(The following document I give to all new patients. Its more detailed than a normal blog length. Its especially for those who are interested in the philosophy.)
Bournemouth Clinic for Osteopathy and Acupuncture
Classical Chinese Medicine (CCM) vs Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)
I am qualified to practise both styles of acupuncture, but I choose to work only with CCM, which I consider a more precise technique. Historically, CCM was taught only to a smaller number of students in ancient China.
By far the most widely practised form of acupuncture today is Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). TCM has done a great deal to help acupuncture spread around the world. Its approach tends to group people’s health issues into broader ‘syndromes’ (such as ‘liver yang rising’ or ‘damp heat in the pancreas’) — a somewhat more standardised approach.
By comparison, in CCM the treatment is tailored individually to the patient: the patient’s own energies are considered alongside the wider universal energy at that moment. In my experience, this individualised approach often allows for fewer treatments and fewer needles per session, which can also mean lower costs for the patient over time, as well as more effective treatment.
CCM seeks to bridge the gap between Chinese medicine and Western medicine. CCM converts the anatomy and physiology of the body into ‘Qi’, energy. This information is so detailed it allows the CCM acupuncturist to work very specifically. Typically I like to see all your scans, blood tests, X-rays, ultrasounds, or any other procedures that may be pertinent. These can be invaluable for diagnosis and ongoing treatment.
CCM dates back to the reign of the Yellow Emperor, Huang Di (born 2704 BC), and is a complete preventative and curative system of medicine. Treatment is typically monthly for chronic issues and weekly or fortnightly for acute issues. When a patient is in balance, acupuncture can be administered once every 3 months as preventative care, designed to help maintain good health over the long term.
The Concept of ‘Qi’
The concept of Qi is central to Chinese Medicine — understanding Qi is key to understanding how acupuncture works. It is commonly translated as ‘life force’ or even ‘breath’. In this tradition, everything is understood as being made of Qi: condensed, it is matter; diffused, it is energy. It is described as that which animates the physical body.
Qi is understood to exist in every cell and to flow through pathways called ‘meridians‘. It is drawn from food, drink, and breath. Within the body, Qi in a more condensed form is seen in blood, muscle, and the organs (viscera); in a more subtle form, it is described as flowing through the body somewhat like an electrical current, with bodily sensation understood to derive from it.
Meridian Qi is worked with using acupuncture needles. By placing needles at specific points, an acupuncturist aims to stimulate or calm the flow of Qi, as well as adjust its quality, with the aim of restoring balance.
Pulse Diagnosis
Pulse diagnosis is central to Chinese medicine — it allows the practitioner to assess the quality and quantity of Qi across the pathways and organs. It’s an incredibly precise and specific diagnostic tool. All the organs and their associated meridians manifest on the pulse. In fact, the pulse is such a powerful diagnostic tool that at first it can seem hard to believe — I certainly didn’t believe it when I first came across it, and I even thought about leaving the course out of disappointment. But when I began to feel the changes in the pulse brought about by acupuncture, I started to realise just how powerful it is. That was 1993. I prioritised learning the pulse from that moment on, putting greater emphasis on learning all I could, which involved seeking out the best teachings and teachers.
A few examples of how pulse diagnosis can help: knee arthritis — the stomach pathway travels down the front of the body and through the knee joint, so knee arthritis may be reflected as a distinct quality (sometimes described as ‘sharp’) in the stomach pulse.
Depression is often felt as a subtle ‘hollow’ quality in the heart pulse.
In rheumatoid arthritis, a distinctive quality can often be felt on the liver pulse, related to the liver’s role in supporting the immune system.
Pulse diagnosis usually takes the form of a dialogue with the patient — a bit like a process of elimination. In this tradition, it is considered a very old diagnostic art, with roots that may go back more than 5,000 years. It forms an important link between the patient, the underlying philosophy, and the treatment plan I choose.
