Like meditation and cupping, acupuncture is getting a trendy image makeover from the wellness movement right now, but it’s certainly nothing new. The treatment has been used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine, where it’s believed to help regulate the flow of CHI (Chee) throughout the body and heal imbalances. The first known book of Chinese Medicine, the Classic of Internal Medicine of the Yellow Emperor, dates back to between the first century BC and the first century AD. All styles of acupuncture currently practised around the world trace their roots back to this text.
With the body stimulated at specific points, the flow of energy along those channels can be modified, rebalanced, and redirected to its healthy order. This is also the case in working on trigger points where it releases the tension.
Practitioners use small, sterile needles to activate acupuncture points at various depths. And no, they’re not the same needles you get your flu shot from—these are much finer, about the width of a single strand of hair.
The needles may be inserted just under the skin, or deeper so they reach muscle. Once the needles are in place, they may be left in position for a length of time lasting from a few minutes up to around 30 minutes.
You may feel a tingling or a dull ache when the needles are inserted but you should not experience any significant pain.
The benefits of acupuncture
There are so many purported benefits of acupuncture, it can be overwhelming to determine what’s legit and what’s… less so. Fans of the practice claim it has eased osteoarthritis, helped them get pregnant, and eliminated chronic pain. One Health beauty writer swears it got rid of her acne . For my part I say I’ve seen the most dramatic improvements in patients who were suffering from back pain, insomnia, migraine headaches, and anxiety.
Research has linked various forms of acupuncture to improvements with neck pain, back pain, fibromyalgia pain, migraines, carpal tunnel syndrome, stress. It’s also frequently suggested as a low-risk treatment for anxiety, and when combined with the ‘hands-on’ approach that the Joshi Clinic adopts the benefits are amplified and the results staggering.
It is surprising that so many people live with some form of pain on daily basis hoping that it will go away, when a natural approach to their pain management is available at our finger tips.
Jacqueline from London says…..
“I booked my first appointment more out of general curiosity than to tackle a specific health concern, but I did tell Joshi I was interested in tailoring my session for back pain (I have scoliosis, and recently noticed that long days hunching over my laptop were making it worse). He recommended a face-down treatment to better focus on the acupuncture points in my back.
Like many people trying acupuncture for the first time, I was nervous about the whole needle thing. It turns out, I didn’t need to be. Although a few of them registered as a slight prick, for the most part I felt nothing at all. And once Joshi finished inserting the needles (I counted about 14) I zoned out and completely forgot I was a human pin cushion.
At the end of the session, I felt relaxed and maybe a little woozy—but less pain than before the treatment which also included a pressure massage to the spine . A few days later, though, I realized I didn’t have the usual ache in my upper back at the end of the work day. I decided to make a follow-up appointment, and now after three treatments I feel like a different person”.
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Holistic Detox Kit£250.00
Spelt and Vanilla Vegan Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 cup organic light spelt flour
- 2 tbsp aluminum free baking powder
- 1/8 tsp fine himalayan salt
- 1 cup almond milk
- 1 tbsp agave maple syrup or a 3-4 drops of alcohol free stevia
- 2 tbsp cold pressed sunflower oil
- 1 1/2 tsp pure alcohol free vanilla
- coconut oil for the pan
Method
Measure all dry ingredients into a large bowl and all the wet ingredients into another smaller bowl.
Give each mixture a good stir and then add the wet to the dry combining just until mixed.
Set aside for 5 minutes to allow batter to rise.
Prepare an open pan with 1/4 tsp coconut oil on low heat and gently spoon batter into pan without stirring batter too much, forming 2-3 small pancakes.
Cook for 2-3 minutes or until bubbles appear on surface and are golden on underside, then flip to finish.
Remove from pan and serve immediately or rest on wire rack so bottom doesn’t sweat forming a soggy cake as you prepare others.