Constitutional Five-Element Acupuncture‪.‬

This paper is an introduction to the ideas and treatment methods used in constitutional Five-Element acupuncture. Five-Element acupuncture aims to treat the person as a whole and to look deeper into a person's being, knowing that as important as the patients symptoms are they are simply signposts to an energetic imbalance in the person. By diagnosing and treating this deeper constitutional imbalance a Five-Element acupuncture practitioner aims to help the person grow and change and be all they can be, knowing that by treating the cause of the person's distress the presenting symptoms will dissipate. With an emphasis on spirit and emotional level causes, Five-Element is very different in theory and aim to modern traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) styles of acupuncture and encompasses more than the commonly taught Five-Phase theory. While a modern acupuncturist will look for external causes of disease such as damp, heat and wind, a Five-Element practitioner will view these as symptoms of a person who has moved away from their own centre. By nurturing this movement back to centre the patient experiences an all over change in their understanding of themselves and the world in which they live.