Traditional acupuncture
There are different styles of acupuncture. These can be divided into three broad categories: traditionally based systems of acupuncture, western medical acupuncture, and microsystems: eg, ear acupuncture.
British Acupuncture Council members are trained in one or more traditionally based system of acupuncture: such as TCM, Five Elements, Stems and Branches, Japanese Meridian Therapy, and many others. These styles differ slightly in needling and diagnostic techniques, but all trace their roots back to the classical texts such as the Yellow Thearch’s Canon of Internal Medicine: huangdi neijing (黄帝内经).
The Chinese word for acupuncture is zhenjiu (针灸). The first character ‘zhen’ means needle, the second character ‘jiu’ means moxibustion. Moxibustion is the burning of a herb called moxa (Chinese Mugwort, Artemisia argyi) to warm specific parts of the body, including acupuncture points. Archaeological evidence suggests that moxibustion was the most commonly practised method of stimulating the points when acupuncture first began [1]. The use of moxibustion is perhaps one of the most obvious differences between traditional and medical acupuncture. Other techniques such as cupping, guasha and tuina massage have also been used alongside acupuncture for thousands of years. In addition, acupuncturists may make dietary recommendations or suggest specific exercises such as tai ji quan and qi gong. In short, the traditional practice of acupuncture involves more than the insertion of needles.
Traditional styles of acupuncture utilise an understanding of health and illness that has developed for over 2000 years. This theoretical knowledge guides the diagnosis, selection of points and whether to use moxibustion or needles. In traditional acupuncture there is no mind-body split. In other words, the physical, emotional and mental aspect of life are seen as interdependent. The mind-body is seen as a system and understanding the relationship between the various parts is central to making a diagnosis and treatment plan. The focus is on the whole individual rather than a particular sign or symptom in isolation. In practice this means when treating headache, for example, an acupuncturist may wish to understand whether there are any problems with the digestion. If there are problems, this will change the diagnosis and result in the selection of different acupuncture points.
