Acupuncture involves the gentle insertion of extremely fine needles into key acupuncture points around the body. The Chinese discovered these points lie within the body pathways, these are called meridians. Meridians carry Qi (the life force or energy) that help to keep the body healthy and working well. For many reasons including lifestyle, emotional state and environment the Qi can become imbalanced or depleted, and in some cases blocked. In simple terms, it’s a network of ‘roads’ that run through your body promoting and protecting. It is believed if meridians become congested or blocked it can lead to ill health both physically and mentally. Acupuncture treatments help to restore balance and allow effective flow of Qi throughout the body.

The first treatment with your acupuncturist tends to be longer than subsequent ones. They will take your medical history and will also ask you questions not just about the condition or illness you are presenting with but also about your lifestyle, sleep patterns, bowel, and digestive functions. They may also ask about your work environment and stress levels. Women may be questioned about their menstruation cycle.

Your pulse will be taken and they will examine your tongue.
Chinese Medicine believes the pulse gives an insight into how your organs are functioning and energy levels in the body. The tongue is viewed as a reflection of your body with areas of the tongue corresponding to different organs. These give your acupuncturist a holistic picture to start to determine your treatment plan.

Acupuncturists have a range of treatments they use to help you regain your health some of the most commonly used are acupuncture, moxibustion
and massage.  

Acupuncture - The insertion of fine needles into Acupuncture points. These are carefully selected points to help alleviate your symptoms. They will be left in for around 10-30 minutes.  Whilst many people feel no pain at all some do experience a feeling often described as a dull ache. Many people experience a pleasant tingling and a feeling of relaxation.

Moxibustion – This treatment involves the burning of the herb mugwort and its gentle heat helps to enhance the healing nature of acupuncture. Moxibustion can be applied directly to the acupuncture point area or gently placed on the acupuncture needle allowing its warmth to transfer through the needle.

Massage - This can be performed before your acupuncture needles are inserted to help to prepare the body to welcome the acupuncture treatment as it relaxes both the muscles and the mind.

It is advisable to drink plenty of water and something to eat at least an hour before your treatment. You may need to remove certain items of clothing, so it's recommended you wear loose, comfortable clothing. You will not be asked to fully undress. Towels and blankets will be used to ensure you are warm and comfortable during your treatment.

Please do ask your acupuncturist questions too during your appointment, their main aim is to ensure you feel comfortable and relaxed.

In clinic we treat hundreds of women to help ease and reduce their menopause symptoms. It can help reduce anxiety, improve sleep and aids in gastrointestinal imbalances.

Read our patient feedback page for some real words from women just like you.

The British Medical Journal recently said "Acupuncture for menopausal symptoms is a realistic option for women“*

*https://www.bmj.com/company/newsroom/acupuncture-may-ease-troublesome-menopausal-symptoms/

The use of acupuncture has grown rapidly in the last 20 years. Whilst some more complex and pre-existing conditions such as haemophilia or if you are taking anticoagulants may require a referral from your GP, acupuncture delivered by a qualified practitioner is regarded as very safe. Many people are attracted to acupuncture because of its reputation for having low risk. A survey of 34,000 treatments undertaken in the UK by acupuncturists found no serious adverse events following treatments and the most common side effect from treatment was a feeling of relaxation and energised (MacPherson et al, 2001). 

Acupuncturists treat the entire person believing that both mental and physical problems can stem from an imbalance within the body.
Acupuncturists often take a more holistic view considering any physical symptoms but also psychological and environmental symptoms too. “Chinese medicine wants to know how the symptom fits into the patient’s entire being and behaviour“. (Kaptchuk, 2000).

Acupuncture is used to help treat and relieve the symptoms of many illnesses, disease, and conditions. Despite being centuries old acupuncture can help treat many of the conditions relating to modern-day life and new illnesses. In recent years there has been emerging evidence and research showing that acupuncture could be an effective and safe treatment for the adverse effects of Covid 19 (Wang et al, 2020).

In 2003 the World Health Organisation published a report listing 31 conditions that are proven, through clinical trials, to be effectively treated by acupuncture (WHO 2003).  These ranged from diseases, symptoms and conditions as diverse as:- Adverse reaction to radiotherapy and chemotherapy, sciatica to morning sickness and induction of labour. More recently evidence has emerged stating that acupuncture is effective at treating over 117 conditions (McDonald et al, 2017). 

Acupuncture is especially effective in treating pain. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline 193 stated that “acupuncture reduced pain and improved quality of life in the short term”.

It recommended that people with chronic primary pain should be offered acupuncture rather than strong anti-inflammatories and pain medication (NICE 2021a).

When carefully inserting fine needles into ASHI points and into key acupuncture points along the bodies meridians aimed to stimulate and activate chemicals such as endorphins, serotonin and melatonin which help to reduce pain and activate the bodies healing process.

Acupuncture is especially effective in treating pain.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline 193 stated that “acupuncture reduced pain and improved quality of life in the short term”.* It recommended that people with chronic primary pain should be offered acupuncture rather than strong anti-inflammatories and pain medication

*https://acupuncture.org.uk/about-acupuncture/_fact-sheets/research-digest