Acupuncture and acupressure

Ear or auricular acupuncture was developed in the 1950s by a French doctor and taken up by Chinese practitioners. The ear is seen as inverted foetus, with the earlobe as the head. About 200 acupoints are claimed to treat corresponding areas of the body. It is particularly used to relieve stress, anxiety and depression and in treating addictions.

How does it work?
Traditional Chinese Medicine treats the body as an integrated whole rather than dealing with a specific disease or condition. There are 12 main meridians, named after the main internal organs through which they pass, such as Kidney, Liver and Spleen. These are controlled by two further meridians, the Conception and Governing channels. Meridians run throughout the body from the head to the hands and feet. Disruption of chi on a meridian can cause problems at any point along it. For example, a disorder in the Stomach meridian that also passes through the gums could cause toothache.

Chi moves between yin and yang, opposing but complementary tendencies in the body. Movement to the centre is yin; outwards to the surface is yang. Various factors, including diet, environment, temperament, constitution and stress, determine the balance between yin and yang. Deficiency or excess of either can result in illness.

Practitioners use four methods of diagnosis:

• Asking questions about diet and other lifestyle habits
• Observing skin tone, eyes, hair and other physical conditions, including how you move and sit, and by examining the tongue
• Listening and smelling
• Touching, which includes pulse taking - there are 12 meridian pulses, six on each wrist and about 28 descriptions of their rhythm and strength
• You will be diagnosed not with a condition, but as having a 'pattern of disharmony' that is likely to affect your whole well-being. Rheumatoid arthritis, for example, may be seen as an invasion of Wind, Cold and Damp, which blocks Blood. As well as acupuncture, practitioners may prescribe herbal medicine and advise on diet and lifestyle.

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