they don't use traditional chinese points, generally. Depending on the physio, you'll usually get a needle in your upper calf - the so-called "physiotherapist's point" and often one between thumb and forefinger (I hate that one, hurts like crazy), but the rest of the placement is based on nerves.
I have an upper-back-related issue, and I usually get needles either side of my thoracic vertebrae. Which makes perfect sense to me, and provides excellent pain relief. The one time I had chinese acupuncture, I got needles in places which - mostly - corresponded with the same nerves, just lower down (so, places like the inner elbow, upper shoulder, etc.) That also worked very well.
It is perhaps vaguely relevant that a chinese meridian chart for acupuncture looks more than a little like a nerve map. Which again, makes sense - if you spend 3000 years poking needles in people and taking note of where they work best...
My chinese acupuncturist spent seven years studying for his acupuncture degree.
All this talk (and typing) is making me jones for some needling... :)
if you have acupuncture by a physiotherapist
I have an upper-back-related issue, and I usually get needles either side of my thoracic vertebrae. Which makes perfect sense to me, and provides excellent pain relief. The one time I had chinese acupuncture, I got needles in places which - mostly - corresponded with the same nerves, just lower down (so, places like the inner elbow, upper shoulder, etc.) That also worked very well.
It is perhaps vaguely relevant that a chinese meridian chart for acupuncture looks more than a little like a nerve map. Which again, makes sense - if you spend 3000 years poking needles in people and taking note of where they work best...
My chinese acupuncturist spent seven years studying for his acupuncture degree.
All this talk (and typing) is making me jones for some needling... :)
-mmmat