Five Element Acupuncture is one of the many types of acupuncture and has ancient roots, as far back as 200 A.D. The modern lineage is accredited to JR Worsley, an English acupuncturist, who was deeply connected to nature and profoundly skilled at being fully present with his patients. Some of the gifts he passed on to his students are the gifts of observation, questioning, and deep listening.
THE FIVE ELEMENTS OF NATURE
Five Element theory is founded on the knowledge that there are five fundamental elements observed in nature – water, wood, fire, earth, and metal. Each of these elements correspond to the five seasons – winter, spring, summer, late summer, and autumn respectively. The elements also relate to the components that make up the human body and are used as a roadmap for understanding the complexities and connections within each of us. For example, the water element corresponds to the season of winter, the emotion of fear, and the gift of wisdom. In the body, the water element is related to the bones, ears, teeth, and hair. The organs associated with the water element are the kidneys and the bladder. Imbalances in the water element can show up as developmental delays, tinnitus, issues with reproduction, low back pain, impotence, and hair loss. By contrast, the fire element corresponds to the season of summer, the emotion of joy or lack of joy, and the gift of relating to others. In the body, the fire element corresponds to the blood vessels, the tongue, and the complexion. The organs associated with the fire elements are the heart, the pericardium, the small intestine, and the fascia. Imbalances in the fire element can show up as palpitations, insomnia, anxiety, impulsivity, excess sweating, and flushing.
CAUSATIVE FACTOR (CF)
A unique treatment principal of Five Element Acupuncture is that within each person there is thought to be one root cause of all imbalance, illness, pain, or symptom that the person experiences. This root cause, or causative factor, is something the patient is born with or is triggered at a very early age by an event such as illness, injury, or trauma. The CF is rooted in one of the five elements, meaning that one of the five elements is knocked out of balance first and, over time, can cause imbalance within each of the other four elements. By getting to know a patient, a practitioner of Five Element Acupuncture can see how the elements move within the patient and where the root cause of imbalance began. By treating the causative factor, all elemental energies come into greater balance and the person starts to feel more like themselves while experiencing an improvement in symptoms.
WHAT DOES IT TREAT?
Five Element Acupuncture uses the same acupuncture points as other approaches with a greater emphasis on particular points. These points include the elemental points on the arms and legs, the upper kidney points on the chest, the inner and outer back shu points, the exit and entry points on the upper body and face, and the ‘window of the sky’ points on the neck. It has the potential to treat any pain or symptom but where it really shines is in the area of mental and emotional regulation. Five Element Acupuncture is an effective modality to treat anxiety, depression, sleep issues, stress, negative thinking, grief, frustration, fear, when feeling stuck in a rut, or when a person just doesn’t quite feel like themself. I have seen amazing results while treating patients who are going through a stressful time in their life, whether it be a change to a job or relationship, the loss of someone or something important to them, or when starting a new creative project but feeling confused on where to begin. Five Element Acupuncture treatments cultivate clarity of thought, ease in oneself, and helps smooth the experience of intense emotions.