In an acupuncture treatment, ultra-fine needles are placed gently into tried and tested points on the body, treating pain and illness as signals that the body is ‘out of balance’. The aim of an acupuncture treatment is to help restore equilibrium by promoting the body’s ability to facilitate healing.
What makes Chinese medicine well suited to the modern world is that it recognises that the physical, mental and emotional aspects of life are connected. Therefore, the focus in treatment is on the individual, not only on the illness, and all symptoms are taken into account. It is notable that the first acupuncturists discovered many now familiar aspects of biomedical science, such as the effects of emotional stress on the body.
The theories and techniques of needling acupuncture points have been honed by more than two millennia of proven clinical experience, preserving Chinese medicine’s ancient roots. To develop our understanding of Chinese medicine for contemporary practice, there are a growing number of clinical studies around the world focusing on the neurological and hormonal responses of the body to acupuncture. Evidence-based research is investigating the benefits of acupuncture for many common ailments with increasingly encouraging results.
For further information on the latest research regarding conditions that acupuncture can treat, please see the website of the British Acupuncture Council.
"I have nothing but praise and gratitude for the wonderful, professional treatment I always receive at your clinic. I leave feeling totally relaxed, almost on Cloud 9 and always look forward to my next appointment. Definitely a de-stressing, wonderful atmosphere too!"
Veronica
Can Acupuncture help me?
Most people choose to have acupuncture for a broad array of common health conditions and you can look at examples of some of these by clicking here.
Each patient’s treatment will be different and many people return to acupuncture again and again as they find it beneficial and relaxing.
Acupuncture and the treatment of Chronic Pain
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published a new guideline for chronic pain. This guideline was driven by the need to cut down prescriptions of opioids and other painkillers.
It includes acupuncture as one of the four recommended treatments.
NICE considered a number of treatments in creating this guideline including opioids, anti-inflammatories, paracetamol, benzodiazepines and gabapentinoids. None of these were found to have evidence of benefit for chronic pain and there were possible harms associated with their use. Acupuncture was found to be superior to both sham and usual care for pain according to the 32 studies reviewed by NICE.
If you would like to discuss how acupuncture might be able to help you, please telephone or send an email to acu@ashdonacupuncture.co.uk
