{ My Shoulder Hurts – Why Are You Needling My Foot? }

Distal acupuncture means that the site of needle insertion is usually distant to the area in which the client is experiencing their symptoms. The reason acupuncturists tend to utilise this method quite often is that many times the symptoms are just the "branch" of the problem, whereas it is always preferable to get at the "root" of the issue to promote deeper healing, and reduce the likelihood of the symptoms flaring up again later. Often the best way to achieve this is to make use of the body's channel or meridian system. This is a network of pathways throughout the body which can be manipulated to effect change in the individual's physiology (including blood, nerves, cells, etc).

We often find that a stronger effect can be gained by using distal parts of the same channel in which symptoms arise, or even by using other channels which have a balancing effect on the problem area. I recall once treating a long-term case of interstitial cystitis (painful, overactive bladder) by inserting one needle on the lower leg and one on the cheek. The effect was so instant that the client asked if I had hypnotised them!

As indicated by the above example, using these methods of distal acupuncture also means we can treat conditions where symptoms present internally or in sensitive area without clients having to fully disrobe or experience further discomfort. The most commonly used areas for distal acupuncture are the legs (from knees to feet), the arms (from elbows to hands), and the head (usually the top and back).

There are several modern strands of distal acupuncture: I am trained and experienced in using the Tan/Balance Method, and the school of Master Tung, and have used them to treat a wide variety of common (and not-so-common) health conditions. Additionally, I sometimes utilise Abdominal Acupuncture which, as the name suggests, uses the abdomen to treat various other parts of the body, by mapping them onto a specific region of the torso.