Training needed to practice acupuncture
There are many different training courses available for acupuncturists. These include ‘the foundation course’, ‘post foundation training course’, ‘the intermediate training programme’, ‘supplementary/ special topic days’, ‘foundation courses for dentists’ and ‘post foundation courses for dentists’10. Professional acupuncturists train for up to 3-4 years full time and may acquire university degrees on completion of their training. Some complete further training in the principles and practice of Chinese herbalism. All accredited acupuncture training courses include conventional anatomy, physiology, pathology, and diagnosis12.
Shiatsu
What is shiatsu?
Shiatsu is a Japanese word, translating literally as ‘finger pressure’17. The application of pressure to the body surface is the underlining principle of shiatsu; the therapist won’t only use fingers to apply pressure, but will use palms, elbows, feet and knees17. Natural body weight is used when pressure is applied on special points on the body. Through this pressure the energy flowing in the meridians is influenced. This energy is called chi18. The thumb is the main tool of the therapists. Shiatsu is similar to acupuncture but the only difference is they use finger pressure instead of needles19.
What is its aim?
The aim of Shiatsu is to restore balance to the body and make it stronger thereby assisting the body to heal itself21. Its goal is to restore the healthy flow of energy throughout the body19. Its aim is to fulfil persons need to be touched17. It can be used to maintain good health as well as help improve poor health.
What happens during a shiatsu session?
It is recommended that loose clothing is worn during a shiatsu session. It is also best not to wear any jewellery, aftershave or perfume. Shiatsu is usually performed on a mat on the floor, but if clients can’t lie on the floor then shiatsu can be adapted to another position e.g. sitting on a chair or lying on a couch21. The therapist uses his thumbs and fingers to put pressure on certain parts of the client’s body19. Pressure is applied to ‘meridians’ or ‘energy lines’ through a variety of different techniques that include: stretching, holding and massage20. Sessions usually last up to an hour and during this time the therapists gets a chance to ask the client about their symptoms, issues and so on. The practitioner may give advice on diet, exercise and lifestyle, encouraging self-understanding and greater independence in health matters. This in turn leads to improved self-confidence and lasting peace of mind for the patient21. After having a shiatsu session it is recommended that clients should take a little rest and drink plenty of water. It is important to avoid any heavy exercise or heavy meals, it is also recommended to keep warm but to avoid having a warm bath45.
How many sessions are needed?
It depends on a person’s condition to be able to say how many sessions are needed. Sometimes people do benefit from a single session, but it is recommended than about 6 sessions are needed for full benefit20. Different therapists recommend different amounts of sessions.
Does shiatsu hurt?
Shiatsu manipulates and stretches the muscles and can be quite uncomfortable but shouldn’t hurt25. It is said that shiatsu should feel like a good-sore sensation26. The only uncomfortable things you should feel during a session are a deep aching feeling as if you just excersied an old muscle, a tingling feeling in your body27.
Training needed to become a shiatsu therapist
The training requirements require a minimum of 500 hours studying shiatsu, of which 350 must be with a . The remainder may be with someone with the skills to teach the required material. Most schools hold end of year assessments22. After qualifying as a graduate, in order to be eligible to apply to join the Register of Professional Practitioners of the Shiatsu Society, it is a requirement to have been a member of the Society for two consecutive years22. Duly qualified therapists will have the letters MRSS after their name which means ‘Member of the Register of the Shiatsu Society17’. If you plan on using complementary medicine please be aware that it is all too easy for people to set themselves up as complementary therapists who in reality have little or no training. It is important, therefore, to ensure that any therapist you go to is a member of a recognised body and it is essential to satisfy yourself as to whether they have had correct training and that their qualifications are genuine24.
How much does it cost?
A cost for a shiatsu session varies from how long the session you get is. The prices vary from £30 -£60 depending on what therapist you get23. A few cancer centers and hospitals in the UK may offer patients shiatsu treatments free of charge. Ask your nurse or doctor if this is an option where you have your treatment.
Alexander’s Technique
What is Alexander’s technique?
The Alexander technique is often viewed as a technique of breathing and posture, but this is only a small part of what it really involves. It is, in truth, a method of becoming more aware of ourselves as we go about everyday activities28. It is a way that we can learn how to get rid of harmful tension in our bodies. It is a simple and practical method for improving ease and freedom of movement, balance, support and coordination29.
What is its aim?
The trouble has been caused by a system of bad habits that we don't notice until they produce discomfort. The only way to correct such habits is to learn to replace them with a system of good habits. That is the aim of the Alexander Technique30.
What can Alexander’s technique help you with?
The main things that Alexander’s technique can help with are:
- Stress in daily life
- Chronic pain
- Back problems
- Athritis
- Postural problems
- Asthma and other breathing disorders
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Repetitive strain injury & carpal tunnel syndrome31.
What happens during a session?
