Acupuncture
About acupuncture
Acupuncture is practised worldwide and, in the hands of a trained practitioner, has an excellent safety record.
It is used within the NHS, and NICE guidance recommends acupuncture for chronic primary pain, migraine and tension-type headache.
Acupuncture can be used alongside medicine
Many people prefer not to take medication long term, especially for chronic pain. Any change to medication is a decision for you and your GP; I will work alongside them.
Acupuncture looks at the whole person and the pattern behind the symptoms, not only the symptoms themselves. Acupuncture diagnosis is conducted on an individual basis.
Acupuncture has been used to prevent illness by creating balance within the body and create and maintain a positive emotional state.
What happens at a session?
Being a member of the British Acupuncture Council means that the practitioner has met their clinical, ethical, safety and academic standards.
The practitioner will first take a full health history to get a complete picture of the patient as a whole. Observations such as pulse and tongue will be taken to form a Chinese-medicine diagnosis and a plan for your sessions.
A session involves inserting very fine solid steel or gold needles into acupuncture points around the body. Needles are used only once.
Tuina massage may be used in conjunction with acupuncture for musculo-skeletal conditions.
