I just don’t feel well!
Some times illness, or the feeling of being unwell, just can’t be explained. All the tests come back clear and the doctor has no idea; they call it a ‘syndrome’ and pack you off with some pills, all of which leaves you feeling frustrated and with the terrible thought that everyone thinks you are making it up!
There is no denying the effectiveness of Western biomedicine; for instance, if I broke my arm the first place I would go is A&E! But who do you turn to when you just don’t feel right and there is no label that fits what you are feeling?
Acupuncture can help.
In Chinese Medicine we see illness as a dysfunction of the body’s qi, blood and fluids. For instance, if stomach qi goes up instead of down, vomiting or nausea will ensue. Similarly, if there is insufficient blood being produced by the body, you may suffer menstrual problems, digestive problems or headaches. All symtoms, however, such as insomnia, indegestion, constipation, pain, etc. all are signs of a dysfunction of the bodily processes, and they need to be identified and addressed. A feeling of unwellness may start as just a vague ‘feeling’, but left unattended it can turn into something more serious. Yes, we need to help with the symptoms, but also what might be causing the unwell feeling: our emotions, diet, overwork, living conditions, the weather; all are relevant.
Acupuncture is not new, it’s just relatively new to the West. The key to it’s popularity is its effectiveness, its ability to restore the normal functioning of the human body. This very effectiveness, however, is the fruit of the practicality and flexibility of its theoretical approach, which, in turn, is based squarely on a human being’s experience of him or herself. Physical sensations, emotions, the oberservation of the various substances that flow out of the body; all of these are the tools with which an Acupuncturist works to observe patterns in human functioning.
If you would like to know more about Acupuncture and how it could help you, please give me a call.
