Acupuncture
What is the origin of Acupuncture?
Acupuncture has developed over several thousand years, mainly in the Far East, and its use has grown hugely here over the last 50 years. Over a third of the world's population now uses it.
What is Acupuncture all about?
In the West, disease is thought of as a dysfunction of an organ or body system caused, usually, by an external influence, such as an infection, bad nutrition, trauma etc. This dysfunction will then produce physical symptoms, which as addressed, i.e. the efforts to help, are directed at the particular dysfunction or external influence.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a little more subtle. It acknowledges that external influences (often referred to as "external pathogenic factors", or EPFs) will affect the body, but then goes on to consider exactly how those factors are / have affected the individual person being considered.
This as the basic premise is that, in normal good health (homeostasis), a flow of "energy" or "Qi", as it is usually known, flows smoothly around the body, moving all the nutrition (Blood in TCM) and fluids around. Any external influence (which includes simple things like trauma or a physical blow, as well as viruses, bacteria or even mental shock) will disrupt this flow.
The diagnosis of a patient's condition therefore carried out focuses more on how the body is/has reacted to the external influence, rather than just what the external influence is. This seems logical as everyone's reaction to a particular influence will be slightly different, which is relevant to how you work to address it and assist the body in returning to its normal state.
What happens in a treatment?
A first appointment will last between 1 and 1½ hours, subsequent treatments between 50 minutes and 1 hour. You will be asked about your current symptoms, treatment you have received, your medical history, medication, diet, digestive system, sleep patterns and emotional state (to allow a proper Chinese Medical diagnosis to be made). Your pulses on both wrists will be felt and also your tongue looked at, in detail.
This information is used to form your TCM diagnosis, on which the "prescription of points" to be needled will be based. The needles will then be put in for usually between 10 and 30 minutes.
I may also use "cupping" or moxa /heat lamp where needed, with the patient's consent of course.
What conditions can it help?
The commonest conditions treated include:
Arthritic pain
Migraines
Tension headaches
Lower back pain
Nausea.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has published a list of over 40 conditions acupuncture can be used effectively for.
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 Nick Short started life training as an engineer, and then his career/s progressed through retail management to shop fitting/project management to health and safety!
In the early 90's Nick started studying Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and, after a 3 year diploma training, worked part time as a "Shiatsu" practitioner, as well as working as a freelance safety consultant.
As he found the Chinese medical theory so appealing, as it is very logical and uses normal language to explain how a particular condition is affecting a client, he extended his studies to Acupuncture, studying at the London College of Traditional Acupuncture for three years achieving his degree in 2007.
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