Therapy Guide - Acupuncture SEARCH  FOR NORTH WEST HOLISTIC THERAPISTS About Us Advertising Options Update your Listing Listing Help & Advice Contact Us North West Events Diary Add an Event Holistic Market Place Holistic Parenting Therapy Rooms & Venues Find Holistic Therapist & Healers Find Meditation Classes & Groups Find Development Groups Find Yoga & Holistic Exercise Classes Find Courses, Workshops & Retreats Therapy Organisations Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy Site Map Home   Acupressure Acupuncture Alexander Technique Allergy Tests & Treatment Animal Healing Aromatherapy Art & Expressive Therapy Ayurveda Bach Flower Therapy BioEnergetic Medicine Bowen Technique Chakra Balancing Chiropractic Colonic Hydrotherapy Colour Therapy Counselling Craniosacral Therapy Crystal Therapy Detox Therapies Ear Candling EFT Healing (Various) Herbal Medicine Homeopathy Hypnotherapy Indian Head Massage Iridology Kinesiology Life Coaching Massage (Various) Metamorphic Technique Naturopathy NLP Nutritional Therapy Osteopathy Past Life Therapy Psychotherapy Reflexology Reiki Shiatsu Sound Therapy Spiritual Healing Stress Management Yoga Therapy Our Therapists’ Directory includes the following Therapy/Healing categories. You can find more about each one by clicking on the links below: ADVERTISE your THERAPY PRACTICE... Add your practice details to our Therapist’s Directory today, and see the difference it can make to your client base.. Click Here to find out more.. Further Info... Want to find out more?  If you need more in-depth information on therapies or healing modalities, such as how they’re regulated, current research/ clinical trials, how they actually work, which types are recommended for which conditions etc., please visit our Useful Contacts page, where we’ve listed most of the national therapy and healing organisations, councils, associations and other professional bodies, along with their websites, to help you easily find what you need. If you’re looking for training in Holistic Therapies or Healing, also see our North West Events Diary  and Courses, Workshops & Retreats Directory  for forthcoming advertised Courses or Workshops. Disclaimer: Our Holistic Therapists’ Directory is designed to provide advertising space where holistic health professionals and healers can promote their work online. Whilst we try to maintain a good standard of listings on the site, the fact that a therapist or practitioner's details are on display, does not imply any personal or professional recommendation by us (Holistic Promotions). We accept the details offered to us by each practitioner in good faith - that includes their therapy qualifications, memberships/ registrations etc. Each of our listed practitioners should be happy to provide evidence of their stated qualifications & professional memberships, plus relevant insurance cover if required - which we suggest you ask to see at the first appointment or sooner, for your own peace of mind. We are not responsible for any actions, behaviour or claims made by the therapists/ practitioners listed on this site. Information about therapies shown in our Therapists’ Directory is for general interest and guidance only, and is not intended to replace professional healthcare advice. Although a basic guide to each therapy is included for reference, we do not offer a general information service, and are unable to answer inquiries about specific therapies, health conditions, or recommend any types of treatment etc.  If you need further information about any therapies or healing modalities, please contact the relevant listed practitioners, or the therapy specific Associations, Councils or Regulatory bodies - most of which you will find listed on our Useful Contacts page. Acupuncture has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for several thousand years, but it was only in the 1800s that it was brought to the West. During the last thirty years or so, it has come to be regarded as a highly effective therapy, and research has shown that it can bring great benefits to patients and help with a wide variety of ailments. Considered to be a safe and relaxing treatment, it is now one of the most used complementary therapies in the UK, and is increasingly gaining acceptance within mainstream medical practices and clinics throughout the country. Acupuncture is based on the belief that our life-force energy or 'chi' flows around the body in a series of 12 meridians or energy channels, which in turn are connected to a complex system of smaller channels. This flowing energy comprises two complementary but opposite forces - the 'yin' and the 'yang', which should ideally remain in perfect balance to allow the 'chi' to flow freely. Your Acupuncture practitioner will gently insert extremely fine, specially produced needles into the skin, at various points on the body, to detect any imbalance in the energy flow. This energy can either be stimulated or restricted as necessary, to bring it back into balance and promote healing. Some Acupuncturists also incorporate other techniques, such as Cupping, where suction cups are placed over acupuncture points, usually on the back, and left in place for a short time. This is often used as part of a detoxification regime to remove toxins from the body. Moxibustion is another treatment often seen used alongside traditional acupuncture, whereby heat is used to stimulate the acupuncture points. A small amount of the herb Moxa (commonly known as Mugwort), is applied in the form of a burning cone or stick, carefully placed or held by the practitioner over various acupuncture points on the body. This treatment has been found to benefit people with a ‘cold constitution’, who may suffer with a sluggish system, chronic pain conditions or stress related disorders. When used together, acupuncture and moxibustion can be useful in stimulating and warming the body by increasing blood flow and improving circulation. Acupuncture is also increasingly being used to treat infertility and reproductive issues, and can have beneficial results at all stages from pre conception to birth. Clinical studies on pregnant women have shown that moxibustion has proven to be an effective method for turning a baby lying in the breech position. Auricular or ear acupuncture is a branch of acupuncture that works on a similar principle as traditional body acupuncture, but needles or studs are inserted into points located around the outer ear. This can allow the acupressure points to be stimulated for longer periods, and ear acupuncture has been found to be very effective in the treatment of drug and other addictions, and managing pain, as well as a growing number of other conditions. Because no two people are the same, a professional acupuncturist will assess your symptoms and requirements before starting to treat you, and you should receive treatment that is specific to your own needs - which may be different to someone else with the same condition. To Search for a local Acupuncturist or Acupuncture Clinic in the North West, please go to our Holistic Therapists’ Directory Listings Our Therapists’ Directory covers these North West areas:  Cumbria, Lancashire, Gtr Manchester, Cheshire, Merseyside, Wirral & North Wales. You may also like to try: Acupressure, Detox Therapies, Stress Management Find Acupuncturists in the North West UK: