Traditional Acupuncture enables the body, mind and spirit to heal itself, as far as nature will allow. In Chinese medicine any illness or symptom, either physical, mental or of the spirit, is associated with an imbalance of the person’s vital life energy, or Qi. When the body sends out distress signals in the form of symptoms it is a sign that there is an imbalance of Qi, which needs to be rebalanced to restore health. This principle of traditional acupuncture is important because it means the underlying cause of the disease is being dealt with rather than the symptoms merely being suppressed only to reappear in the future. As well as dealing with the patient’s condition by restoring the overall balance of energy, because traditional acupuncture is holistic and treats everyone as an individual it would be expected that a person might feel better in a general way, promoting an improved quality of life, energy and general well being.

If you would like more information about acupuncture in the UK, visit the web site of The British Acupuncture Council.

Who comes for acupuncture treatment?
A lot of people come for acupuncture as their first choice of treatment whilst others find it extremely beneficial where other forms of treatment have been unsuccessful. Since deterioration in the balance of energy always precedes the appearance of a symptom, traditional acupuncture can also be used as a preventative treatment aimed at maintaining health on all levels. As well as seeking help for physical problems, many people come with stress-related disorders and the effects of mental and emotional conflict in their lives.

Diagnosis and treatment
The initial examination - which can take between 1 - 1 1/2 hours - is very important, and takes into account medical and family history, lifestyle and present condition. This information is essential in determining the cause of the problem and the individual treatment that is required. The vital Qi (energy) of the body, mind and spirit is distributed throughout twelve main energy pathways (called meridians), each of which is associated with an organ and function. There is a pulse, located on the wrist, which relates to each of these meridians and gives information about the state of energetics of each organ. Acupuncture treatment re-establishes the balance of energy within the individual. Very fine, disposable stainless steel needles are inserted into acupuncture points, which lie on the meridians, to achieve this.

Response and frequency to treatment
Each individual is unique, so the response to treatment varies from person to person. The length of time a condition has been present is important in assessing how quickly the patient is likely to improve. Most people will need treatment once or twice during the first week and then once a week thereafter until some improvement has been maintained. Then the treatments will be gradually spaced further apart until there is only a need for a check up every 4-6 weeks or at the change of the seasons. The duration and frequency of the treatment depends on the severity of the imbalance, how long the person has had it and whether there is anything in the person’s lifestyle that is interfering with the progress of healing.

It can help with a wide variety of conditions and symptoms, for example:

I have a special interest working with acupuncture to help infertility and during pregnancy. Helping both male and female partners with any infertility difficulties or problems. I have experience of working along side western medicine, for example IVF, IUI etc. I am experienced at treating ladies during pregnancy for a wide variety of conditions, including morning sickness, back pain and sciatica. Acupuncture is also very effective in helping to turn breech babies.

If you have a condition or symptom which isn't listed above, or would like to discuss your condition in more detail, I am happy to offer a free 15 minute consultation to discuss your individual needs, please see my contact page for further details.