Feeling secure and completely at ease will help you enjoy the experience of acupuncture and get as much out of it as possible.
Everything about your experience here at the clinic is consciously designed to make sure you feel relaxed and comfortable.
The clinic room is calm, airy and peaceful. The treatment couch is extra wide and gently heated so you can deeply relax; we often play soothing music, much of which has been chosen to suit particular issues, Apart from being very enjoyable, the ability to completely relax and let go during your treatment means that your Qi (energy) can flow more readily and help your treatment be a success for you.
Getting to know you and your main health concern (or concerns) is a vital part in the process of ensuring your treatment is completely tailored to what’s important.
- The first appointment for acupuncture is generally 1.5 hrs long and is designed to map a comprehensive and clear picture of your health, what’s brought you here and what you’d like to achieve.
- This involves asking questions about your current symptoms and your medical history, as well as such things as your sleeping pattern, your appetite and digestion, and your emotional wellbeing. Women are also asked about their menstrual cycle and any past pregnancies and childbirth.
- You might feel that some questions appear unrelated to your condition but the information you give helps to form a more complete picture of your health and lifestyle.
- Your pulse on both wrists will be taken along with observation of your tongue and examining for areas of muscular tension or pain.
- Once a clear picture of your health and goals is formed, a specific acupuncture treatment plan will be formulated just for you and in agreement with you.
- The treatment plan will have your overall goals at its core.
- When you are comfortable on the treatment couch, ultra-fine needles are placed at specific acupuncture points.
- People often feel the sensation of these points but rarely is this described as painful.
- Depending on your condition, other techniques may also be used such as:
- moxibustion: heat is applied to an acupuncture point or meridian using moxa (a therapeutic herb) and/or heat lamps to warm and relax muscles and mobilise your Qi
- cupping: glass or plastic cups with a vacuum seal are placed on the skin to stimulate blood flow and clear & move stagnant Qi
- The acupuncture needles are left in typically between 30 and 50 minutes – the length of time depends on what is being treated and your overall condition.
- The vast majority of people find acupuncture relaxing and often feel very calm after a treatment. Many people actually fall asleep during treatment
- You may feel a little tired or sleepy and should take this into account if you are planning to drive or use heavy machinery straight after your treatment
- You should refrain from vigorous exercise after treatment and, ideally, give yourself a little time to rest. Try not to drink alcohol for several hours before and after treatment
- Acupuncture has very few side effects and any that do occur are usually mild and self-correcting. Cupping can sometimes temporarily mark the skin. Any marks are normally painless and generally clear within a few days.
- Follow up treatments, if needed, last an hour.
- Lifestyle & dietary advice along with self-help exercises are commonly given after treatment and many patients find this extremely helpful.
- Your treatment is kept under continual review to ensure your health goals are being met. If we feels it necessary, we will suggest (or refer you to) other health practitioners.
- You can contact us at any time by email Info@acupuncturewellbeing.co.uk or by phone 12344567, if you have any questions. We don’t use an online booking system as we prefer the personal touch of talking to you first.
Many people come to acupuncture for help with specific symptoms or complaints such as migraine or pain from muscular injuries. Some use acupuncture because they feel generally unwell but have no obvious diagnosis. Others choose acupuncture simply to enhance their feelings of wellbeing. Acupuncture is considered suitable for all ages including babies and children. It can be used effectively alongside conventional medicine. The medical profession is increasingly recognising the benefits of acupuncture and the government body NICE has recommended acupuncture as a cost effective treatment for the prevention of headache and migraine. The British Acupuncture Council has information on the latest research on acupuncture for some of the most common problems in addition to factsheets for over 60 conditions. They offer an additional service of searching for latest evidence for you.
Health Benefits of Acupuncture
If you are considering acupuncture for the first time, you may feel curious about these techniques. Here are some of the health benefits you may enjoy if you receive an acupuncture treatment:
Reduced Stress
One of the primary reasons people seek acupuncture treatment is to reduce their stress levels. Restoring energy balance and triggering nervous system responses is a key factor in lowering the body’s stress reaction. Research has found that acupuncture lowers stress and hormone levels and improves mood to help reduce feelings of anxiety and increase feelings of happiness.
Reduced Back and Joint Pain
Pain relief is one of the top benefits of acupuncture. The technique can reduce tension in the back and neck and alleviate pain in the joints. This is a drug-free way to address common pain complaints. It can also reduce inflammation in these affected areas.
Musculoskeletal problems
Pain relief is one of the main reasons we stop exercising; therefore, acupuncture can assist with the management of a top benefit of pain whilst treating the root cause of the problem.
Tennis elbow, golfer’ elbow, knee, hip, shoulder, and hand pain, to name a few.
Headache/ Migraine Relief
Patients struggling with chronic headaches and migraines who do not want to have prescription medications as part of their treatment protocol may find relief with acupuncture treatments. Several studies reported that acupuncture was effective in reducing both the frequency and severity of headaches among chronic sufferers. It may also be more effective than pain-reducing medications in treating tension headaches.
Enhanced Mental Clarity
Brain fog occurs when stress and other concerns rob an individual of mental clarity, making it difficult to think well. Acupuncture treatment can enhance mental clarity and reduce the risk of problems with brain fog.
Reduce Symptoms of Neurological Disorders
Neurological diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, can have a huge impact on a patient’s life. Acupuncture is an alternative medicine option to help treat these diseases.
Reduce an Individual’s Risk of Falling Ill
Patients who routinely have acupuncture treatment enjoy a reduced risk of getting sick because the treatment supports the body’s natural immune system responses. When the individual is exposed to a virus or bacterium, the body is better able to fight it off, and the person is less likely to fall ill.
