In five element acupuncture the practitioner looks for characteristics or correspondences of the five elements in person they are treating. When we have enough evidence (through observation) to determine the prevailing element of that person, we treat primarily through it. This prevailing element we call the Causative Factor.

the causative factor

The Causative Factor is expressed through the colour, sound, odour and emotion of the individual. When speaking to most people we will experience at least two or three emotions in the space of an couple of minutes. If we look carefully we might possibly see two or three colours on the face, or hear one or two sounds in the voice. If we are really skilled we will also be able to smell an odour. The job of the five element acupuncturist is to see, hear, ask and feel which of the elements is the causative factor, and then treat it with points that are appropriate to the patient on that day.

a typical five element treatment

Usually the acupuncturist starts a session by looking for and removing blocks in the patient’s flow of energy. These are picked up on the twelve pulses at the wrist. Blocks usually occur between the end of one meridian and the beginning of the next, and can be felt as discrepancies between the volume and qualities of the pulses.

Once the connections between the channels are clear, the treatment begins. The treatment usually consists of anything from two to eight points, warmed with moxa, and needled bilaterally. Choosing the points comes out of the interaction between the individual and the acupuncturist on the day.

`If there is anything more you would like to know, please ask using the contact page or the comment bubble at the top of the post’.

many thanks

Nick