From back to front - Cupping, Gua Sha & Abdominal Acupuncture

Cupping and Gua Sha are manual therapy techniques which can be used to release tight muscle and connective tissue – all with the aid of simple tools, and the chance to save your hands and thumbs!!
As techniques, they have been used with effect in many areas, from the Rugby World Cup and the field of sports medicine, to those patients with high muscle tone from stress related problems and for the treatment of more acute injuries such as whiplash. Results can be immediate!

The morning is highly practical with a chance to experience both the technique and the practice of it. Delegates will need to be aware that if there is poor blood flow in a muscle, cupping may improve it, leading to marking on the skin – this is positively looked for as both a sign of trouble, and the treatment of it. (The ‘Gwyneth Paltrow’ effect!!)
The links with the spinal musculature and the sympathetic nervous system are explored.

The afternoon looks at the ‘front’ – the para-sympathetic nervous system and the acupuncture points that are generally not taught on a Foundation Course.
There are some key points which can be used in both diagnosis and treatment. Acupuncture to those points can have profound and more subtle effects than using the spinal points all the time and finding a combination can increase effectiveness. Allaying our fears of needling around the ribcage is also tackled on this course.

Utilising our acupuncture and manual skills at a number of levels can help provide a quick, effective way in, with regard to pain relief for the patient. Thus enabling us to progress onwards within a treatment session and use our acupuncture and physiotherapy skills towards a more lasting result.