About Classical Five Element Acupuncture

We practice Classical Five Element Acupuncture and it's important that we explain this profound system of medicine and how it differs from other acupuncture systems (such as Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), or simply Acupuncture).

Classical Five Element Acupuncture (CFEA) is an ancient wisdom adapted for our world by Professor J.R. Worsley. It is a profound, safe and natural medical system that can help people avoid and recover from physical and emotional disorders.

Classical Five Element Acupuncture is an oral tradition and is passed down from masters to students. It is not taught in modern Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) schools and was originally part of the training given to students of Chinese Medicine (in China) from their masters before the Cultural Revolution in China. Learning and practicing this medicine requires a commitment to a lifetime of studying and a willingness to reach out and connect with patients on all three levels of body, mind and spirit.

For thousands of years, the Chinese have recognized that the Five Elements: Fire, Earth, Metal, Water & Wood exist in everything including the human body. Classical Five Element Acupuncture recognizes that every human being is comprised of all five of these elements and that we are all born with, or develop early in life, an imbalance in the natural functioning of these Five Elements. This imbalance becomes the underlying cause of illness and is where the patient’s treatment is focused. This imbalance is labeled the 'Causative Factor' (CF). Accurate diagnosis and treatment of the CF is the key to Classical Five-Element Acupuncture. When the CF is accurately diagnosed and treated, the root cause of disease resolves and the symptoms signaling the imbalance disappear. This diagnosis is made via the patient's color (subtle color found near the eyes), sound (the voice), emotional state and odor (every human has a subtle order related to the five elements).

Classical Five Element Acupuncture is effective in treating many acute and chronic illnesses.  It is a holistic medical system that considers all three  levels of health - body, mind and spirit. This system of medicine is effective for  anyone experiencing health problems from mild to severe. It is appropriate for anyone,  even those that simply feel off-balance or 'out of sorts'. One does not need to 'believe' in this medicine for it to work.

How Classical Five Element Acupuncture differs from other systems:

There is a very important distinction between other Acupuncture systems and Classical Five Element Acupuncture.  Classical Five Element Acupuncture is an unique and highly effective system of medicine that diagnoses the root cause of disease and treats the patient on any of the three levels - body, mind and spirit directly. 

Other methods of acupuncture typically focus on the body level only (physical symptoms), and often treat only the organ system that is manifesting the physical symptoms. In the USA, our culture is adept at understanding when we have manifested physical level symptoms and illness. Some examples include  pain, headaches, digestive issues and skin conditions.

When it comes to the mind level (mental level) of illness these other systems sometimes lack in the understanding of how to fully diagnose and treat at this level. The other acupuncture systems have success as a proper acupuncture treatment can help lesson some of these symptoms. Some examples of mental level illness include depression, sadness, anxiety, anger, fear, thoughts of suicide and a lack of joy.

The spirit level is not commonly understood in the USA (thankfully awareness of it is growing).  One could describe the spirit level as the internal drive, that when functioning normally, allows us to feel optimistic and purposeful regardless of our health or life situation.  Patients who visit our clinic often do not have this sense. Patients who live their lives with a spirit level imbalance, will ultimately manifest physical and emotional symptoms / illness. Few other acupuncture systems address this area directly. Often, illness begins at the spirit level. If we ignore the many warning signs of a spirit level illness, an illness will ultimately progress to the physical level and we become physically ill. This is often as a last resort of our spirit  to send a message to us that the spirit level imbalance can no longer be ignored. Some examples of spirit level illness include a feeling of being lost, not sure of one's life purpose, disconnection from all social interaction, boredom and giving up on life.

In Classical Five Element Acupuncture, the treatments restore balance to the patient’s whole system by addressing the underlying causes of imbalance.  These causes, as mentioned above, can originate at either the physical, mental or spirit level. In Classical Five Element Acupuncture, we treat the imbalance at the level in which it originated (physical, mental or spirit level). By treating in this manner, the body is returned to a state of balance (homeostasis) which enables the body to heal itself and return to a state of vitality at all three levels.

