Acupuncture Therapy
Acupuncture treats a wide variety of ailments including stress, anxiety, insomnia, headache, migraines, general aches & pains, back & neck pain, menstrual problems including PMT & menopause. Fertility issues can be addressed, even working alongside your IVF cycle.
Why have acupuncture?
There could be many reasons that you are looking at acupuncture as a ‘healthcare’ option.
It can help you through stressful or difficult times in your life or as a boost to your general wellbeing.
It is an extremely safe & effective form of medicine. Correctly & professionally done, acupuncture rarely causes serious side effects. Changes can occur – such as to your appetite, bowel or urination patterns or emotional state. This is simply an indication that the body is starting to rebalance itself & is nothing to be concerned about. Some patients feel ‘spaced out’ after a treatment or just deeply relaxed & sleepy. Care must obviously be taken if returning to work or driving after a treatment.
There are other risks, but these are generally extremely rare: bruising, fainting, muscle spasm, slight bleeding, nerve damage, pneumothorax (puncturing of a lung).
Treatments using cupping or Gua Sha will most certainly leave bruising & can last for up to 5 days.
Please be assured though that whatever your treatment involves, extreme care is taken at all times & your health & wellbeing is of utmost importance. If at any time I felt unhappy with how your treatment was progressing or was concerned about your health, the treatment would be immediately stopped. I would be happy to discuss with you, any concerns that you may have.
What it involves ...
Your first appointment, which could last up to 90 minutes; will involve a discussion about your health, any problems that you want addressing, plus information about you & your family including medical history, dietary & exercise habits, sleeping patterns – in order for me to gain an overall picture of your health. Your pulse & tongue will be examined, and then I would then decide upon a treatment plan & acupuncture point’s prescription. I could also use techniques including palpation, the use of acupuncture (the insertion of extremely thin needles into the body), cupping, gua – sha, seven star needle technique, moxa, electro acupuncture treatments plus dietary & lifestyle advice.
Treatments include
Needles can be left in place for up to 40 minutes or can be inserted & immediately removed.
Gua sha - an East Asian healing technique. Gua means to scrape or rub & is used whenever a patient has pain whether associated with an acute or chronic disorder is as well as treating the common cold, flu, bronchitis, asthma http://www.guasha.com/index.html
Seven star needle or plum blossom needling – A plum blossom needle is shaped like a very small hammer with a group of needles on the head shaped like a flower.
We use this to tap gently along a meridian line. It is used to encourage the flow of energy along the channel & promoting health. It can often be employed to treat peripheral neuropathy ( a syndrome which includes symptoms of numbness, tingling, insensitivity, pain, and muscle weakness and atrophy.)
Cupping – glass cups are applied to the skin via suction. They can be used to relieve pain, tension & stress or to ‘draw out’ illness such as the common cold, asthma, headache etc. the cups can be left in a static position or gently moved (feeling like a deep massage) along the oiled surface of the skin.
Facial Revitalization Acupuncture (FRA) (As featured in the Telegraph)
This treatment involves the insertion of small needles in & around the face & body. You may have a small electrical charge passed through the needles or via pads to help tone the face and to encourage blood flow to make you look more radiant. This is not at all painful & actually quite relaxing! Lines, bags & dark circles can be reduced & the facial muscles become firmer & more toned.
Choosing FRA instead of surgery or botox will avoid painful & invasive procedures & is far less expensive. It will also boost your overall health not just making you beautiful from the outside. Don’t forget beauty starts from within.
For more information, visit The Art of Cosmetic Acupuncture
