Acupuncture

Acupuncture is an ancient system of medicine, which started in the East and is now firmly established in the West. In this system of healing illness is seen as an imbalance of energy.

By inserting very fine, single use, pre sterilised needles into specific acupuncture points balance is re-established. This helps to resolve symptoms- in the body and also on a mental and emotional level. Acupuncture stimulates your own natural healing responses.

People come with a wide variety of complaints. The traditional acupuncturist will always strive to find the cause of the imbalance in the person's energy and will treat each individual as unique and whole.

There is scope for a lot more but meanwhile 10000 papers into acupuncture trials have been published. The National Institute for Clinical Excellence, Nice, recommended acupuncture for lower back pain in 2009 and for migraine and headaches in 2012. There has been evidence for acupuncture being effective for nausea and vomiting and osteoarthritis of the knee.

Each acupuncture session lasts between 30 and 60 minutes. In the initial session you will be asked about your current condition and treatments so far, your medical history, your eating and sleeping patterns, your digestion, life style and emotional state. Your pulse and tongue will be examined. This is in order to establish the cause of your disease in Chinese medical terms. It may also help you to understand underlying causes and what you can do to help yourself - changes in life style, diet, work, patterns of thinking, relationships etc.

Some people experience dramatic improvements in just 3 or 4 sessions, with others change takes longer. It all depends on each individual, their constitution, the severity and length of their complaint and their life circumstances. Treatments will decrease in frequency from weekly to fortnightly to monthly etc. as you improve.

Anyone practising acupuncture must be registered with their local authority, which makes sure acupuncturists meet standards of cleanliness of premises and equipment.

There are two main groups of acupuncturists:

Traditional acupuncturists, who have a degree level training which includes the study of western medical science as well as the formal instruction into a medical practise that has been established in China over the last 2000 years. Traditional acupuncturists are registered with the British Acupuncture Council ( BAcC) who is accredited by the Professional Standards Authority. Its members follow a Code of Practice which lays down stringent guidelines for hygiene, needle use, continual professional development etc. in order to keep the public safe.

The other group of acupuncturists are doctors, physiotherapists, nurses and osteopaths who use acupuncture alongside their own medical practice. This is also called Dry Needling or Western Medical Acupuncture. Their professional organisations are: Acupuncture Association of Chartered Physiotherapists ( AACP) and the British Medical Acupuncture Society ( BMAS) It is always advisable to choose an acupuncturist who is registered with one of the above organisations.