Traditional Acupuncture
Traditional Acupuncture stimulates the body's own natural healing mechanisms through the insertion of very fine stainless steel needles into specific points of the body.
These points are located along energy channels (meridians) which run throughout the body from the fingers and toes to the chest or head. Very gentle needling is used to give powerful effects.
In some instances, such as back pain, needles may be inserted close to the area of pain in the back. But in many cases, for example in headaches, the needles are inserted at points on the arms or legs towards the opposite end of the channel.
What happens in an Acupuncture treatment?
When you come for your first treatment, I will take a detailed case history. I will ask questions about your symptoms, your medical history and any past procedures and medications, your lifestyle, diet, digestion, sleep, energy levels, and, if appropriate about any stress and your emotional state. Once you are comfortable on the treatment couch I will look at your tongue and take your pulses to help me build a picture of your health and make a diagnosis. On the basis of all this information I will put together your treatment plan, including my choice of acupuncture points.
I will show you where the needles will go before I start needling. The needles stay in for about 20 minutes during which time you can relax. Some clients find acupuncture so relaxing they fall asleep during treatment!
Appointments are unhurried. Your initial consultation and treatment takes 1 – 1¼ hours, so there is plenty of time for you to ask questions and to discuss your concerns. Subsequent appointments take around 50 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Please click here to view the most frequently asked questions about acupuncture.
Treatments tailor-made for you
All my treatments are designed to meet your individual health needs. Typically your traditional acupuncture treatment will be combined with a therapeutic massage. If appropriate, and after discussion with you, I may also include other traditional or contemporary therapies to enhance your treatment (see below):
Moxibustion may be used to help treat certain ‘deficiency’ or ‘cold’ conditions, such osteoarthritis of the knee. Moxa, a herb – artemisia vulgaris, is used to warm a needle or is applied directly to the skin to warm an acupuncture point.
Ear (Auricular) Acupuncture or Battlefield Acupuncture – click here for more information.
Electroacupuncture – Electrical stimulation of acupuncture points may be helpful on occasions when a stronger stimulus is needed. A gentle electric current is pulsed through local body tissues via one or more pairs of acupuncture needles. The most common uses for electroacupuncture are for reducing pain and inflammation, strengthening muscle function and helping repair nerve damage. Electroacupuncture is also used to increase circulation of blood (and lymph) to tissues, for example to help increase womb lining prior to embryo transfer in IVF.
Scalp Acupuncture – Chinese scalp acupuncture is a modern form of acupuncture developed by medical doctors which integrates our understanding of Western medicine and traditional Chinese medicine. It is based on the close anatomical relationship between the scalp points and functional underlying areas of the brain. The principle is that stimulation of a specific region of the scalp can facilitate a return and enhancement of the functions of the body governed by the corresponding part of the brain. Scalp acupuncture is now used widely in China by medical professionals to help treat the manifestations of stroke and brain function disorders. Typically scalp acupuncture is used in combination with traditional (body) acupuncture.
Cupping may be used to help treat musculoskeletal conditions or to expel the symptoms of a cold or flu. It involves creating a vacuum in glass cups and placing them on the affected area of the body. The suction allows stuck energy to be released. Restoration of the free flow of qi relieves the tension in the area.
Scenar Therapy – Needle free pain relief – Developed by Russian scientists to give their cosmonauts a means of treating themselves without drugs when in space, the SCENAR (Self-Controlled Energy Neuro Adaptive Regulation) is a small hand held biofeedback device about the size of a mobile phone. When placed on the surface of the skin, it stimulates the body’s own healing mechanisms by emitting an electromagnetic signal similar to human nerve signals. When applied to a point of pain on the body, it stimulates the production of endorphins, the body’s own natural pain killers. The Scenar device communicates with the body’s central nervous system and adapts accordingly in a process called biofeedback. Consequently it has diagnostic as well as therapeutic functions. This biofeedback gives Scenar significant advantages over TENS and other electrotherapies.
Scenar therapy has been widely and successfully used in Russia for many years to treat a range of ailments. In the UK it is most commonly used to provide pain relief for musculoskeletal problems such as back, neck, should and knee pain, sciatica, sports injuries and RSI, such as tennis elbow.
Scar Treatments – Acupuncture can help promote scar healing and reduce the visibility and pain of scars. For long thin scars, acupuncture needles are inserted obliquely and shallowly into the skin at either end of the scar stimulating blood flow through the scar tissue. Alternatively, for smaller rounder scars, the needles may be inserted in a ring around the scar – using a traditional acupuncture technique called ‘Surround the Dragon’.
Therapeutic Swedish Massage – click here for more information.
Chinese acupressure massage tui na – click here for more information.
