What is Shiatsu/Acupuncture?
Shiatsu is a Japanese form of bodywork, derived from Chinese Medicine which uses acupressure, joint stretches & mobilisation. Acupuncture involves the insertion of fine needles, which are particularly useful for pain relief & circulation. Chinese Medicine does not differentiate between physical & emotional symptoms & Shiatsu/Acupuncture treats both at the same time.
What is Qi?
There is no exact English translation of the Chinese word Qi (sometimes spelled 'Chi' or 'Ki'). It is a way of describing the overall organising force behind the body's functions & the flow of emotions. For example, someone in good health is said to have "good qi". A useful metaphor is perhaps that of electricity and it is often translated as vitality or lifeforce.
Chinese Medicine has a completely different philosophy from that of Western medicine. One particular aspect is that it does not separate mental, emotional and physical aspects: these are all simply manifestations of qi.
How Shiatsu/Acupuncture works
According to Chinese Medicine, qi flows in channels, which have specific qualities and functions. Some of the traditional channels seem to follow neuro-muscular pathways, which may offer a physiological explanation of their effect. It is theorised that health and wellbeing can be positively affected by improving the flow of qi through the channels. Similarly, pain and illness are seen as manifestations of blockages or lack of flow.
The Western scientific approach acknowledges that Shiatsu & Acupuncture seems to sedate the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and promote the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS). The SNS is associated with the 'fight or flight' response, which tends to be overactive in many people due to stress. The PNS relates to what can be described as the nourishing and healing functions (digestion, deepened breathing, blood circulation, etc). These are suppressed when the SNS is more highly activated.
Qigong/Do-In
Part of my practice is the prescription of specific exercises to improve health, usually from the Qigong tradition(also written as 'Chi Kung' or 'Chi Gong'). These exercises are called Do-In in Shiatsu tradition. These exercises consist of specific movements, usually done slowly with the breath, working on specific channels (and thus muscle groups and nerve pathways), inducing a meditative state. Ideally I refer patients to specific classes, such as Qigong itself, or T'ai Chi (a particularly long and complex form of Qigong), yoga or pilates.