Over the last 4 thousand years acupuncture has gone through many stages of development and schools of thought.  Classical 5 Element is an ancient form of acupuncture. It is thought to have originated around 200BC (Han Dynasty) when the Chinese were going through a period when they observed nature, natural laws and noticed how these laws worked in people.
Back ground to the
5 Element Style
Through pulse and tongue diagnosis a modern Chinese Medicine practitioner will find external cause of disease such as Damp, Cold and Heat. Treatment will be planned to heal these external causes, sometimes also incorporating the use of herbs, massage and cupping.

Classical 5 Element Acupuncture looks for emotional or spirit level causes for a person distress and believes by healing at this level the whole person moves forward not just their presenting symptoms.
The Five Elements are connected and interconnected, each one depending on the others to fulfill their part.  By finding out which one of the Five Elements first went out of balance and primarily treating that element it is believed that the whole person will heal and move forward.
The Classical  5 Element style of acupuncture was brought back from the east in the 1950s by Englishman - Professor J.R. Worsley.

Professor Worsley died in 2003 and is survived by his wife J.B. Worsley, son and daughter who continue to teach this wonderful form of acupuncture.

For more on J.R. Worsley and the Worsley Institute today look here.


Through the Chinese Cultural Revolution in the 1950s Mao Tse Tung wanted to modernise Chinese society and thought.  Through this period the Chinese started to concentrate mainly on physical symptoms and what is known as external causes of disease.