Acupuncture

Acupuncture involves the insertion of very fine needles into specific points of the body which are connected by energy lines or meridians. This affects a change in the energy balance of the body and works to restore health and vitality.

It is a powerful form of medicine and can be used to treat a wide range of diseases in adults, children and babies.  It is particularly effective in pain relief, dental pain, tension headaches, lower back pain, nausea and vomiting.  Once a diagnosis has been made the acupuncturist inserts needles into the relevant points of the body (this can vary from 1 to up to 25 needles usually the average being 8).  I only use disposable needles of very high specification.  The needles are left in for 10 – 30 minutes during this time they are manipulated in order to enhance their therapeutic effect. 

Special tiny and very fine needles are used to treat babies and children and they are not retained (only inserted, manipulated and then taken out) which involves the minimum of discomfort. Depending on the diagnosis other forms of treatment can be combined with the acupuncture these include moxabustion (warming with a herb called moxa), cupping, electroacupuncture, earmagnets, ear tacks, and chinese herbal plasters.

It is particularly effective in pain relief, arthritic pain, dental pain, tension headaches, migraines, lower back pain, nausea and vomiting. Acupuncture can be very effective for gynaecological and menopausal problems. It has been found to increase the chances of an IVF cycle to succeed by 25%. It can be used throughout the menstrual cycle to help with fertility or other gynaecological problems.

Acupuncture Treatments

The number of treatments varies according to the type of problem.  Acute conditions such as flu or a recent injury may take only one or two treatments.  For chronic conditions (of more than one months duration) I suggest  one month of weekly treatments with  any additional treatments as required. Giving up smoking is a standard treatment of once per week for three weeks.

For more information you can go to https://quitza.com/groups/1090/quitting-smoking-with-acupuncture

Each patient and his / her problems are unique it is therefore very difficult to give exact advice about the course of treatment, however I believe in keeping close account of my patients’ progress with regular reviews and discussions.

Is Acupuncture safe?

Acupuncture has a very sound track record, the results of two independent surveys published in the British Medical Journal in 2001 concluded that the risk of serious reaction to acupunture is less than 1 in 10,000.

I am a member of the British Acupuncture Council www.acupuncture.org.uk