What is Acupuncture?

Acupuncture is a treatment that consists in pricking the patient with a special needle. "Traditional" Chinese acupuncture uses a system of ancient ideas but many Modern Western practitioners find that acupuncture can be understood in scientific terms. The kind I practice is Modern or Medical Acupuncture as recognised by the British Medical Acupuncture Society but I also use methods used by the Chinese. In many cases we make use of "trigger points". Needling the trigger point can relieve pain in distant areas. Acupuncture has important effects on the way in which the nervous system, glandular system and probably immune system work.

What Conditions Does it Help?

In general, it is good for pain, especially in the muscles and joints including some kinds of arthritis, sciatica, frozen shoulder, stiff neck. It can also help in a wide range of other disorders including headaches and migraine, some allergies, painful periods, ulcerative colitis.

Does it hurt?

It is not pain-free. However, it is no more painful than a blood test and in many cases it is much less painful. As a rule it is necessary to produce a little pain to achieve an improvement but some people feel nothing at all.

How many treatments will I require?

Most people require a course of roughly 3 to 6 treatments. You may find that the effects of treatment vary fom time to time. The cost is £40 per half hour session. This treatment can also be combined with osteopathy etc. and the cost is still the same - £40 for half an hour.