Acupuncture Association

18/12/2025

Marketing your acupuncture practice is essential, but it should always reflect honesty, integrity, legality, and respect for your clients. Ethical promotion builds trust and protects your reputation, helping avoid you being accused of wrongdoing.

Ways to do this include:
💬 Clear communication: Explain your services and their benefits accurately without exaggeration, any claims you make must be backed up by evidence, so if you cannot support it, don't say it.
💻 Professional online presence: Keep websites and social media profiles factual, informative, and reflective of your training.
🧍‍♀️Patient-focused content: Share real tips, insights, and snippets of good educational information rather than solely advertising.
🤓 Real people matter: People respond well to seeing real faces, whether staff or patients but make sure you do get consent. Short video testimonials are particularly effective for self-employed practitioners, however make sure the client is happy with it when it's done, and knows what it will be used for.
⛔ Respecting boundaries: Avoid pressuring potential clients and maintain confidentiality in all testimonials or case studies.

By promoting your practice responsibly, you attract the right clients, support informed choices, and uphold the standards that keep the acupuncture profession trusted and respected.

15/12/2025

In a profession built on supporting others, it is easy to put your own wellbeing to one side. Yet the quality of care you provide is closely linked to how well you look after yourself. When you become run down, physically or mentally, it affects your focus, your energy, and your ability to be fully present with the people who rely on you.

Prioritising rest, healthy boundaries, and time for recovery is not indulgent, it is essential. Sustainable practice comes from recognising that your wellbeing is part of the therapeutic process. By caring for yourself, you protect your skills, your compassion, and your capacity to help others.

Your patients need you at your best, and that begins with giving yourself the same consideration you offer them every day.

11/12/2025

a New study published on 1st December 2025 in Sage Publications says “Electroacupuncture promotes functional recovery and activates energy metabolism in a rat model of sciatic nerve injury” this is a good step forward in peripheral‑nerve‑injury research. 🔬

Summary of the study;
🔹 Researchers used a rat model with sciatic nerve injury to test whether electroacupuncture could support functional recovery and enhance metabolic activity in the injured nerve.
🔹 Their findings suggested that electroacupuncture promoted improved recovery of nerve function over time, alongside signs of boosted energy metabolism at the site of injury.

If you want to read the full paper, you can access it here: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/09645284251399240?mi=ehikzz

08/12/2025

Tinnitus can be a confusing and distressing experience, and it often has more than one possible cause. From a Western medical perspective, it may arise from physical changes within the ear itself, including damage to the delicate structures and tiny hairs that help us process sound, when these become impaired, the brain can receive disrupted or exaggerated signals that present as ringing, buzzing, or humming.

In Chinese medicine, tinnitus is viewed through a wider lens that considers the body’s internal balance. Several patterns may play a role, each creating its own type of disturbance.

One common cause is Liver Wind, which is associated with internal movement and restlessness that can create sudden or fluctuating noise in the ears.
Liver Yang rising is another pattern, often linked with stress, tension, or emotional strain, which may result in loud, piercing sounds.
Kidney deficiency recognised as a possible contributor too. since the Kidneys are believed to nourish the ears, a deficiency can lead to gradual onset tinnitus that may feel low, soft, or persistent.
Then again, localised Qi excess around the ears or head can create pressure that manifests as a sense of fullness or noise.

Tinnitus is rarely one dimensional, and understanding the potential root can help practitioners tailor treatment that aims to restore balance, ease symptoms, and support overall wellbeing.

04/12/2025

The Acupuncture Association welcomes practitioners at every stage of their journey.
Whether you are already qualified or still studying with a reputable school, you can apply for membership; we do not judge based on the level of your qualification.
What matters is that your training covers all essential areas, including safety and ethical practice.

Our members follow the Acupuncture Regulatory Authority Codes of Conduct and Standards, ensuring professional integrity and public protection.
As a member, you will receive supportive, non-judgemental guidance from a community committed to collaboration, professional development, and safe, effective practice.

The Acupuncture Association is here to provide a professional home where all reputable practitioners are valued, supported, and connected.

01/12/2025

Did you know? Acupuncture has a strong and growing evidence base

Acupuncture has been researched extensively across clinical trials, systematic reviews, and large evidence summaries. If you’d like to explore the research for yourself, there are several reputable places to look.

