FAQS
HOW MANY TREATMENTS WILL I NEED?
The amount and frequency of treatments will vary depending on the issue you have, it's intensity, how long its been going on for, and you as an individual. You may feel some immediate improvement, but changes in lifestyle and day to day habits can be needed to prevent reoccurrence in the future and to support the treatment. All these factors are discussed in the initial consultation and a plan for number and frequency of treatments is given.
If you wish to get a better idea of how often and how many treatments you might need before you commit to an appointment, please get in touch via email or phone and we can discuss this in view of your individual circumstances.
IS ACUPUNCTURE PAINFUL? IS IT SAFE?
Acupuncture isn't suppose to be painful. Some people feel a numb, achy or dull feeling where the needle is inserted which is perfectly normal and is seen as a good sign that your body is responding positively to the treatment. Often people will feel very little once the needles hve been inserted.
The needles used are very fine, sterilised, disposable and individually packaged. When needles are taken out at the end of the treatment, they are disposed of into a clinical waste bin which is collected regularly by a clinical waste specialist.
When people think of needles, they often imagine the type of needle that might be used for an injection or to take blood. In fact, you can fit about 5 acupuncture needles into the shaft of a hypodermic needle!
The risk of serious adverse reactions to Acupuncture is 1 in 10,000 according to two independent surveys published in the BMJ.
WHAT IS ACUPUNCTURE?
People use acupuncture for many different purposes, and research into the field is creating a growing evidence base in favour of acupuncture for many conditions. Some people come for treatment of a specific issue or symptom, whereas others come to improve general wellbeing or prevent reoccurrence of a previous issue.
Chinese tradition states that acupuncture addresses imbalances within the body by stimulating specific points on channels of energy called meridians. If you find this difficult to get your head around, you might be interested to know that ongoing research is collecting evidence on how acupuncture affects stress hormones, pain relieving hormones, female sex hormones and hypothalamus function (1, 2, 3).
Neuro-imaging technology has enabled us to see that areas of the brain are activated when acupuncture points are used, and these areas differ depending on the point used (4).
These advances have meant acupuncture has become more accepted in recent years with 83% of GPs thinking that acupuncture can be clinically useful, and 72% seeing that it can be cost effective (5)
(1) Bo-Ying Chen M.D. Acupuncture Normalizes Dysfunction of Hypothalamic-Pituitary- Ovarian Axis
(2) Ji-Sheng Han. Acupuncture and endorphins
(3) Liao YY, Seto K, Saito H, Fujita M, Kawakami M. Effects of acupuncture on adrenocortical hormone production. (II) Effect of acupuncture on the response of adrenocortical hormone production to stress.
(4) Dhond RP, Kettner N, Napadow V. Neuroimaging acupuncture effects in the human brain.
(5) Lipman L, Dale J, MacPherson H. Attitudes of GPs towards the provision of acupuncture on the NHS.
WHAT IS REMEDIAL SPORTS MASSAGE?
Remedial Sports massage uses hands on techniques to manipulate and break down tension in muscles and soft tissue, increase blood flow to an area and create relaxation of the nervous system. While the name suggests it is used for sporting injuries, remedial massage is suitable an effective for pretty much all types of painful issues.