Acupuncture Styles

Written by The Blue Heron Clinic

Over the past 5000 years Chinese Acupuncture has diversified from it's origins and become a part of an international holistic medical culture. From China to Japan, Korea, America and the European Union - Acupuncture & TCM Continues to grow, evolve & heal.

Chinese Acupuncture 

Said to be the original source of Acupuncture 

Chinese Acupuncture as part of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a comprehensive medical system based on the movement of Chi (Energy) and body fluids in the human body as regulated by a channel or meridian system which may be accessed and manipulated via specialized acu-points in order to treat disease and restore health. Chinese Acupuncture may be broken down into several styles of acupuncture treatment including Five Element Acupuncture, Eight Principle Acupuncture and Auricular Acupuncture.

Japanese Acupuncture 

A subtle, gentler version of Chinese Acupuncture

A unique style of Acupuncture with origins in China, the Japanese people began developing their system of acupuncture healing in the sixth century BC. The origins of the Japanese acupuncture system are attributed to Waichi Sugiyama, also known as the "Blind Acupuncturist". Japanese Acupuncture techniques are often gentler, subtler and less painful than the techniques used in China with focus on superficial needling and moxibustion.

Korean Acupuncture 

Similar to Chinese Acupuncture with focus in Five Element Theory

Korean Acupuncture is considered a subcategory of Chinese Acupuncture with some unique applications. This style of Acupuncture emphasizes five phase theory with focus on a persons constitution and body type with focus on needling the hands. A subset of Korean Acupuncture -Korean Hand Acupuncture is a technique where the hands are viewed as a microsystem of the entire body. This system uses the hands to diagnose and treat diseases of the body and mind.

Microsystem Acupuncture 

Treating body microsystems to affect the whole person

This system focuses Acupuncture treatment on specific region of the body such as the scalp, hand and ear. Each region or Microsystem would be seen as representing the whole bodymind and therefore capable of being used in the diagnosis and treatment of disease.

Auricular Acupuncture 

A specialist form of microsystem acupuncture focusing on the ears

Considered to be a form of microsystem acupuncture but derived from Chinese Acupuncture (Traditional Chinese Medicine) Auricular Acupuncture or Acupuncture of the ear would be widely used in the treatment of mental emotional issues such as stress and depression as well as being used effectively for recovering drug users and smokers due to it's calming effect on the mind.

Medical Acupuncture 

Utilizing Acupuncture points without the benefit of TCM theory

Western medical Acupuncture is an adaptation of Chinese Acupuncture using contemporary knowledge of anatomy, physiology and pathology. While Western medical Acupuncture is derived from Chinese Acupuncture but its practitioners no longer adhere strictly to TCM concepts such as Yin / Yang and the meridian or channel system. Medical Acupuncture practitioners regard acupuncture as part of conventional medicine rather than a complete "alternative medical system". Medical Acupuncture acts mainly by stimulating the central nervous system.