Category: Blog

Low libido is extremely common, but it can be surprisingly difficult to talk about. A reduced interest in sex may appear gradually, sometimes so gradually that it is difficult to say exactly when things changed. For some people, sexual desire disappears during a period of stress or exhaustion. For others, it may accompany menopause, hormonal…

In 2015, the Chinese scientist Tu Youyou was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Her discovery was not an acupuncture treatment, nor was it a traditional Chinese herbal remedy in the form in which it had been used for centuries. It was something rather more interesting. Tu Youyou and her colleagues had taken…

The health benefits of Tai Chi have been studied for decades. A remarkable new umbrella review brings together evidence from 1,744 randomised controlled trials. As a long-time Tai Chi practitioner and acupuncturist, I take a look at what the research actually tells us. I have practised Tai Chi for many years. Like many people who…

Insomnia is more than simply having a bad night’s sleep. For some people it means lying awake for hours before falling asleep. For others, it means waking repeatedly during the night, waking very early in the morning, or sleeping for what seems like a reasonable amount of time but still feeling unrefreshed the following day.…

As we grow older, maintaining health is often less about treating a single illness and more about managing several aspects of health at once. Pain, reduced mobility, poor sleep, digestive difficulties, anxiety, fatigue and other chronic symptoms may occur alongside conditions requiring conventional medical treatment. For some older people, acupuncture may offer a gentle form…

Dizziness and vertigo are common complaints, but they can be surprisingly difficult to describe. Some people feel as though the room is spinning, while others experience a sense of unsteadiness, light-headedness, or simply that they are not quite grounded. In Chinese medicine, dizziness and vertigo are not regarded as a single condition with a single…

One of the first questions people often ask when considering acupuncture is: “How long will it take to work?” Unfortunately, there is no single answer. Some people notice a change after their first treatment, while for others the improvement is more gradual and becomes apparent over several weeks. How quickly acupuncture helps depends on a number…

Almost everyone experiences tiredness from time to time. A late night, a demanding week at work or looking after young children can leave anyone feeling exhausted. Usually, a good night’s sleep or a quiet weekend is enough to restore our energy. For some people, however, fatigue becomes something altogether different. They wake feeling unrefreshed, struggle…

The Extraordinary Vessels in Chinese Medicine The Extraordinary Vessels (奇经八脉, qí jīng bā mài) are a group of eight channels that occupy a position within the theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine, which is distinct from that of the 12 main meridians. . Unlike the twelve primary meridians, they are not directly associated with one of the organs.…