What is Acupuncture?

Acupuncture is used within physiotherapy for the management of pain and inflammation and as a means of stimulating the body’s own healing chemicals in order to aid recovery and enhance rehabilitation.

Acupuncture within physiotherapy is used in accordance with clinical and research evidence. Western medical acupuncture was later derived from Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Traditional Chinese Medicine founded the concept of treating specific points along the body where unseen energy pathways could be stimulated with a needle to effect energy within the body in order to support the body back to optimal health.  

In order for the body to work in harmony there are a number of systems which must be healthy and well balanced. Acupuncture aims to restore the body back to health. This is achieved by your clinician understanding your medical history in order to prescribe a treatment plan to treat the source of imbalance with the correct acupuncture points. 

The body has an innate ability to self-repair the use of Acupuncture or Electro-Acupuncture enhances these natural self-repair mechanisms to enhance recovery and improve repair timeframes.

Acupuncture needles stimulate the flow of energy which circulates in pathways (meridians) within the body. The Qi circulates and connects the deeper tissues and organs of the body with the more superficial layers and the skin.

In a healthy body, a balance exists between these different systems, both the superficial and deeper levels. Acupuncture can positively influence these imbalances by the insertion and stimulation of needles within the body and restore the balance. 

If injury, disease, emotional trauma or infection occurs, the natural flow of energy/Qi within the pathways/meridians are affected. Interruptions in the energy pathways can cause a stagnation and this can result in pain and inflammation. Using acupuncture in this case would free the stagnation and restore the free-flow of energy, reducing pain and eradicating inflammation. 

Electro-Acupuncture

Following the detailed physiotherapy assessment, inserted needles can be coupled to the electrodes of an electro-acupuncture unit. These units are designed to deliver variable amplitudes and frequencies of electrical impulses. Low frequency electro-acupuncture is intended to contribute to the mechanism of pain reduction, especially stimulating chemicals from the brain which will aid analgesia, relaxation and sleep.

It is particularly useful in the more chronic pain problems and sits against a background of research to support its use.