Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a system of healing which has been practised in China and other Eastern countries for thousands of years. Although often described as a means of pain relief, it is in fact used to treat people with a wide range of illnesses. Its focus is on improving the overall well being of the patient, rather than the isolated treatment of specific symptoms. According to traditional Chinese philosophy, our health is dependent on the body's motivating energy - known as Qi - moving in a smooth and balanced way through a series of meridians (channels) beneath the skin.

Qi consists of equal and opposite qualities - Yin and Yang - and when these become unbalanced, illness may result. By inserting fine needles into the channels of energy, an acupuncturist can stimulate the body's own healing response and help restore its natural balance. The flow of Qi can be disturbed by a number of factors. These include emotional states such as anxiety, stress, anger, fear or grief, poor nutrition, weather conditions, hereditary factors, infections, poisons and trauma. The principal aim of acupuncture in treating the whole person is to recover the equilibrium between the physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of the individual.

For more infomation on Acupuncture in Europe and a list of national associations of practitioners go to the web-site of the European Traditional Chinese Medicine Association (ETCMA) ETCMA

Herbal Medicine - Phytotherapy

Herbal medicine (phytotherapy) and traditional systems using herbal medicine such as traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda are widely practised across the EU. In some Member States these modalities are practised by medical doctors whilst in other Member States (e.g. the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands and Germany) herbal practice is not limited to physicians alone.

For further information consult the web-site of the European Herbal and Traditional Medicine Practitioners Association (EHTPA) http://ehtpa.eu/

Homeopathy 

Homeopathy is system of medicine which is based on natural laws which have always existed but which were only discovered, understood and applied therapeutically some 200 years ago. 'Similia similibus curentur' is the Latin phrase which was then chosen to describe the 'law of similars' which underpins homeopathy's application - put simply it means 'like cures like'.

The way of similars, the homeopathic way, is to give the suffering patient who has a set a of particular symptoms which characterise their condition, a minute dose of a substance which in large doses causes similar symptoms of an artificially inflicted disturbance in a healthy person. e.g. homeopathically prepared doses of onion (allium cepa) will treat certain cases of hay fever where the symptoms match those of someone suffering the effects of inhaling the fumes of a fresh chopped onion.

The symptom expression of each remedy is discovered primarily through a standard procedure called a 'proving' where a substance is tested on a group of healthy volunteers for its effects and the symptoms recorded and compared to produce the information which defines that particular remedy. Each homeopathic medicine has its unique symptom expression recorded in the homeopathic 'materia medica'

The Practice of Classical or Unicist homeopathy involves a detailed case-taking by the homeopath where the patient is examined and listened to while they explain in as much detail as possible their present symptoms, thoughts and feelings and the past history which has led up to the present reason for consulting the homeopath. After recording the patient's case the homeopath will analyse the whole picture and by comparing the symptoms to the known remedies in the 'materia medica' seek to find the single remedy which best covers the patient's expressed symptoms mental, emotional and physical. This one remedy will be given to the patient in an appropriate potency and frequency of repetition according to the homeopath's assessment of their need. After a suitable interval the patient will return to see the homeopath to assess the effect of the treatment and receive more treatment as and when appropriate. The number of appointments, number of remedies and amount of treatment will vary for each patient according to their condition and its severity.