix A; Appendix B; Index.