- Who has acupuncture?
- What happens when I go for treatment?
- How many sessions will I need?
- Should my doctor know?
- Is it safe?
- What does it feel like?
- What can acupuncture do for me?
- The point of acupuncture
Acupuncture works
Acupuncture is a tried and tested system of complementary medicine. The Chinese and other eastern cultures have been using acupuncture to restore, promote and maintain good health for thousands of years.
Nowadays more and more people are finding this long established therapy can offer an effective solution to all manner of today’s ills.
Acupuncture is now widely used and accepted all over the world and in the UK there are currently over 2800 qualified acupuncturists registered with the British Acupuncture Council.
Who has acupuncture?
Many people come to acupuncture for help with specific symptoms or to relieve specific pains like osteoarthritis of the knee. Some use acupuncture because they feel generally unwell but have no obvious diagnosis. Others choose acupuncture simply to enhance their feeling of wellbeing. Acupuncture is considered suitable for all ages including babies and children. It can be used effectively alongside conventional medicine.
What happens when I go for treatment?
I will use a number of different diagnostic methods to get a complete picture of your health and lifestyle, including taking a full medical history, reading your pulses, and looking at your tongue. Based on this information, I make a diagnosis and put together your personal treatment plan. Acupuncture points are selected according to your symptoms. The single-use sterile needles come in sealed packs: they should be opened in front of you and are safely disposed of after each treatment.
How many sessions will I need?
Frequency and number of sessions depend on your individual condition. Some change is usually felt within five or six treatments, although occasionally just one or two treatments are sufficient. Some people choose to have regular acupuncture to maintain good health.
Should my doctor know?
If you have been prescribed medication I recommend you tell your doctor that you are planning to have acupuncture. Do not stop taking your medication. You should always tell me about any medication and supplements you are taking as this may affect your response to the acupuncture treatment. I am trained to recognise potentially serious underlying health conditions and may refer you to your GP if I consider it appropriate.
Is it safe?
The results of two independent surveys published in the British Medical Journal in 2001 (MacPherson et al, White et al, both BMJ September 2001) concluded that the risk of serious adverse reaction to acupuncture is less than 1 in 10,000. The needles used are single-use, sterile and disposable. Responses to the treatment can sometimes include tiredness or mild dizziness, and very occasionally minor bruising may occur. However, all such reactions are short live
What does it feel like?
Acupuncture needles are much finer than needles used for injections and blood tests. When the needle is inserted you may feel a tingling sensation or a dull ache.
What can it do for me?
Good health is not just the absence of pain or disease.
Traditional acupuncture works to maintain the body’s equilibrium by focusing on all aspects of wellbeing; physical, mental, emotional.
According to traditional Chinese philosophy, our health is dependent on
the body’s motivating energy moving in a smooth and balanced way through a series of channels beneath the skin. This energy is known as qi.
The flow of qi can be disturbed by any number of factors. These include emotional states such as anxiety, anger, or grief, as well as poor nutrition, hereditary factors, infections, and trauma. When the qi is unbalanced, illness may result.
I insert ultra fine needles at chosen points along the channels of energy. The aim is to stimulate the body’s own healing response and restore its natural balance.
Treatment is aimed at the root of your condition, as well as your symptoms. This approach can lead to a more permanent resolution of your problems.
You can get more information on current scientific research in to the effectiveness of acupuncture by visiting www.acupuncture.org.uk
The point of acupuncture
Good health is not just the absence of pain or disease.
Traditional acupuncture works to maintain the body’s equilibrium by focusing on all aspects of wellbeing; physical, mental, emotional.
According to traditional Chinese philosophy, our health is dependent on
the body’s motivating energy moving in a smooth and balanced way through a series of channels beneath the skin. This energy is known as qi.
The flow of qi can be disturbed by any number of factors. These include emotional states such as anxiety, anger, or grief, as well as poor nutrition, hereditary factors, infections, and trauma. When the qi is unbalanced, illness may result.
I insert ultra fine needles at chosen points along the channels of energy. The aim is to stimulate the body’s own healing response and restore its natural balance.
Treatment is aimed at the root of your condition, as well as your symptoms. This approach can lead to a more permanent resolution of your problems.
(Information adapted from the British Acupuncture Council leaflet).
