The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends acupuncture as an effective treatment for over 40 medical problems. Acupuncture is a traditional form of treatment which has been used in China for several thousand years. It was introduced into Western practice during the 1970s and its value was quickly recognised for the control of pain.
Over the last few decades, the benefits of acupuncture in many other areas have been confirmed. Acupuncture can help relieve symptoms of both acute and chronic conditions e.g asthma, allergies, chronic pain,irritable bowel syndrome, Inflammatory bowel disease,migraine, infertility and depression. Acupuncture has a role in cessation of smoking and many other conditions.
Treatment with acupuncture involves placing very fine needles at certain points on the body to rebalance its energy which is called Qi. These needles are usually left in place for up to 30 minutes. The needles that are used are fine and this means that they cause almost no discomfort, unlike the needles used to take blood.The selection of acupuncture points depends upon the patient’s symptoms. Every acupuncture point has a unique anatomical position and action on body.
Acupuncture usually needs to be administered over 2 to 6 sessions. Often people feel a slight worsening of their symptoms after the first session but subsequently their symptoms improve for longer and longer periods. In general, acupuncture is not a cure. Rather it can help give long-term relief. It is for this reason that we assess each patient individually and discuss with them the best combination of treatments that can help with their symptoms.
Further information about acupuncture can be obtained from:
Click here to take the reader to the British Medical Acupuncture Society webpage.
Electro acupuncture
This form of acupuncture involves the application of a small electrical current to acupuncture needles once they have been inserted at the appropriate points. This stimulation of the needle intensifies the response at the acupuncture points and can be beneficial in terms of outcome and also reducing the length of time the needles may need to be in place