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Chinese Medicine is used as both a primary and adjunctive technique for the management and prevention of many health conditions for billions of people throughout the world. Chinese Medicine is an excellent tool to assist your body and mind in regaining and regulating homeostasis: your body’s natural balance. Its ‘happy place’, if you will, which is where it wants to be! Chinese Medicine is the original functional medicine: in addition to providing relief from symptoms, we focus on getting to the root of the problem and restoring optimal function.
The practice of Chinese Medicine includes Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Chinese Herbal Medicine, Traditional Chinese Medical Dietetics (nutrition), Manual Techniques such as Cupping and Gua Sha, Exercise therapy such as Qi Chung and Tai Chi, and Therapeutic Massage (Tui Na/ Shiatsu), as well as meditation and breath work techniques.
Acupuncture is one of the most clinically proven, evidence based profession of all non – pharmacological (practitioner based) modalities
In fact we have more evidence than most of the others combined! Recent research has demonstrated Acupuncture as having strong – mid level evidence for safety, clinical effectiveness, and cost efficiency across more than 100 medical conditions, ranging from musculoskeletal, neurological, mental health, reproductive and immunology, and more. You can read a great review of the most current research and scientific evidence for Acupuncture here.
You can look at the Research Review here.
In 2012, Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine became nationally regulated under the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, AHPRA. This body is also responsible for regulating medical doctors, nurses, midwives, physiotherapists, psychologists, chiropractors, osteopaths, dentists, podiatrists, aboriginal and Torres strait islander health practitioners, paramedics, optometrists, pharmacists, radiologists and occupational therapists. Regulation assists you (the public) to ensure the registered practitioner (Acupuncturists and Chinese medicine practitioners) you visit has the appropriate level of training and skills required to ensure the best and safest possible care.
In addition to educational requirements AHPRA have very specific and strict advertising guidelines that prevent practitioners from advertising claims.
Chinese medicine has been documented as far back as 2000 years and evidence of it’s practice goes back much further. This documentation lists a wide range of symptoms and conditions that may be addressed using Real Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine. However within the advertising guidelines no condition can be listed without having been extensively researched and had that research then additionally approved by AHPRA.
The current research for Acupuncture now totals over 12,000 systematic randomised control trials (as well as some 30 000 ‘mechanism of action’ studies) more than any other profession, second only to Nursing. Other Chinese Medicine practices such as Chinese Herbal Medicine, Cupping and Gua Sha, Shiatsu and Tui Na, Tai Chi and Chi Gung, raise that number to over 100 000 studies! (!!)
However, less than 10 conditions have been approved by AHPRA for Chinese Medicine Practitioners to mention in their advertising material.
As a result you may have heard or have a query about whether Chinese medicine and acupuncture can be helpful with conditions not listed on this website. We would encourage you to contact us about any condition you need assistance with to discuss the particulars of your individual health needs and provide you with more information on Chinese medicine and how it may assist you.
For more information or to check that your Acupuncturist is registered visit the Chinese Medicine Regulation Board of Australia or the AHPRA website here.