AcuTrials®
AcuTrials® is a specialist database created specifically for acupuncture research. It indexes more than a thousand English-language randomised controlled trials and systematic reviews. It offers an easy way to search by condition, technique, or study type.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23866767/

PubMed (National Library of Medicine search engine)
PubMed is one of the world’s largest biomedical databases. Searching terms such as “acupuncture systematic review” or “acupuncture RCT” gives access to peer-reviewed studies from around the globe.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/

PubMed Central (PMC)
PMC provides free full-text access to many of the studies listed on PubMed. It’s ideal for those who want to read complete research papers rather than abstracts.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/

The Cochrane Library
The Cochrane Library is respected internationally for producing high-quality systematic reviews. Searching “acupuncture” here provides an overview of current evidence, including where research shows benefit and where more studies are still needed.
https://www.cochranelibrary.com/

These resources allow practitioners and the public to explore acupuncture’s evidence base in a clear and transparent way, helping to build understanding of how research in this field continues to develop.

01/12/2025

Great update from Diabetes UK.

A 2025 update from Diabetes UK highlights a promising development in complementary care for type 2 diabetes. A review of 21 randomised controlled trials, involving more than 2,000 participants, found that acupuncture used alongside standard medical treatment helped improve several key health markers. These included fasting blood glucose, HbA1c and wider metabolic measures.

While it is not a replacement for prescribed care with diabetes, the findings suggest that acupuncture may support better overall management when used as part of a broader treatment plan. It is encouraging to see growing evidence in this area and increasing interest in safe, complementary approaches to long-term conditions.

Source: https://www.diabetes.co.uk/news/2025/jul/acupuncture-shows-promise-in-improving-type-2-diabetes-outcomes.html

27/11/2025

Why Join the Acupuncture Association?

The Acupuncture Association welcomes practitioners from a wide range of backgrounds. Our community is built on respect, collaboration, and a shared commitment to safe and effective practice. We do not judge practitioners by the level of their qualification, only by the quality and reputation of their training.

If your course meets recognised standards and reflects good, ethical practice, you are warmly invited to join us. Our aim is to bring practitioners together, not divide them. Whether you come from traditional, medical, or blended approaches, you will find a supportive environment that values your skills and your contribution to the profession.

Membership offers a sense of belonging within a united community, clear professional guidance, and connection with colleagues who care about raising standards and protecting the public. It also connects members with the wider community of ARA registrants, fostering collaboration across the profession. If you are looking for a professional home that appreciates your journey and recognises the value of diverse training routes, the Acupuncture Association is here for you.

24/11/2025

How Acupuncture Supports the Body as We Move into Winter

As the colder months arrive, many people notice their energy shifting. The drop in temperature can make the body work a little harder, and it is common to experience increased tension, lower mood, disrupted sleep, or seasonal aches.

Acupuncture offers gentle support by helping the body stay balanced during this seasonal change.

Periodic treatments can encourage smoother circulation, ease tight muscles, and support the immune system, and many people also find that acupuncture promotes a sense of steadiness, which can be especially valuable when daylight hours shorten.

Winter is a natural time for rest and restoration, acupuncture works with this rhythm, helping the body conserve energy while remaining resilient.
For those who feel the cold more deeply or find their wellbeing dips at this time of year, regular sessions can provide a helpful foundation.

If you are curious about how acupuncture might support you through the winter months, a registered practitioner will be able to guide you based on your individual needs. Check our clinic map to find someone: https://acupunctureassociation.org.uk/clinic-locator/

20/11/2025

A 2024 randomised controlled trial found that acupuncture plus usual care significantly reduced symptoms in people with refractory irritable bowel syndrome, results were compared to the results of a sham‑acupuncture group.

Patients reported much lower IBS severity after 12 sessions, and the improvements held up over follow‑up.

Importantly, the acupuncture group also saw better quality of life and work/social adjustment, and no serious side‑effects were reported.

✨ This suggests acupuncture could be a safe and effective adjunct treatment for those struggling with IBS that hasn’t responded to standard therapies.

Source: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11684-024-1073-7

17/11/2025

Emma Raducanu has been open about dealing with recurring back spasms, and she’s now added acupuncture to her recovery toolkit.
Despite having a strong fear of needles, she pushed through because she knew it could help her get back on court with more confidence and comfort.

Her experience is a great reminder that even elite athletes rely on therapies like acupuncture to stay at their best, manage pain, and support overall recovery.

13/11/2025

That Moment When… You Give Someone a Hug

…and suddenly realise you’ve unconsciously pressed an acupuncture point!

It’s one of those little superpowers that comes with being an acupuncturist. Years of observing posture, tension patterns, and meridian pathways mean that even a casual hug can turn into a mini acupressure session; sometimes with surprising effects!

Whether it’s helping a friend relax, easing shoulder tension, or just making someone smile, this is a reminder that your skills extend beyond the clinic.

💚 Acupuncturists: your hands are more powerful than you realise.