When you first meet your teacher tell him/her as much as you can about why you decided to have lessons, if your in pain, tell them where exactly your in pain and how long you’ve been in pain for. During a session, your therapist instructs you, using words and touch to approach movement differently. The therapist uses a mirror to help clients recognise their own ingrained patterns. The therapist then uses a specialised hands-on method to help client release areas of tension and elicit their body's capacity for dynamic expansion. With this expert guidance, clients learn the skills to replicate that ease and expansion on their own. You acquire a way to guide yourself through daily activities that stays with you for the rest of your life32. It is recommended that clients wear loose comfortable clothing during sessions to help relaxation. Sessions normally last up to 45-60 minutes.
Does it hurt?
There are no painful adjustments in Alexander Technique, it is very gentle, quieting, and soothing.
How many sessions are needed?
It is recommended that a series of 30 lessons, once or twice a week for three to six months, is the best way for you to learn the Technique. But it takes practice. Everyone is different, it depends on your goals and interest on how many sessions you will need32.
Training needed to become an Alexander’s technique teacher
AmSAT-certified Alexander Technique teachers must complete 1,600 hours of training over a minimum of three years in an AmSAT-approved training program. To assure quality instruction, each Alexander Teaching Training Program maintains a five-to-one student/teacher ratio.
Alexander teachers must practice what they teach: the ability to integrate and streamline their own movement while guiding their clients toward improved functioning. They acquire this ability from expert mentors through long hours of intense, focused hands-on training.
Alexander practitioners are trained in careful visual observation to spot the source of movement problems. They are schooled in teaching skills that encourage learning in a non-judgmental, supportive atmosphere. And they are trained in the unique Alexander touch, a complex combination of kinesthetic receptivity and the subtle suggestion of expansion and lightness in movement. Additional studies include anatomy, study of F.M. Alexander's theoretical writings, literature and research by Alexander scholars and those in related fields32.
Cost of lessons
The costs varies depending on who the teacher is. Lessons will start at around £15 and go up to about £30.
Bibliography
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- I don’t think this website is biased as it providing information about alternative therapies not trying to sell it.
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- this website is also unbiased as it is again giving information about migraines and how to cure it.
- The British medical association ‘migraine and other headaches’. This book told me everything about migraines and how to cure them.
- The British medical association ‘migraine and other headaches’.
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- this information was biased as it was trying to get people to have acupuncture and not giving the bad side of acupuncture.
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this website is unbiased as it gives all risks as well as the benefits of acupuncture, it doesn’t hide the risks from us.
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- this website is biased as it gives no risks about acupuncture.
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- this website is unbiased, but it didn’t give risks about acupuncture, but it did say how to take car when choosing an acupuncturist and gave the best recommended links to find one.
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- this website just helped me see what happens during an acupuncture session, it didn’t give any other information.
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- this website was unbiased as it was providing information and not trying to sell it
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- this was biased as it gave no risks and no disadvantages about acupuncture, it just gave information about what happens during a session and said if it hurt or not.
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this website was very useful to me as it gave me most of the information that I needed, but I couldn’t find any risks and disadvantages on this website either.
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- this website was neither biased or unbiased as it just told me the average costs of acupuncture and nothing else.
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- this website was biased as it just told me all good things about having acupuncture.
- Shiatsu book by Ray Ridolfi – found lots of facts in this book about what shiatsu was and what the risks associated with it were.
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- this website showed me what is used to give a shiatsu session.
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- this was also biased as it gave no bad points about the therapy to me.
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- this was biased as it only gave me benefits and advantages and told me what happened during a session and how good it was. I didn’t find anything bad about shiatsu in this website.
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- this website was unbiased and very useful to me as it basically had all the information I needed init. It was full of good and bad points.
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- this page wasn’t very useful it just showed me what I needed to know about the training needed to become a shiatsu practitionist.
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- this is the same website I used first for acupuncture but it showed me shiatsu this time, and it is unbiased once again.
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- this website showed me problems to think of with all complementary therapies.
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- this was biased as it gave all good points, questions were asked about if there was pain but they said it was completely painless so there was nothing bad to say about this therapy on this page.
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- this website showed me what happened during a shiatsu session, it was frequently asked questions and answers.
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- this website was biased as it gave benefits only.
- Alexander Technique book by Richard Brennan – this was the whole book about the Alexander’s Technique and was unbiased as it gave everything I needed to know about it, all risks and benefits and all advantages and disadvantages.
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- this website was also biased as it didn’t give both sides to the therapy.
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- this website was all about knowing about what training was needed to become a practitionis.
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- this website was unbiased and gave all information about problems and conditions that can occur with the therapy but also gave benefits as well.
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– this website was just an advertisement of shiatsu and had quotes of what people had said about their session,
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- this website was biased, had no risks, only benefits, was trying to sell the therapy.
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- once again this website was biased and only said one side of the therapy, which was the good side.
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- this website was unbiased and showed all risks and benefits, it also showed reported effects to the therapy and what disadvantages there was.
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-this was biased and only gave some benefits.
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– this was full of FAQ but no questions were asked about risks and side effects.
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– this website was unbiased, it was full of FAQ once again but this time people asked about the pain and risks and the answers admitted to them and described the sort of risks that were possible.
