Acupuncture

What is TCM Clinical Acupuncture?

Traditional Chinese Medicine Acupuncture is a treatment derived from ancient Chinese medicine. It has a history going back thousands of years. It is used as a healing modality for maintaining health and wellbeing. It can be used to prevent ill health or ease symptoms of pain or disease.

What to expect from an acupuncture session

Initially the practitioner will use inquiry methods ascertaining the general overall health and wellbeing of the client. Questions will include but not limited to asking about digestion, sleep patterns, energy levels, eyesight, hearing, pain in the body etc. This gives the practitioner a good starting point. The client will then have needles inserted into specific areas on the body. The needles will then be left in for 20-40 minutes.

How does acupuncture work? A quick overview

A point prescription will be decided by the practitioner and small needles inserted at certain sites in the body called acupoints, these acupoints are found along meridians in which the belief is that life force or Qi pronounced (chee) flows. By the insertion of the needles we can redirect the flow of energy, aiming to bring the body back into balance.

Why do we get poorly in the first place?

It is usually because the body has gone far out of balance, hence the word dis-ease. The Chinese use the balance of yin and yang, fine tuning to continually keep bringing the body/mind back into harmony. We also need to consider diet, sleep exercise and mental wellbeing when we have gone so far out of balance that the body is in a state of dis-ease.

Practitioners who use acupuncture in the traditional way believe that when Qi does not flow freely through the body, this can cause illness. They also believe acupuncture can restore the flow of Qi, and so restore health.

It is used both for therapeutic and preventative purposes.

It is used in many NHS GP practices, as well as in most pain clinics and hospices in the UK.

How Many Sessions will I need?

A course of acupuncture is usually recommended because it can take a few sessions for you to see improvements. The practitioner will assess and decide how many treatments may be necessary to bring the body back into balance. It can be anywhere from 2 sessions for something relatively acute to up to 20 or more sessions for something extremely chronic. As with any method of healing we need to understand a commitment is necessary to get the desired outcome. There are thought to be six levels or layers to work with from the most external to the most internal in six meridian theory.

Traditional acupuncture is based on the belief that an energy, or “life force”, flows through the body in channels called meridians. This life force is known as Qi (pronounced “chee”).

Uses of acupuncture

Acupuncture is used to treat a wide range of health conditions, from acute conditions to chronic and long term pain. These may be any of the below, but not limited to:
● Migraines and headaches
● Joint and muscle pain
● Chronic back pain
● Stress and Tension
● Infertility
● Anxiety and depression and other mental health disorders
● Asthma or chronic lung conditions
● fibromyalgia
● jaw pain
● Gynecology issues
● cancer symptoms such as pain
● side effects of cancer treatment such as feeling or being sick from chemotherapy
● feeling sick or being sick after surgery

Insertion of the needles

During the session, you’ll usually be asked to sit or lie down. You may also be asked to remove some clothes so the practitioner can access certain parts of your body.

The needles used are very fine and are usually a few centimeters long. The Needles are single-use, pre-sterilised needles that are disposed of immediately after use.

Acupuncture practitioners choose specific points to insert the needles, based on ones condition. Several points may be used during a typical session, depending on the number of symptoms you have. Generally practitioners will only treat one condition at a time.

The needles may be inserted just under the skin, or deeper. Once the needles are in place, they may be left in position for a length of time lasting from a few minutes up to around 30 minutes.

You may feel a tingling or a dull ache when the needles are inserted but you should not experience any significant pain. If you do, let your practitioner know straight away.

Acupuncture safety

When it’s done by a qualified practitioner, acupuncture is generally very safe.

After effects of Acupuncture

Some people experience mild, short-term side effects such as:
● pain where the needles puncture the skin
● bleeding or bruising where the needles puncture the skin
● drowsiness
● feeling sick
● feeling dizzy or faint

If you experience any of these be sure to let your practitioner know.

Serious side effects are very rare.

If you have a bleeding disorder, such as hemophilia or are taking any medicines such as anticoagulant medication, talk to your GP or acupuncture practitioner before you have acupuncture.

Acupuncture is also not usually advised if you have a metal allergy or an infection in the area where needles may be inserted.

It’s generally safe to have acupuncture when you’re pregnant. However, let your acupuncture practitioner know if you’re pregnant because certain acupuncture points cannot be used safely during pregnancy.