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Yorkshire Evening Press, 15th October 2002

1.      It involves gentle, natural, low-tech interventions such as fine needles, acupressure massage, moxabustion, and       cupping to promote a self-healing response by re-directing or re-aligning your Qi.

2.      It embraces the concept of Mind Body and Spirit, where the unifying factor is Qi, which is the link between, and the substance of Mind, Body and Spirit. 

3.      It sees health as a positive state of being that occurs when the opposing forces, or polar complements, Yin Qi    and Yang Qi, are perfectly balanced.  At these times you feel really well in every way and at every level.  It is a  dynamic harmony you are always working towards, consciously and unconsciously, in your ever-changing life.

4.      It involves individualised treatment so as to meet your unique health care needs.  For example, take two patients with low back pain.  Patient A tells their acupuncturist that their low back pain is worse for walking and much better for warmth and rest, that their knees feel weak, and that they also get headaches with dizziness at the end of the day.   Patient B tells their acupuncturist that their low back pain is worse first thing in the morning and much better for walking and moving around.  These differences would require that their acupuncturist use quite different acupuncture points and techniques, even though both patients have low back pain. 

5.      It often involves practical lifestyle advice, such as Chinese Dietary Therapy or advice about relaxation and exercise.  For example, it might be that you have a weak digestive system with symptoms of fatigue, bloating after eating, loose stools and weight gain.  To help you become healthy and, more importantly, stay healthy, your acupuncturist would aim to give you advice about foods to eat to strengthen your digestive system (e.g. porridge and soups and stews).  They would also tell you about foods to avoid or minimise because they could weaken, overwhelm or block up your digestive system (e.g. ice-cream, raw vegetables and bread).

 Heavy, painful periods – can you help?

 Q I’ve had heavy, painful periods since I started my periods when I was 13.  I am now 34 and I’ve tried everything, including the pill, and I still have heavy, painful periods.  Do you think acupuncture could help?

A Yes, this is an area where I believe acupuncture has a very important role to play, and there is a very good chance that it could help you with your periods.  Research evidence to date suggests that acupuncture normalises blood loss for around two-thirds of women with menorrhagia, or heavy periods, and that it can also be very successful in treating period pain and many other peri-menstrual symptoms such as tiredness, migraines and irritability. Indeed, acupuncture has been found to have quite a profound affect upon the female endocrine system, in that it regulates the production of hormones throughout the menstrual cycle.   This, coupled with the fact that acupuncture is very safe, even during pregnancy, makes acupuncture an attractive option for many women.

 It is not surprising then that there is currently a lot of interest from health care researchers in the use of acupuncture for a range of menstrual problems, and in the treatment of infertility.  Researchers in the UK and Sweden are looking at acupuncture in the treatment of infertility for women with polycystic ovary syndrome, researchers in the US are looking at acupuncture in the treatment of endometriosis, whilst researchers down-under are looking at the treatment of period pain.  And you will of course remember the article in the Evening Press last autumn about the York and Selby Acupuncture for Menorrhagia Study.  Exciting times – so watch this space!