Qi and Health
There are many different types of Qi, from more refined Qi in the brain to coarser Qi in the deeper meridians. The core physiological functions of Qi in the body are to transform, transport, hold, raise, protect, and warm:
- Transforming — converts substances into usable forms, such as turning food into blood or air into energy.
- Transporting — moves nutrients, blood, and fluids across tissues and organs.
- Holding — keeps fluids, blood, and organs contained and in their proper positions (such as preventing prolapse or spontaneous bleeding).
- Raising — lifts energy and organ placement upward against the pull of gravity.
- Protecting — shields the body against outside disease-causing agents or pathogens via defensive mechanisms.
- Warming — generates body heat to support metabolic rate and maintain core temperature.
The different types of Qi are associated with the five elements: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. Each has its own character: Wood is expansive, Metal is contractive, Fire moves upwards, Water moves downwards, and Earth is mildly centrifugal. These five qualities speak to all the functions of the body and relate directly to contemporary physiology. For example, the Yellow Emperor’s Classic tells us that the spleen controls the flesh and keeps the blood within the vessels. To a physiologist, this could sound like nonsense. But when we understand that Earth-Spleen maintains the whole system of collagen in the body, and that blood vessel walls are made of collagen, as well as tendons, ligaments, and cartilage, the statement begins to make sense. This means that once we know which Qi maintains a given component of the body, it becomes possible to work on a wide range of systems in the body.
Qi and Pathology
Many influences are understood to affect the meridians — hereditary factors, climate, habits, emotions, trauma, viruses, bacteria, medication, stress, overwork, smoking, alcohol, diet, environmental toxins, and more. Within this framework, Qi is understood to malfunction in essentially two ways: a diminished quantity of Qi, and/or a diminished or ‘wrong’ quality of Qi. Acupuncture aims to address both.
Most common is stagnation of Qi, which primarily manifests as pain. I treat this type of pathological Qi every day in the clinic. If the body is invaded, the immune system will always produce the opposite type of Qi — this is known as reactive Qi, and reactive Qi can cause all manner of inflammatory conditions. If the invasion goes deeper into the body, a more pernicious type of auto-reactive Qi is produced; this causes autoimmune disease, where the immune system attacks the body directly. If the reactive Qi deep in the body also involves stagnation of Qi, this type of stagnant reactive Qi is extremely destructive.
The Meridian System
The meridian system is described as an unbroken series of pathways in the body carrying Qi, much as blood flows through the circulatory system. Most acupuncture points sit on this system — there are approximately 360 points across 12 main meridians.
The system is often described in layers, from the most superficial to the deepest:
- Tendino-muscular meridians (muscles, tendons, ligaments)
- Divergent meridians (muscles, joints, ligaments, internal organs)
- The Luo meridians (a kind of pivot between the inside and outside of the body)
- The main meridians (where the acupuncture points are located)
- The extra meridians (deeper reservoirs of Qi)
The system is organised into twelve parts, each named after an associated organ. The sequence is as follows: lung, colon, stomach, spleen, heart, small intestine, bladder, kidney, pericardium, the Three Heater, gallbladder, and liver.
These meridians supply and maintain every cell, tissue, and process in the body — the entire anatomical and physiological structure. A few basic examples of function: liver Qi is understood to support the muscles and the smooth flow of Qi, and the immune system is also understood to derive from liver energy. Kidney Qi is understood to support the bones, brain, and spinal cord. Heart Qi is linked to blood flow and to emotional wellbeing, and spleen Qi is linked to glandular tissue as well as connective tissue.
At the end of this document, I’ve included three examples of how imbalances in this system are understood to relate to specific conditions: a spinal disc bulge, knee arthritis, and ovarian cysts.
The 5 Phases (also known as the 5 Elements)
The 5 phases are a dynamic system of creation and control in the body: one organ or meridian generates another, and in turn, one organ or meridian controls another. This creates an unbroken system of Qi flowing around the body, changing into different qualities in a way similar to the constant change of the seasons. The aim of acupuncture is balance — all the organs and meridians should have the same amount of Qi, with the five qualities of Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water in harmony with each other. A patient in a state of balance will be strong and vibrant.
