
What can acupuncture be used for?
Many people come to
acupuncture for help with specific symptoms or to relieve specific pains. Some use acupuncture because they feel
generally unwell but have no obvious diagnosis. Others choose acupuncture simply to
enhance their feeling of wellbeing.
Acupuncture is considered
suitable for all ages and can be used effectively alongside conventional medicine.
Acupuncture has been
scientifically proven beyond any doubt to treat conditions such as
dental pain, nausea and
vomiting, as well as giving temporary relief to pain associated with
osteoarthritis of the knee, and
tension-type headaches. By clicking on the links below you will be redirected to the
British Acupuncture Council website where there is detailed information on the research into other conditions.
Allergic RhinitisAnxiety ArthritisBack painBell's PalsyChronic fatigueChronic painColds and FluCOPDCystitisDentistryDepressionDigestive disordersDysmenorrhoeaEndometriosisInfertility (female)Infertility (male)Infertility (ART/ IVF)FibromyalgiaFrozen shoulderHeadacheHerpes (shingles)HypertensionInsomniaIrritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)Menopausal symptomsMigraines Nausea and vomitingPost-operative painPremenstrual syndrome (PMS)SciaticaSinusitisSports InjuriesStressTennis ElbowUrinary IncontinenceHowever, not all this research is universally accepted and in some cases there may be a division of scientific opinion arising from it. Feel free to give me a call if you would like to talk about any condition not listed above.
So much
research is currently going on into acupuncture that the
British Medical Journal (BMJ) is now publishing a quarterly companion volume dedicated purely to acupuncture called
Acupuncture In Medicine (AIM).
In 2009, the
National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommended that acupuncture should be made available on the
NHS as a cost-effective short-term treatment for the management of early,
persistent non-specific lower back pain. The
NHS website has a page about the evidence for the effectiveness of acupuncture.
The
World Health Organisation (WHO) website even has a page called
'Acupuncture: Review and Analysis of Reports on Controlled Clinical Trials'.
Because traditional acupuncture aims to treat the
whole person rather than specific symptoms in isolation, it can be effective for a
range of conditions. Western medicine is reductionist in its approach; it zooms in on individual symptoms, gives them names, and tries to fix them. The Traditional Chinese Medicine approach is to zoom out and collect a myriad of facts about how a person is functioning.
In this way, practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine are able to help
restore balance and promote
physical and emotional harmony, treating any imbalances at the root. This approach also means that each patient’s treatment plan will be different.
Feel free to
call and
ask me about other patients’ experiences to give you an idea of what to expect. Many people return to acupuncture again and again because they find it so beneficial.
To read about how
previous clients have felt I have helped them, click on the
Testimonials button.
If you have a
medical condition I will encourage you to take
independent medical advice before receiving acupuncture.
Surrey Acupuncture - bringing the wisdom of
ancient China to modern England.