Acupuncture

About Acupuncture

Acupuncture uses fine needles inserted at specific points on the body surface to restore or maintain health. It is a powerful therapy which originated in China over 2000 years ago and has been practised and developed ever since. Acupuncture is part of the Traditional Medicine of China which revolves around the concept of Qi. Qi is the life-force or vital energy which flows throughout the body.

In a healthy person the Qi flows smoothly around the body. However if this flow is disrupted for some reason then illness can occur. The flow of Qi can be disturbed by wind, cold, diet, drugs, trauma or hereditary factors.

Acupuncture is currently used in hospitals throughout China. It has also become increasingly popular in the West in recent years. The World Health Organisation has recognised its success in the treatment of a wide range of diseases.

In addition to the above, many other disorders have been treated with success and it is always worth enquiring about any problem that you may have.

The Consultation

At your first consultation your acupuncturist will ask you detailed questions about your condition, your bodily functions and your lifestyle. The pulses on your wrist will be taken and your tongue examined.
Your acupuncturist will not be looking for symptoms in isolation as these are often part of a wider pattern of harmony and disharmony. Rather, through detailed questioning and observation, a comprehensive picture will be established. This will allow the selection of the appropriate combination points in which to insert the needles.

Fine, sterile, disposable needles are used and the process should be almost painless, though you may feel a small pin-prick and some sensation of dullness or heaviness around the area needled.

Before your treatment you should avoid alcohol and coffee, and foods or drinks which colour the tongue. Try not to have a large meal within the hour before your treatment, though you should also avoid coming on an empty stomach. Please wear loose clothing for your appointment. You may find it easier to wear separates. After your treatment you may find that you feel particularly calm and perhaps a little light-headed.

Easing Migraine with Acupuncture

Migraine headaches disrupt the lives of millions of people. Sufferers are only too aware of the recurrent debilitating symptoms that can last for hours to days, from painful throbbing headaches to dizziness, nausea, vomiting and disturbance of vision. Research points to a variety of possible triggers for migraines. Diet, hormonal changes, stress, food sensitivities and certain types of weather can all be factors in setting off a migraine. For such a widespread problem, migraines have remained frustratingly difficult to treat. Traditional pain relievers do not alleviate migraine symptoms. Medications developed specifically to treat migraines have uneven results; they work for some people, sometimes, but patients report that their efficacy is variable. In addition, some migraine medications have the downside of unpleasant side effects.

If you suffer from migraine, you might want to try a natural approach. Natural medicine, including acupuncture and herbs can dramatically reduce both the symptoms and the frequency of migraine attacks. This is because they treat the underlying conditions that provoke migraines and rebalance the body’s system. To find out more about our headache treatment please call us on 020 8540 3389.

Acupuncture and fertility

Acupuncture has a long and successful history in reproductive medicine. It can be used to help boost fertility, improve the chances of IVF success, and to prepare the body for conception and pregnancy generally. It has been observed that women who undergo IVF increase their chances of pregnancy if they are also treated with acupuncture.

To establish how effective the treatment is, doctors in the US collated evidence from all relevant, well-conducted studies and published their conclusions in The British Medical Journal. The benefits may be significant, research suggests a 65 percent increase in the chance of becoming pregnant, an 87 percent increase in continuing pregnancy, and a 91 percent increase in the number of live births.

If you would like to find out more about acupuncture treatment for fertility please call us on 020 8540 3389.

Chinese herbs offer relief from chemotherapy side effects

Chemotherapy leaves your body very vulnerable, it destroys healthy cells as well as the cancer cells. There are many side effects when undergoing chemotherapy treatment that include nausea, diarrhoea, fatigue, dry skin and hair loss. A number of researches indicates that Chinese herbs can help to eliminate them or at least reduce their intensity. They also work on enhancing the immune system and promoting general health, which can improve the outcome of chemotherapy treatment.

Compared to Western medicine, Chinese medicine has its privilege in cancer supportive care. First, rather than treating different symptoms as isolated problems, it treats a patient as a whole. It emphasizes correcting imbalance amongst different organs and enhancing organs functions. By doing so, it strengthens patient’s overall health and immunity, so the patient not only feels better but also becomes stronger and able to tolerate higher dose or more cycles of chemotherapy or radiotherapy if necessary. Moreover, Chinese medicine has accumulated a great deal of experience in managing pain, nausea, fatigue, and other symptoms by using either acupuncture or Chinese herbs or in combination. The great advantage of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine is, as it is well known, that there are very little side effects associated with them.

In the paper published by the Cochrane Library, the researchers said: "The results suggest that using Chinese herbs in conjunction with chemotherapy may be beneficial in terms of improvements in bone marrow suppression and immune system, and may improve overall state of quality of life."

If you would like to find out more about reducing the side effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy please call us on 020 8540 3389.

Questions and Answers

How acupuncture and Chinese herbs work?

Recently, the scientific community has recognized that human beings are comprised of hugely complex energetic systems. This understanding has been the foundation of the practice of Chinese medicine for several thousand years.Although our bodies all have the potential for healing, it is easy for the smooth flow of our health to run into trouble. Certain factors about life, like the quality of our living environment and everyday stresses, as well as the ageing process can cause our bodies to forget their innate healing potential. Acupuncture and Chinese herbs work as a way of reminding the body how to look after itself. Tiny needles and herbs help nurture the body back to health by helping resolve energy imbalances. This brings a greater sense of general well being, reaching beyond any physical symptoms originally presented.

Is acupuncture painful?

For some, the biggest hurdle to trying acupuncture is the needle. So does it hurt? Acupuncture needles are very fine, around the thickness of two average human hairs, and are designed to push the cells apart rather than to pierce them. Some needles are inserted at a fairly superficial depth in the skin, some will go a little deeper. You will feel something that can be described as a tug or a burst of energy in the local area, which lasts no longer than a few seconds, and is quite tolerable. We only use sterile, disposable needles to ensure the highest standard of hygiene.

I have symptoms but my doctor cannot find anything wrong with me. Can Chinese medicine help?

Western medicine uses the term ‘functional disorders’ for conditions where there are symptoms but no evidence of physical disease. There are all kinds of disorders that can have non-physical origin, some common examples are headaches, insomnia, anxiety, back pain and irritable bowel syndrome.

Your doctor will try to find something physically wrong with you such as injury or infection. In the absence of such a cause, known as ‘organic disease’, your doctor may well work on the assumption that the cause is psychological and recommend treatments that address this, such as counselling or antidepressants. If a psychological cause is not suspected, treatment aimed at managing your symptoms may be all they can offer.

In contrast, Chinese medicine is a system of energetic medicine that understands all diseases in terms of energy. A practitioner of Chinese medicine will not make a distinction between physical and psychological causes but will instead make their diagnosis in terms of imbalances in your body. They will do this in the context of you as a whole person and will treat you by attempting to bring your system back into balance so that healing can occur. For this reason Chinese medicine is very effective at treating functional disorders.

It is best to avoid planning anything too strenuous for the following couple of hours after the acupuncture treatment. We also suggest that you avoid alcohol on the day of your treatment.

For further information ot to book an appointment please contact us.