A Classical Five Element Acupuncture practitioner does not treat symptoms, but instead treats the individual who has these symptoms, as nature originally intended.  Classical Five Element Acupuncture restores balance to the body, mind and spirit which allows the body to heal on its own. In fact, no two individuals are ever treated the same, even if they have apparently identical symptoms. We could label this system 'Bespoke' or 'individualized'. Classical Five Element Acupuncture treatments provide the impetus needed for individuals to return to the health and well-being that is their natural right. As a result of these treatments, each individual’s symptoms may resolve on their own.

Classical Five Element Acupuncture is adept at treating existing illness. However, its real power is in the prevention of illness. The time to start treatment is now even if you consider yourself healthy. This preventative care helps keep the body, mind and spirit in its natural state of balance, thus enhancing your odds of avoiding future illness.

Clinical example of Classical Five Element Acupuncture

A great example clinical success in the use of Classical Five Element Acupuncture:

A female patient presented with a lifetime of neck pain. The pain manifested after an auto accident when she was just a child. Over the years, she was evaluated by many medical professionals. Unfortunately they were unable to find any physical cause of the pain.  She tried all types of treatment options. All with little or no symptom relief. She thought she was destined to live a life of pain. In fact, she had become addicted to opiate based pain medicine and had to undergo addiction treatment. She thought she was destined to live a life of pain. She heard from a friend about us and she decided to schedule an appointment. She was age 56 when she presented in the clinic.

At her initial treatment, based on her history, we suspected the neck pain was a physical manifestation of residual emotional trauma due to the auto accident from her childhood. We diagnosed her as having an energetic block known as 'Aggressive Energy' (AE). We treated and released the AE block and then anchored the AE treatment at all three levels- body mind & spirit with several acupuncture points, while never directly treating her neck. 

She returned for her second treatment a week later with no change. We continued with the plan to bring her into balance gave her the 2nd treatment (again not treating her neck pain specifically). 

When she returned for her third visit a week later, she reported that she was now pain free and she nearly knocked us over in her rush to hug us. Of course, not everyone will recover this quickly. However, its a great example of how powerful this simple medicine can be.

A great example of clinical failure. I think its important to show contrast in life and that I am just a human:

A male, age 65 called and we had a short phone consultation. The patient had dropped a weight on his foot while at the gym and he was in pain. Also, his daughter we beginning to study Classical Five Element Acupuncture (CFEA). He was skeptical of her career choice and wanted to experience a CFEA treatment first-hand. It appeared he would judge her choice based on his experience with me (no pressure at all on my part).

I explained to him that I did not specialize in sports injury type medicine and that I would happily refer him to someone I know who does for his foot. He was insistent on seeing me. I reluctantly agreed to see him, but warned him that what I do will help his injury heal faster for sure, but not in one treatment. 

At his initial visit after the usual extensive interview/intake, I checked him for any energetic blocks and gave him his first treatment. I did not treat his foot directly and reminded him that one treatment is not sufficient. I diagnosed him as Wood imbalance or Causative Factor (CE) (relating to the Liver and Gallbladder acupuncture meridians). Someone with a wood imbalance will  typically manifest with inappropriate anger. After his initial treatment, he scheduled his next appointment and he left. 

The next week, he called while I was in session and I received an angry voicemail message from him indicating that his foot was not healed and he was cancelling his next appointment (he yelled the entire message and slammed the phone when he hung up). 

I did call back and did not reach him directly. I left a voicemail, but he never responded. Would have been great for him if he would have continued treatment with me...

I am very skeptical about any healing modality and I simply will not use it in my practice or receive it personally until I have evidence that it works. I have witnessed enough to know this works. I have and continue to personally receive CFEA treatments since 2005.

Contact us for a free initial consultation to find out more about this wonderful system and how it might help you.