A huge variety of plants grow on our planet. Some of these are suitable as foods, but many have medicinal properties. Herbal medicine has been used by most cultures for thousands of years and many modern drugs are derived from plants. The Chinese herbal tradition is perhaps unique in that it has a very long unbroken history and so has developed into a very sophisticated form.

Herbs are combined to enhance each other's properties and to achieve different strategies within a formula. A well prescribed formula can be seen as a mirror image of a person's condition. A range of three to four hundred plants are commonly used a the base to choose (though the full materia medica stretches to thousands) the (usually) six to twelve herbs found in a classical formulae. The art/science of good prescribing is to adapt one of the classical formulae for the individual patient.

Herbs come in three different formats: loose herbs are literally the plant root, leaf or fruit etc which have to be decocted (boiled up) to extract the pharmacologically active ingredients, powders are a dried preparation of the decoction, and pills which are prepared from the powders and the weakest of the formats.

For skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis, and very severe conditions, loose herbs are usually required, otherwise powders are often totally adequate and much easier to prepare. Pills are used where a standard formula is adequate - e.g. a long term 'tonic' type formula.

It is possible to have a point needled and to feel sensation going along the channel or even in another part of the channel altogether. Because of this we often see head pain treated with points on the feet, and so on.

It does not matter whether Qi really exists as some kind of energy or a representation of a complex expression of nervous system stimulation and function. A demonstratable effect is obtained. Maybe the most dramatic example of this is using certain specific points on the limbs to completely numb the abdomen or torso allowing surgeons in China to operate without anaethesia or pain.

The fact is that the concept of Qi and channels is a good framework to understand why acupuncture has the effect that it does. It's analysis of how the human body responds to the environment around it - climate, emotional stimuli, infectious diseases, foods, etc. provides a 'model' of health and disease which is still valid in modern times.

Acupuncture is the insertion of very fine needles (usually between 4 and 10) into selected points on the body to alter or enhance body function.

Acupuncture is increasingly being used in the West and is found in many hospital pain clinics as a major modality to control chronic pain, and 'trigger point' (myofascial pain syndrome) acupuncture is used by some GPs and osteopaths/physiotherapists on certain types of muscular and joint pain.

Acupuncturists tend to treat chronic ailments such as migraine, muscle and joint pain, asthma & allergies, IBS and other digestive problems; PMS, menopause and other gynaecological problems, as well as acute conditions such as influenza and colds.

The number of treatments needed depends on how long you've had the problem, how 'deep' or serious the condition is, and on age and constitution.

For further information contact the Association of British Acupuncture Council (BAcC)