FAQs

 

Q. What is Shiatsu

A. Shiatsu means finger pressure. It is a Japanese therapy, based on the same theory of meridians as acupuncture in which pressure and stretching is used to stimulate the activation and flow of life energy (KI or Qi) in the body while trying to unblock obstruction in the meridians.

Q. Does Shiatsu hurt?

A. Normally it’s very relaxing and pleasant, although tender spots, indicating obstruction, can be felt.

Q. What is Qi Kung?

A. Qi Kung is a system of simple movements exercised in coordination with breathing that tonifies the levels of energy in the body, directed at the specific needs of every individual.

Q. How does acupuncture work?

A. Oriental understanding explains that before physical structure there is energetic structure. How does an embryo know how to develop? This energetic structure is like a tendency. Every wave is different but all waves look like a wave. Every human is different but they all look like a human. Our being is built on a web of energetic channels that are called meridians. By touching them or putting needles in strategic points on them, one can change there flow and influence organs or parts of the body that are related to them. The needling accesses and activates the vital energy (Qi).

Q. Does acupuncture hurt? is it safe?

A. Acupuncture needles are non hollow, flexible needles the width of a human hair. Needling can be felt sometimes as a mosquito bite, but most of the time it’s hardly noticed. The sensation can be intense, with waves of warmth, tingling, the feeling of heaviness and anaesthesia. Lot’s of people feel extremely relaxed after treatment or sleepy, although a temporary worsening of symptoms happens sometimes.

We only use sterilised, disposable needles. The national Institute of clinical excellence has concluded that acupuncture is safe with much less than one percent of cases of nausea or bruises.

Q. What should I avoid before receiving acupuncture treatment?

A. First of all if you take blood thinning medication or have other bleeding disorders, acupuncture should not be applied.

Further no intense sporting on the day of treatment, nor copious meals, alcohol, coffee or tight fitting clothes during treatment are recommended.

Q. Should I tell my doctor?

A. You should always inform your doctor and never change your medication without consulting him or her although acupuncture can eliminate the need to take medication or the dosis of it.

Q. What can I expect the first visit?

A. During the first visit we will make a thorough anamnese of your condition, we will go over your medical history and investigate your needs. You are invited to bring along all the medical information relevant to your problem (X-rays, blood analysis, list of the medication you take etc).

After that I will make a diagnose based on the principals of traditional oriental medicine that includes more specific questions, palpation of the abdomen and back and diagnose of your tongue and taking your pulse.

The organ system unbalances are related to character straights and depending on the kind of problem you have this will be included in the interview. As well as habits, diet, attitude etc.

Q. What conditions can acupuncture treat

A. The World Health Organisation has published list of conditions in which acupuncture has proven to be effective. This list is very extensive and covers mental conditions as depression, insomnia, or anxiety to neurological syndromes like headache or migraine as well as back pain,trigeminal neuralgia, disc problems, sciatica, arthritis, fybromyalgia,toothaches, conjunctivitis, irritable bowel syndrom, ulcers, constipation, diarrhea, pms syndrom, menopause, hypertension etc. etc.

Even though their list is very extensive my opinion is that traditional oriental medicine can be effective in many more conditions. Not only in curing loads of these problems, but it also relieves secondary effects of cancer treatment and increases the effectivity of fertility treatment and so on.

And of course Traditional Oriental Medicine is very effective in alleviating chronic pain conditions.

The traditional oriental approach improves the level of energy of every person and that is already a massive change and improvement, in any condition.

Q. How long last a single treatment and how many times do I need to come?

A. The first appointment will last between one hour and a half and two hours, the following around an hour and an hour and a quarter.

How many times you need to come back differs of course from the problem you have. Someone with a recently sprained ankle that is being treated within 24 hours or a person with years of anxiety and bad sleeping rhythm will need totally different treatments and length of treatments.

Q. What is five element Ki training?

A. Five element Ki training is a method that combines physical exercise with mental aspects. The concept of the five elements relate every aspect of life to five elements; Water, Wood, Fire, earth and metal

The word KI in Japanese means ‘Life Force’ or ‘Energy’.

The mental, emotional and psychological relationship to our bodily functions and the world around us can be understood by the five element concept. Not only can it help us to understand ourselves and our life on a profound level, it also provides strong practical tools to strengthen the weaker, undeveloped or unbalanced aspects of our character and health.

Ancient eastern understanding differentiated what we call in western attitude ‘the psyche’ in five aspects, related to one of the five elements that are related to one of the main internal organs.

To give just some examples the ‘Shen’, normally translated as ‘mind’ lives inside the heart (fire element) it covers the aspects of thinking, memory and consciousness. ‘Hun’, commonly translated as ethereal soul, is related to the liver (wood element) it provides ‘sharpness’ to the knowledge of the heart, it provides the shen with drive, intuition, ideas and creativity. While wood being the creator of fire, an obstruction in the energy of the liver might leave the mind without a direction, without illusions, a common cause for motivation problems, or even depression.

Disharmony in one of these aspects of ‘the psyche’ will be reflected in the areas of the body controlled by that organ. Overwork, ‘abuse’ of will power e.g. ‘pushing to much in your life’ might deplete the ‘Zhi’ or willpower that is housed in the kidneys (Water element) and could become the root of lower back problems, sexual problems like impotence or infertility, lack of motivation etc. It will show in bodily functions of kidney energy eventually leading to ‘lack of breath’, because the kidney energy controls the ‘receiving of the Qi’,  meaning the strength of breathing in.

The seemingly complex layers of our psyche can be worked with on a very simple basis with Ki-training, directed to the different elements/organs. This training involves developing a stronger and more active attitude and physique, taking responsibility for one’s life, breaking routines and developing strategy in our personal life as well as in our social life and intimate relationships.

Breathing, posture, internal strength exercises and reflection are used to develop the mental and physical base to observe and train the different aspects of our own character, gaining control of the direction of our life by a personal and internal process.

Five element Ki training will inspire every one with the experience that by developing strategy, we can reconnect with our life force, nurture physical strength and well-being and realise that whatever happens, how difficult our situation, growth is always possible.

And that feeling of growth will reconnect us with the essence of our life. The feeling of inner growth is the main thing that gives meaning to our life. It opens the door to love and being loved which is the treasure of mankind.