Clients quite often contact me and ask "Can you treat such and such (e.g. migraines) with acupuncture".
Before answering that question it is worth taking a step back.
Our bodies and minds are extremely complex organisms - think weather systems and then add a lot more complexity. So just like the weather, we can't actually correct things. Instead, as a practitioner we are trying to take away the barriers that are stopping the body from self correcting. And therefore the best tool needs to be used at the time to remove those barriers.
So is acupuncture the best tool all the time? No - of course it isn't. And there's the crux of the matter. Acupuncture was just a tiny portion of Chinese Medicine. Bodywork was used just as comprehensively in ancient China and don't get me started on Chinese Herbs. So although I use acupuncture because it's a great tool, I also use bodywork and dietary suggestions (hopefully herbs in the not too far future). And sometimes there are other people who are just better at removing a particular "barrier" than me. So I won't be afraid to recommend an Osteopath if your rib is displaced. Or a Psychoanalyst if I suspect some trauma from the past. Or getting you to do homework.
Lastly, remember your ailment is a result of years of accumulation. The most important helper to get you back to health is YOU! Even though we practitioners can accelerate that process, it's still going to require a considerable amount of work on your behalf.
Before answering that question it is worth taking a step back.
Our bodies and minds are extremely complex organisms - think weather systems and then add a lot more complexity. So just like the weather, we can't actually correct things. Instead, as a practitioner we are trying to take away the barriers that are stopping the body from self correcting. And therefore the best tool needs to be used at the time to remove those barriers.
So is acupuncture the best tool all the time? No - of course it isn't. And there's the crux of the matter. Acupuncture was just a tiny portion of Chinese Medicine. Bodywork was used just as comprehensively in ancient China and don't get me started on Chinese Herbs. So although I use acupuncture because it's a great tool, I also use bodywork and dietary suggestions (hopefully herbs in the not too far future). And sometimes there are other people who are just better at removing a particular "barrier" than me. So I won't be afraid to recommend an Osteopath if your rib is displaced. Or a Psychoanalyst if I suspect some trauma from the past. Or getting you to do homework.
Lastly, remember your ailment is a result of years of accumulation. The most important helper to get you back to health is YOU! Even though we practitioners can accelerate that process, it's still going to require a considerable amount of work on your behalf.
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