Plain-English definitions of the terms used across acupuncture, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), fertility care, and lymphatic drainage at Body Perfected — so you know what each treatment does and where it fits in your care plan.
Also known as: TCM, Chinese Medicine, Eastern Medicine.
A complete medical system practised in China for over two thousand years and increasingly integrated into UK healthcare. TCM views health as a balance of internal systems and uses acupuncture, herbal medicine, dietary therapy, cupping, and tuina to restore that balance. UK acupuncturists working in this tradition register with the British Acupuncture Council (BAcC).
Source: acupuncture.org.uk
Insertion of fine, sterile single-use needles into specific points on the body to influence physiology — pain regulation, hormonal cycles, digestion, sleep, and stress response. Modern UK acupuncturists work in either traditional (TCM-based, BAcC-registered) or western-medical (dry-needling, AACP/BMAS) frameworks. Body Perfected practises in the BAcC tradition.
Source: www.nhs.uk
Also known as: Chi, Life Force.
Often translated as 'vital energy' or 'life force', Qi in TCM is the functional capacity of the body's systems — the activity of digestion, circulation, immunity, and movement. Symptoms in TCM are read as patterns of Qi imbalance (deficient, stagnant, rebellious) and treated by needling, herbal formulae, and lifestyle change.
The complementary opposites at the heart of TCM theory — Yin (cooling, nourishing, internal, structural) and Yang (warming, activating, external, functional). Health is dynamic balance between the two; many TCM patterns describe excess or deficiency of one. The framework guides choice of needling points, herbs, and dietary adjustments.
Also known as: Channels, Jing-Luo.
Channels described in TCM through which Qi and Blood circulate. Twelve primary meridians link to internal organ systems and surface at well-mapped acupuncture points. Modern research suggests meridian lines correlate with planes of fascia and neurovascular bundles — useful anatomically even outside the TCM framework.
Also known as: Moxa.
Therapeutic burning of dried mugwort (artemisia) above or on acupuncture points to introduce gentle, focused warmth. Used for cold-pattern conditions (some types of period pain, digestive sluggishness) and famously studied for turning breech babies in late pregnancy. Often used alongside acupuncture rather than as a stand-alone treatment.
Source: www.nhs.uk
Glass or silicone cups applied to the skin with mild suction to mobilise underlying tissue and increase local circulation. Used for muscular tension, stubborn back and shoulder pain, and certain respiratory presentations. Leaves temporary circular skin discolouration that resolves within days.
Source: www.cochrane.org
Also known as: Chinese Medical Massage, Tui Na.
TCM's hands-on bodywork tradition — a combination of pressing, kneading, and rhythmic mobilisation of joints. Distinct from Western massage in its use of meridian-based assessment. Often delivered alongside acupuncture for musculoskeletal pain or to support a fertility or post-natal protocol.
Use of plant- and mineral-derived formulae prescribed individually after a TCM diagnosis. UK practitioners use granulated extracts or raw decoctions of formulae described in the classic Chinese pharmacopoeia. All sourcing must comply with MHRA traditional-herbal-medicine guidance and avoid endangered or restricted species.
Source: www.gov.uk
Also known as: MLD, Lymphatic Drainage Massage.
A specific, light-pressure massage technique designed to support the lymphatic system — the network of vessels and nodes that clears interstitial fluid, immune cells, and metabolic by-products. Used for post-surgical swelling, lipoedema, chronic oedema, and as part of integrative cancer survivorship care. Distinct from deep-tissue or remedial massage.
Source: www.macmillan.org.uk
A chronic, progressive condition affecting (almost exclusively) women in which painful, fatty tissue accumulates symmetrically in the legs, hips, buttocks, and sometimes arms. Distinct from obesity and from lymphoedema. Conservative management combines compression therapy, MLD, anti-inflammatory nutrition, and graded movement.
Source: www.lipoedema.co.uk
Also known as: Edema.
Build-up of fluid in the body's tissues, usually visible as swelling in the legs, ankles, abdomen, or hands. Causes range from prolonged immobility and post-surgical inflammation through to lymphatic-system disease and cardiac/renal pathology. MLD is one of the conservative tools used to support resolution alongside the medical workup.
Source: www.nhs.uk
Thickening or hardening of soft tissue from excessive scar formation. Common after liposuction, abdominoplasty, breast surgery, or chronic inflammation. MLD applied early in the recovery window — usually from 24 to 72 hours post-op once cleared by the surgeon — is associated with reduced fibrosis and shorter recovery times.
The hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis — the hormonal feedback loop driving the menstrual cycle. Disruption here underlies many fertility, PCOS, and amenorrhoea presentations. Acupuncture, nutrition, and lifestyle intervention each influence HPO regulation through stress, body-weight, and inflammatory pathways.
The first half of the menstrual cycle, from day 1 of bleeding to ovulation. Oestrogen rises as ovarian follicles mature; the endometrium re-builds. Fertility-focused TCM treatment in this phase typically supports oestrogen-led follicular development and endometrial quality.
Source: www.nhs.uk
The second half of the menstrual cycle, from ovulation to the next period (about 14 days). Progesterone dominates, stabilising the endometrium for possible implantation. Short or low-progesterone luteal phases are a common factor in subfertility and recurrent miscarriage; treatment targets both lifestyle and HPO support.
Also known as: Anti-Mullerian Hormone.
A hormone produced by ovarian follicles that gives a snapshot of ovarian reserve — the number of eggs available. AMH does not predict egg quality, only quantity. Used by fertility clinics to plan IVF medication doses and to set expectations for response to stimulation.
Source: www.nhs.uk
Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinising hormone (LH) — the pituitary signals that drive ovarian function. Day-3 FSH is read alongside AMH and antral follicle count for ovarian-reserve assessment; the LH surge mid-cycle triggers ovulation. Both are routinely measured during a fertility workup.
Source: www.nhs.uk
A standardised acupuncture sequence delivered immediately before and immediately after embryo transfer in IVF cycles, originally described by Paulus and colleagues (Fertility & Sterility, 2002). The original trial reported a higher clinical-pregnancy rate with acupuncture; subsequent studies have produced mixed results and a clinic-level protocol is offered as a supportive intervention rather than a guarantee.
Source: doi.org
Also known as: British Acupuncture Council, MBAcC.
The British Acupuncture Council — the UK lead body for traditional acupuncture. Members hold a degree-level qualification (BSc), are insured to practise, and follow a published code of professional conduct and safe-practice guidance. MBAcC after a name indicates current membership.
Source: acupuncture.org.uk
A chronic condition in which tissue similar to the lining of the womb (endometrium) grows in other places — most commonly the pelvic cavity. Causes painful periods, pelvic pain, and subfertility. NICE guideline NG73 recommends multidisciplinary care; acupuncture and nutritional support are increasingly used alongside surgical and hormonal management.
Source: www.nice.org.uk
Also known as: Polycystic Ovaries, PCOS.
A hormonal and metabolic condition characterised by irregular or absent ovulation, raised androgens, and polycystic ovaries on ultrasound. PCOS affects roughly 1 in 10 women of reproductive age in the UK and is a leading cause of female subfertility. NICE-aligned management combines weight management, insulin-sensitising nutrition, and ovulation-induction support; acupuncture is studied for cycle regulation.
Source: www.nhs.uk