29/10/2025
Great explanation of the acupuncture styles I "integrate" into my treatment. Since graduating from the College of Integrated Chinese Medicine more than 16 years ago now, I have also studied other styles, such as the Master Tung style mentioned. My core training at CICM remains my main style though.
☯️ What is integration? ☯️
You’ll hear us talk a lot about how we teach an integrated style of acupuncture here at CICM, and it’s even in our name - the College of Integrated Chinese Medicine - but what does it actually mean?
What does it mean for our students, for our practitioners, and ultimately for the patients that we treat?
Well, you may or may not know, that there are many styles of acupuncture practised in the UK and all over the world.
These traditions can include TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine), Five Element acupuncture, Japanese acupuncture, the Stems and Branches style, Korean acupuncture, Master Tung acupuncture and so on…
At CICM our degree course brings together the two main styles of acupuncture taught in this country - five element constitutional acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).
Five Element Acupuncture is a style of acupuncture that focuses on the five elements of nature - fire, earth, metal, water and wood.
Practitioners of this style understand that imbalances in a patient’s dominant element can lead to illness. Five element acupuncture tends to treat the patient’s deepest constitutional imbalance, and is particularly suited to emotional life challenges.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is perhaps the most well-known and widely practiced style of acupuncture. TCM uses acupuncture points along the meridians to balance the flow of Qi and promote wellness. Yin and Yang are important concepts in this style of acupuncture and it is used to treat a wide range of physical and emotional conditions.
So having this integrated combination allows our graduates to treat patients with a wide variety of issues, both chronic and acute, benefitting from both styles of treatment - it truly is the best of both worlds!
☯️ And did you know that we are unlike any other acupuncture college in the UK, because we offer this integrated curriculum?
🙏 Come and learn more about our college, and our unique style of teaching…
Our next open day events are on:
📆 Thursday 13th November - 19:00 - 20:30 | online
📆 Saturday 10th January – 11:30 - 13:30 | at the college
➡️ Book on to any session via messenger here - https://m.me/cicmcollege?ref=Open
📧 Or get in touch with our lovely registrar Jo directly - registrar@cicm.org.uk or on 01189 508 889
🎓 See more info about our BSc degree here - https://www.acupuncturecollege.org.uk/bsc-hons-acupuncture-degree
📣 And if you are already an acupuncturist, we would love for you to share this post with your patients too!
👍 Every like, comment, save and share helps us spread this amazing ancient wisdom, with the wider world!
