How does acupuncture work?
After a detailed discussion about you and your health, the acupuncture points are chosen specifically to help address your patterns of disharmony. There are around 400 acu-points on the body which have different actions!
By inserting very fine needles into these specific points, the flow of your body’s qi and blood is directed to activate your body’s self-healing ability.
From a biomedical perspective, there is a growing body of scientific research to explain what’s happening inside your body; One mechanism shows that acupuncture stimulates the nervous system which sends messages to the brain. The brain stimulates the glands in the body to release hormones and other neurotransmitters in the body, which amongst other things can:
regulate fertility hormones – including lutinising hormone, Follicle stimulating hormone
help reduce pain – by increasing levels of serotonin and noradrenaline, and release of endorphins and other neurohumoral factors (Pomeranz 1987, Zhao 2008)
reduce inflammation - release of vascular and immunomodulatory factors (Kavoussi 2007, Zijlstra 2003).
improve muscle stiffness and joint mobility by increasing local circulation (Komori 2009),
Recent clinical research studies have used MRI scans to show how acupuncture points activate different parts of the brain. Very exciting!
Is it safe?
Acupuncture with a qualified and registered practitioner is one of the safest medical treatments, both conventional or complementary, on offer.
It is suitable for people of all ages, including children and pregnant women.
It can be used very effectively alongside other conventional medicines and in some cases in consultation with your doctor it can help reduce the amount of medication you take.
How does it feel?
Acupuncture is a gentle treatment and should not hurt.
The needles are very fine normally you will not feel them go in.
You may feel a mild tingling or dull ache sensation once the needles are in but this is good because it means we have made a physiological change in the area and the brain is now aware of what we want it to do!
Afterwards you may leave with a deep-seated sense of relaxation and so you may feel tired. For maximum benefit, try not to do anything too strenuous after a treatment.
How many treatments will I need?
It depends on the condition and how you respond to acupuncture. Weekly treatments are the norm and people usually start to feel changes in the first few sessions. Sometimes a few sessions in the first weeks are advised to get things moving.
People liken Acupuncture treatment to going to the gym, each session helps the body to produce internal changes and ‘get fitter’ as the weeks progress.
As your symptoms improve, treatments become less frequent moving to bi-weekly. Then, for some, ‘maintenance sessions’ are booked each month or when you need it.
Acute conditions can respond to a short burst of treatments, however chronic conditions can take longer. For most people I recommend starting with 4 sessions after the initial consult and then we can review the progress and decide on a course of action. For chronic or fertility treatments, 12 weekly sessions is a good starting point.
You can book a complementary 10-minute telephone consultation to discuss your personal situation. Book online, or message me if you prefer an evening or another time outside of my clinic hours. Thanks very much.
Nicola Allen, 07931 932061
Does my insurance cover me?
As a member of the Association of Acupuncture Clinicians (AAC), a national body for acupuncturists in the UK, my qualifications are recognised by the many private health providers if you have complementary medicine included in your plan.
It is advisable to give them a call to double check the refund process before you book your acupuncture treatments. You will be asked to pay for your treatments at the sessions, and an invoice will be issued to you for reimbursement.