Acupuncture for health and well-being

What is acupuncture?

Acupuncture is about restoring the healthy balance of the body’s own vital energy. When an individual’s energy is imbalanced, the result is the experience of physical and emotional symptoms.

Acupuncture is a natural system of healing which treats each individual in the context of the own unique set of circumstances. It therefore has important potential to improve someone’s general sense of well being and vitality, as well as treating specific symptoms.

Acupuncture has been developed and refined over thousands of years. It is based on the philosophy that our health is dependent on the body’s own motivating energy – known as Qi (Chi)- moving smoothly and in a balanced way through a series of channels beneath the skin. By inserting very fine needles into the channels of energy, an acupuncturist can stimulate the body’s own healing response and help restore its natural balance.

The smooth flow of energy can be disturbed by a number of factors including emotional states such as stress, anger, fear, worry, grief and other factors such as overwork, poor diet, hereditary factors, infections, addiction, injury and trauma.

How can acupuncture help?

Acupuncture can help prevent illness recurring and promote good health

Many people come to acupuncture for help with specific symptoms or conditions. Over the years acupuncture has been found to be effective in treating a wide range of different conditions and illnesses. In addition to treating a whole range of complaints, acupuncture can treat people who don’t necessarily have a ‘label’ for their complaint, but who are nevertheless dissatisfied in some way with their physical or emotional health.

What can I expect on my first visit?

The first visit will last approximately an hour which will be longer than subsequent treatments.

To get the best diagnosis, a thorough case history will be taken. This will include questions about your current condition, your medical history and that of your close family, about the systems of the body such as digestion and sleep, and about your lifestyle. The pulse at your wrist will be taken, and your tongue examined. A short physical examination may be necessary.

Treatment

After the initial consultation, subsequent treatments will last from 45 minutes to one hour.

The number of treatments required varies according to the condition and the individual response to treatment.

The speed of improvement varies from person to person. For some the effects are dramatic and only two or three treatments are required, for others, particularly those with long standing complaints, improvement can be experienced over a period of time.

Acupuncture for health maintenance is normally given on a three-monthly basis.

"I’d like to experience the benefits of acupuncture, but I don’t like needles!"

Acupuncture needles are very different from the needles used for injections and blood tests. Acupuncture needles are considerably finer and solid rather than hollow.

When the needles are inserted, the sensation is often described as a tingling or pulling sensation. This sensation usually lasts for a few seconds only and is rarely described as painful.

"What about safety standards?"

All members of the British Acupuncture Council (BAcC) must observe a Code of Practice which lays down stringent standards of hygiene and ethics. All needles used are sterile, single use and disposable, and the practice complies with the local environmental health by-laws.

"I’d like to discuss my case with the practitioner before deciding whether acupuncture is the right therapy for me"

A fifteen minute consultation, free of charge, is open to you if you wish to discuss the possibilities of acupuncture further before committing yourself to treatment.