Women come to my clinic because I’m an Acupuncturist and because they’ve got something (often menopausal) they want fixing! What they often don’t realise is that Acupuncture is so much more than popping a few needles in!
It’s part of a complete medical system, in fact it’s the most widely used medicine in the whole world. And it’s one of the oldest.
Sadly, like so many things in our world today, new and shiny is seen as best, whilst old and traditional is often set aside. That could almost be a metaphor for menopause, right? But when you really get under the skin of this incredible medicine it’s full of those most powerful, every day wisdom (and more similarities with western medicine than you’d probably be aware of, as the saying goes there’s more that unites us than divides us.)
Chinese medicine is made up of nutrition (and herbs), acupuncture, massage (tui na, shiatsu, gua sha and cupping), exercise (qi gong and tai chi), feng shui and astrology (I ching). It impacts all aspects of life and focuses on preservation of health rather than treatment of illness.
So, when my patients visit I’ll often give them advice on lifestyle and nutrition too.
Why do I think it’s so amazing? Apart from the fact that I see it working and the changes it can make to women’s lives, here are my favourite facts about Chinese medicine.
1. It looks at the whole rather than just the part that’s causing issues. We view health like a jigsaw, putting everything together to find the root of the issue – not just the symptoms a patient presents. When someone enters my clinical space I want to know everything about them.
2. It doesn’t separate the mind and the body, recognising that one will impact the other and both need to be nurtured.
3. Nature is it’s muse. It draws inspiration from the natural world, describing the body in terms of the five elements – water, wood, fire, earth and metal and imbalances in our health according to the climates.
4. Everything is relative and naturally in balance. Chinese medicine recognises how everything in the body works together as a system. And that when that system is out of balance the impact can be felt elsewhere in the body. Nothing exists in isolation.
5. All the power but with no side effects. It’s a natural medicine that works with a patient (as effectively as other medical models) by nurturing, nourishing and restoring.
Chinese medicine, is both complex and intuitive. It has a beautiful take on the world. Over the coming weeks and months I hope I can introduce you to some of it’s foundations, to help guide you through a positive menopause, naturally.
About Jo Darling MBAcC Lic Acu
Jo is a Brighton-based Acupuncturist with a Bachelor of Science degree in Acupuncture from the University of Greenwich. Her training includes western medicine pathology, physiology and anatomy. She is also a member of the British Acupuncture Council.
Jo is passionate about women’s health. She has helped 100’s of women live healthier, happier lives. She has spent over 10 years practicing acupuncture, traditional Chinese medicine, reflexology and Chinese herbs.
As well as fertility, pregnancy and natural menopause Jo specialises in the treatment of breast cancer patients particularly those thrown into early menopause by chemotherapy. This work inspired Menopoised.
For more information about her work visit her website.
About Menopoised
We understand the challenges of menopause because we are menopausal. That’s why we created Menopoised. The Menopoised Menopause Magnet is a first of their kind, acupuncture inspired, safe, effective and side-effect free. Our products have been created to support a broad spectrum of issues, designed to help guide women through a positive menopause.
How Can Help You?
If you’re suffering with hot flushes and night sweats, we can help. When we trialled our heroine product, the Menopoised Menopause Magnet, over 80% of our participants experienced a reduction in the intensity and frequency of their hot flushes and night sweats within a week of use. Read about our research here.
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