A Curative Approach
A patient will often present with a list of symptoms that developed over time — for example, eczema some years ago, then rheumatoid arthritis, then chronic sinusitis. My approach is to work through these in reverse chronological order, addressing the most recent first and working backwards. I think of this as a kind of treatment road map. As treatment progresses and the body’s overall balance strengthens, many patients notice symptoms gradually easing, layer by layer, roughly in the reverse order they appeared — walking the journey they have already walked, but in reverse. This process can take time, though most patients notice some change within the first few sessions.
Preventative Acupuncture
Acupuncture has historical roots as a preventative medicine, though today it’s most often used to treat existing conditions. In my experience, preventative acupuncture can have the highest value of all — helping to maintain balance before problems fully develop.
The body is also understood to shift with the seasons — in summer, circulation moves more towards the surface as the body releases heat; in winter, it moves deeper as the body conserves heat. Modern life (central heating, air conditioning) can make it harder for the body to stay in step with these natural shifts. Acupuncture helps synchronise the body with the season, which can be a valuable part of supporting the body through seasonal change and promoting overall health.
A few examples of where I’ve found preventative treatment helpful:
- Treatment can help support the body through stressful periods.
- Acupuncture supports overall gut and digestive health, and in this way can help optimise the energy derived from diet.
- Overindulging at Christmas can cause acid reflux. Addressing stomach stagnation or reflux early is more straightforward than if it’s left to develop over months or years, where it could even contribute to a hiatus hernia, which naturally requires much more treatment.
I offer a seasonal preventative treatment — one session at the end of each season (four sessions a year) — designed to help the body align with seasonal change. Over the years, I’ve found these quarterly sessions valuable for many patients as part of a broader approach to good health.
Acupuncture and Mental Health
In CCM, emotions are understood as a subtle, energetic phenomenon generated by the internal organs, with meridians whose role is to help the body process and release them each day. In this framework, difficulties can arise when emotions build up faster than the body can process them. Different organ systems are associated with different emotional patterns — for example, anger with the liver, anxiety with the kidneys, and worry with the lungs — though any system can be involved. The heart is closely linked to mood; shock and difficult life events are understood to draw on heart energy, and I’ve found acupuncture can help support and replenish this. I’m always happy to discuss any questions about this in person.
Acupuncture and Complex, Long-Term Conditions
Chinese medicine has its own long-standing framework for thinking about hereditary and constitutional factors, involving what are called the ‘extra meridians’, which are understood to carry deeper, more constitutional patterns of Qi. In my experience, working with these meridians can be a valuable part of supporting patients with complex or long-standing conditions, including certain autoimmune conditions, alongside their existing medical care.
From a CCM perspective, autoimmune conditions are associated with a distinctive rough or sharp pulse quality, often felt on the liver pulse. In my experience, many patients with autoimmune conditions can see meaningful improvement in symptoms with acupuncture as part of their overall care, though this varies by condition and individual, and some conditions (such as Type 1 diabetes) are not something acupuncture can resolve. Diagnosis and treatment of these conditions is often more involved, and I always encourage patients to continue working with their medical team alongside any acupuncture treatment. This is important — CCM and Western healthcare are two sides of the same coin, and they should complement one another. Diagnostics are of particular importance here.
What Is a ‘Healing Process’ (or Healing Crisis)?
This refers to a temporary increase in symptoms after treatment, most often seen when treating pain. Pain is associated with stagnation of Qi — a bit like a blockage in a river. As acupuncture increases the flow of Qi to the area, there can be a brief period of increased pressure (and so, discomfort) before things settle, typically within a day or two. This is considered a normal, if uncomfortable, part of the process for some patients.
After treatment for pain, patients experience one of the following:
A — No noticeable change. This can sometimes mean the underlying cause needs re-assessing — for example, if a soft tissue injury was suspected but the issue is actually in the disc.
B — The pain resolves, and we can move towards a preventative approach if appropriate.
C — The sensation shifts to the opposite side of the body — in CCM this is referred to as the ‘law of cure’, relating to the body’s yin/yang balance.
D — The sensation moves to a more superficial layer of the meridian system. This is generally seen as a positive sign, though it can feel more intense briefly; treatment from this point is often quick, sometimes resolving in just one or two further sessions.
Two recent examples from my practice:
A young man I treated for significant anxiety phoned two days after his session to say he was struggling to sleep and that his anxiety had temporarily increased. We stayed in touch, and within two to three days his anxiety had eased significantly and his sleep had returned to normal.
A middle-aged man presented with multiple intervertebral disc bulges. In his first session I used a single point (PE7), aimed at bringing fresh energy down the spine. He experienced increased discomfort for around three days afterwards before it settled. With a further nine months of monthly sessions, he experienced substantial and sustained improvement in his symptoms.
Three Examples of Imbalance in the Qi and Meridian System
1. Osteoarthritis in the Knee
Arthritis is a degenerative joint condition involving swelling, inflammation, and often deformation, associated with a decline in the joint’s synovial fluid. From a CCM perspective, knee arthritis is often associated with heat in the stomach meridian, which passes through the knee joint, with a root cause often traced to weaker kidney Qi (kidney Qi being linked to fluid production in the body, including synovial fluid). In my experience, acupuncture aimed at calming this heat, supporting fluid production, and clearing the underlying imbalance can help many patients manage symptoms. I go into this treatment strategy in more detail in a video on the blog page of my website, ‘Acupuncture and Arthritis’.
2. Ovarian Cysts
There are several patterns associated with ovarian cysts in CCM; one of the most common relates to heat in the spleen system, which is linked to glandular tissue. In this framework, the cyst is understood as fluid the body produces in response to heat in the spleen Qi. Treatment focuses on calming that underlying heat, with the aim of allowing the body to reabsorb the cyst naturally. In my experience, straightforward ovarian cysts can often be supported in a relatively small number of sessions, while more complex presentations, such as polycystic ovarian syndrome or endometriotic cysts, typically take longer and require a more involved approach.
3. Prolapsed or Bulging Disc (Slipped Disc or Sciatica)
In Chinese Medicine, bone and related tissue (including disc tissue) is associated with the Metal element, with kidney Qi playing a central role. The inner part of the disc (the nucleus) is understood to be supported by spleen Qi, while the harder outer layer (the annulus) is linked to kidney Qi and the Metal element, being the harder of the two. Degenerative softening and bulging of the disc is understood, in this framework, as a loss of this ‘hardness’ quality (what Western medicine typically describes as dehydration). Acupuncture aims to support the body in restoring better balance to this tissue over time, and this pattern can often be identified through a distinctive softness in the kidney pulse. For a fuller explanation, see my post A Chinese Medicine Perspective on Spinal Disc Bulges.
Please Give Acupuncture a Fair Trial
Acupuncture can feel subtle — even underwhelming at first — but in my experience it can be a genuinely powerful tool for supporting health. Some patients see results very quickly; others, particularly with more complex or long-standing conditions, may take longer, and progress often happens gradually, layer by layer, rather than all at once. I have heard of patients cancelling because I only used two needles. One of the highest aims of treatment is to use as few needles as possible. This is because every needle acts as a command — if the body is given too many commands, the treatment will be weaker, whereas giving it one clear command gives the treatment much more power. Of course, you have to choose the correct point — this is the art. There is a very old Chinese proverb: “Find the one who uses one needle, and you find the master.”
I’d encourage you to give it a fair trial. You may find it offers real support through many of life’s challenges.
Curious about how CCM could help you? Get in touch or call 01202 554098 to book a consultation, or read more about our acupuncture service.