Digestive Problems
Constipation, heartburn, and irritable bowel syndrome are common digestive problems for the modern individual. When your digestive system isn’t working as it should, your overall health and wellness are damaged. Acupuncture treatment helps regulate digestive health and bring relief from these common ailments.
Increased Energy
After acupuncture treatment, patients may experience a surge in energy levels. This can help people feel more productive at work and home.
Sleep
When the body’s energy is in balance and the nervous system is properly stimulated, many people have better abilities to fall asleep at night. Acupuncture has been shown in different trials to benefit people struggling with insomnia, and some results found that acupuncture actually had a greater benefit for patients than sleep medications.
Relief from Allergies
Allergy sufferers can use acupuncture to strengthen their immune response before the start of allergy season. Sometimes when used in conjunction with allergy medications, acupuncture can help reduce the symptoms of allergies once an attack begins.
Controlling Blood Pressure
Rising blood pressure levels are a problem in modern society, especially with high-stress jobs and overall obesity levels on the rise. Regular acupuncture treatment combined with medical treatment for the cardiovascular system can help reduce blood pressure levels. The practice helps support proper heart function and blood flow, and at times it is more effective than medication at controlling blood pressure.
Improved Healing After Medical Procedures
Acupuncture can assist people who have had surgery or undergone cancer treatments to heal more quickly after their procedures. The immune system and wellness support achieved through acupuncture trigger the body’s natural healing abilities to speed healing.
Women’s health and fertility
Couples who are trying to conceive a child may have faster results with acupuncture treatment. Acupuncture can actually optimise the production of reproductive hormones, and subsequent treatments can support a healthy pregnancy once a woman conceives. Moxibustion is proven to be successful in turning babies presenting as breech.
Acupuncture works really well alongside IVF, but the key work is done in the three months before treatment. As it takes three months for the egg to become the chosen one, the things we do in this time make such a difference.
At this point we can really make a difference, and there is lots of new research behind it too. The research found that acupuncture improved IVF live birth rates by 33.8%.
Acupuncture works by stimulating the blood flow to the reproductive organs and balances the HPO axis of the body’s hormones. This can also be a very stressful time for couples, and acupuncture can help with this too, as patients find the acupuncture treatments very relaxing. Our studio is a calming and cosy place, where you can come and get away from it all.
Pregnancy
Acupuncture is a safe and increasingly popular treatment for ladies pre-pregnancy, during their pregnancy, or preparing for the birth. It offers drug-free relief for a multitude of problems that can arise during pregnancy and childbirth. For example, morning sickness, sciatica and symphysis pubis pain, heartburn, oedema, anaemia, constipation, and anxiety—this list is not exhaustive. Acupuncture can not only improve a woman’s quality of life but also prevent her from becoming serious enough to necessitate medical treatment.
It can help induce labour, allowing women to achieve natural childbirth when a mom is at the due date.
Additionally, the use of moxa can be a pain-free way to help turn a baby if you are between 34 and 37 weeks pregnant.
Improved Healing After Medical Procedures
Acupuncture can assist people who have had surgery or undergone cancer treatments to heal more quickly after their procedures. The immune system and wellness support achieved through acupuncture trigger the body’s natural healing abilities to speed healing
No special preparation for treatment, although its best to avoid acupuncture on an empty stomach – so try to eat a light meal or have a snack before coming for treatment. Its also helpful if you wear loose, comfortable clothing.
It is important to tell us if you are either pregnant or trying to conceive – there are certain acupuncture points that should be avoided in pregnancy.
If you are taking any prescription or over the counter medicine, please bring details of these to your first appointment. Certain conditions and medication require your practitioner to take additional precautions, these will be explained to you.
People respond differently to acupuncture and we will always give you an estimate of many treatments we think you will need. We normally recommend an initial course consisting of approximately six weekly appointments lasting about 6o mins. Most people continue with further weekly treatments and then gradually reduce the frequency of appointments as they improve. Our aim is always to resolve your symptoms as quickly as possible and get you back to feeling ‘you’ again – we will never recommend more treatments than you need.
Acupuncture generally does not hurt. Some people feel a mild tingle or dull ache, which is completely normal, and some people feel nothing. While the needles are in place most people feel deeply relaxed, a feeling that can continue after they are removed.
Acupuncture is a very safe therapy, and we only use single – use, sterile, single use disposable needles. Serious side effects from the treatment itself are very rare – less than one per 10,000 treatment. You may feel slightly tired after treatment, so its best to avoid heavy exertion or exercise, large meals and very hot baths for the rest of the day. It’s also advisable to avoid alcohol for 24 hours after a treatment, and to drink plenty of water. Minor bleeding or bruising can occur in about 3% of treatments and some patients can feel faint, particularly at the first treatment.
There are very few side effects from acupuncture when practised by a fully qualified practitioner of Traditional Acupuncture. As a member of the British Acupuncture Council, the practitioner adhere to the following standards.
BAcC members have completed a first degree level training or equivalent in traditional acupuncture including substantial elements of western anatomy, physiology and pathology.
All work is carried out in accordance with exemplary professional standards developed by the British Acupuncture Council and detailed in the BAcC Code of Safe Practice and of Professional conduct.
Members have full medical malpractice and public product liability insurance cover
A member of the BAcC commits to undertake continuous professional development each year.
Research If you would like to know more about acupuncture, British Acupuncture Council
Private Insurance
Acupuncture Wellbeing accepts private health care claims from a number of private health insurers. Some private health care providers are happy for you to self-refer, whilst some may require a letter of referral from your GP or an independent consultant.
Receipts are issued post-treatment at the time of payment along with our unique BAcC’s registration number.