What is Acupuncture?
Acupuncture is a system of healing which has developed over thousands of years in China and other eastern countries. The ancient Chinese discovered that the stimulation of points on particular areas of the body affected organ function and cured disease. Traditionally the Chinese believed that a person only became ill if their vital energy (qi) became out of balance. Acupuncture is used in an attempt to restore that balance by the insertion of very fine needles to points just beneath the body surface.
Anyone can benefit from acupuncture becauseit works holistically on a persons health rather than just attacking a specific disease. The techniques used today have been developed by millions of doctors over thousands of years of clinical practice and observation. This, together with ongoing research, shows the effectiveness of acupuncture in treating a wide variety of conditions.
Conditions commonly treated include:
- Musculoskeletal: tennis and golfers elbow, frozen shoulder, low back pain sciatica, neck pain, arthritis, RSI, sports injuries
- Mental / Emotional problems: anxiety, insomnia, depression, manic depression, stress disorders
- Gastrointestinal: Irritable Bowel Syndrome, constipation, diarrhoea, indigestion
- Respiratory: hayfever, asthma, bronchitis, sinusitis, tosillitis, catarrh, poor immunity
- Skin disorders: eczema, acne, psoriasis
- Ear and Eye: otitis media, tinnitus, Menieres disase, conjunctivitis, blurred vision
- Nervous System: migraine, trigeminal neuralgia, facial paralyis, after-effects of stroke, multiple sclerosis
- Urinary disorders: cystitis, incontinence, urinary retention
- Women's disorders: menstrual problems, menopausal problems, hot flushes, infertility, post-natal depression, uterine prolapse
- Men's disorders: impotence, premature ejaculation, prostatitis
- Chronic fatigue disorders: ME, fibromyalgia
What to expect
Your first visit is called a consultation and this will last approximately 1.5 hours. The consultation consists of two parts. During the first part lasting 45 minutes you will be asked about your symptoms, medical history, diet and lifestyle. Further information is then gathered using the traditional Chinese methods of abdominal pulse and tongue diagnosis. By the end of this session we will have built up a comprehensive picture of your state of health and have enough information to proceed to the atual treatment which will last a further 45 minutes.
The acupuncture is carried out using fine needles placed to a few millimetres depth beneath the skin. Some people feel nothing after insertion, others feel a heaviness, tingling or warmth which may extend out from the needle. The needles may be left in place for varying periods.
Often there is some immediate change in symptoms after treatment, but with long standing problems he results of acupuncture can take more time to see. You will probably feel more relaxed and it is recommended that care be taken travelling home. It is also wise to abstain from alcohol immediately after treatment and try and drink an extra glass or two of water.
Follow up sessions will take 45 minutes. At each visit you will be asked how your symptoms have changed. Your abdominal pulse and tongue readings may also be reassessed to see how you have progressed.
