Couple of weeks ago while browsing Amazon for acupuncture books (the time has come to study for boards!), I stumbled onto a book called Floral Acupuncture, got intrigued, and bought it.

I already knew some acupuncturists use essential oils on points and meridians to reach a certain effect but I had no idea about any other remedies or techniques.

Floral Acupuncture combines Bach Flower remedies with acupuncture points and is the work of Deborah Craydon and Warren Bellows.

The question that most of us will ask: “Does it work combining two modalities into one process?”

While there is not enough research and evidence that these two modalities work better together, both acupuncture and Bach Flower remedies are working with energy or “Qi” and they would be perfect for children or people with needles phobia.

This combination is not an invasive or a very expensive one and we could definitely give it a try. I would personally think that as an acupuncturist you’d want to pursue a certified training in Bach Flower remedies, but even without it you can always use what we already learned in classes: match an emotion with an acupuncture point and then choose the Bach Flower remedy for it (any health food store will have a booklet with the list of emotions and Bach Flower remedies).

I’m sure some of us will say it’s too much work and there’s no need for it, but I’m all for trying new things and doing my best for each and every patient. I’m also a firm believer that if you do more for your patients you get to keep them.

Any acupuncturist will needle patients but not all of them will offer something else besides needles. No person comes to an acupuncturist excited about being needled, but any patient will appreciate you trying to make it easier for them. I don’t remember if Dr. Hodges mentioned it in his Business class, but this is what I learned in other classes and my plan for the future.

In case you decide to give it a try and have some feedback from your patients, I’d be happy to hear about it at [email protected].