Read our FAQs:

• What if I’m a Blood Donor?

  Patients who have been treated by a BAcC member are eligible to donate blood through the National Blood Service – just ask me for a form.

• How many needles are used in treatment?

  This depends on what is done in a treatment. Anything from eight to around eighteen needles can be used, depending on the treatment’s focus.

• What will happen on my first visit?

  The first treatment will last for about an hour and a half. As Chinese Medicine is made up of patterns, I will ask you a series of head to toe questions, which will help me to formulate my diagnosis. During the first 45 minutes we will discuss your medical history and any concerns you have. In the following 45 minutes there will be a brief physical examination, which involves taking your blood pressure, monitoring your pulses and examining your tongue, you will then have your first treatment.

• Can it help with chronic problems?

  Yes it can; sometimes acupuncture is a last resort for people who have been trying to improve their condition for a long time. Acupuncture alleviates immediate symptoms but also can also treat the underlying emotional root cause such as anger, loss, shock or trauma.

• Will treatment be covered by my health insurance?

  In most cases yes, but contact your health insurance provider for more information. They normally require that the practitioner is a member of the British Acupuncture Council or a comparable body and I am a member of the British Acupuncture Council.

• Does it hurt?

  The needles are very thin some people say that they feel nothing at all, and other people feel a tingly or dull achy sensation. Some of my patients even fall asleep during treatment because they are so relaxed, so I find that most people are pleasantly surprised after their first treatment. This is because they enjoyed the treatment, and they like the feeling of relaxation which follows a good acupuncture treatment.

• Is it safe during pregnancy?

  Yes it is, and it can be very beneficial. Treatment can help to relieve morning sickness and it offers effective pain relief in labour for those women wishing to take a more natural approach to birthing. Acupuncture is also being successfully used in some NHS hospitals in order to turn breech and transverse lying babies.

• Is it safe?

  Yes it is. I follow the Code of Practice set by the British Acupuncture Council (BAcC), and use very fine, high quality disposable needles and I am a qualified First Aider. It is worth noting that some people feel a bit ‘spaced out’ after treatment, and if you do, you are advised not to drive straight away. Also minor bleeding or bruising occurs after Acupuncture in about 3% of treatments. Rarer side effects include pain during treatment, temporary worsening of symptoms, and fainting.

• How many treatments will I need and how frequently?

  The number of visits is variable, and depends on a person’s constitutional strength, how long they have had the condition, and the severity of the condition. However it is good practice to start with weekly treatments, then every 2 weeks, then monthly as you start to feel better. As a rough guide, if a person has had the condition for 5 years, then it may take 5 month’s of Acupuncture treatment before lasting change is seen. However, there are conditions I have treated such as painful sciatica, where only one treatment as needed. Other people use treatment as a preventative measure, and like having treatments monthly to keep their immune system topped up, maintaining their health and well being.

• What if my condition is not on the list… can it help with other problems?

  Feel free to call or e-mail me so that I am aware of what your condition is, and then I can let you know whether I have treated that condition and how successful I have been. Acupuncture can help with all sorts of problems, and I am happy to talk through any concerns you may have.

• What is Reiki Healing?

  Please give credit to: http://www.reikiassociation.org.uk/3.html
  Reiki (pronounced Ray-key) is a Japanese word meaning Universal Life Energy, an energy which is all around us. Reiki is the name given to a system of natural healing which evolved in Japan from the experience and dedication of Dr Mikao Usui (d. 1926). Fired by a burning question, Dr Usui was inspired to develop this healing system from ancient teachings after many years of study, research and meditation. He spent the rest of his life practising and teaching Reiki. Today Reiki continues to be taught by Reiki Masters who have trained in the tradition passed down from Master to student. There is no belief system attached to Reiki so anyone can receive or learn to give a Reiki treatment, the only prerequisite is the desire to be healed.

• What is Tui-Na Massage?

  Please give credit to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tui_na
  Tui na is a hands-on-body treatment using acupressure that is a modality of Chinese medicine whose purpose is to bring the body into balance. The principles being balanced are the eight principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine (qv because TCM was codified by the PRC out of many ancient traditions.) The practitioner may brush, knead, roll/press and rub the areas between each of the joints (known as the eight gates) to open the body’s defensive (wei) chi and get the energy moving in both the meridians and the muscles. The practitioner can then use range of motion, traction, massage, with the stimulation of acupressure points and to treat both acute and chronic musculoskeletal conditions, as well as many non-musculoskeletal conditions.

• What is Gua-Sha?

  Please give credit to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gua_Sha
  Gua Sha involves repeated pressured strokes over lubricated skin with a smooth edged piece of jade. The smooth edge is placed against the pre-oiled skin surface, pressed down firmly, and then moved down the muscles or along the pathway of the acupuncture meridians, along the surface of the skin, with each stroke being about 4-6 inches long.
  This causes extravasation of blood from the peripheral capillaries (petechiae) and may result in sub-cutaneous blemishing (ecchymosis), which usually takes 2-4 days to fade. Sha rash does not represent capillary rupture as in bruising, as is evidenced by the immediate fading of petechiae to echymosis, and the rapid resolution of sha as compared to bruising. The color of sha varies according to the severity of the patient’s blood stasis — which may correlate with the nature, severity and type of their disorder –appearing from a dark blue-black to a light pink, but is most often a shade of red. Although the marks on the skin look painful, they are not. Patients typically feel immediate sense of relief and change.

• What is Moxibustion?

  Moxibustion involves the use of smouldering mugwort to warm various acupuncture points. This in turn stimulates of blood and energy, improving overall circulation. Moxibusion is used to eliminate cold from the body, improve fertility, resolve period pains and can also turn breech babies.

• What is Cupping?

  Cupping uses glass cups to stimulate the flow of energy. Cupping is most commonly used to treat colds and flu by shifting congestion in the chest, and it is also used to relieve muscle and joint pain. It can also be used as part of a detoxification programme, to draw out toxins from the body. Cupping is not painful but can leave red patches on the skin for a while, like circular bruises.

• What is Acupressure?

  Please give credit to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acupressure

  Acupressure (a blend of “acupuncture” and “pressure”) is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) technique derived from acupuncture. In acupressure physical pressure is applied to acupuncture points by the hand, elbow, or with various devices.

• What is Traditional Chinese Acupuncture (TCM) ?

  Available from: http://www.acupuncturecollege.org.uk/acupuncture/The-College/Integration/Acupuncture-Course-by-CICM

  Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), based on yin/yang and Eight Principle theory, is the mainstream style practised in China. It concentrates on the symptoms of a patient’s illness. It is well suited for treating a wide range of physical and psychological conditions. It is also very effective when treating musculo-skeletal problems, which many of our patients suffer from. Based on a combination of questioning and observation, as well as pulse and tongue diagnosis, it provides an effective framework for treating complaints such as headaches, gynaecological problems, digestive complaints, chest conditions and many other illnesses.

• What is 5 Element Acupuncture?

  Available from http://www.acupuncturecollege.org.uk/acupuncture/The-College/Integration/Acupuncture-Course-by-CICM

  Five Element Constitutional Acupuncture focuses on the person who has the illness, rather than the illness itself. A combination of our genetic inheritance and the first few years of life leave all of us with subtle imbalances in our Qi that affect our health and wellbeing.
  The practitioner detects these imbalances by observing a person closely, concentrating on four crucial aspects:

  • the emotion they are expressing most inappropriately
  • the colour that can be observed on their face, particularly on the lower temples beside the eye
  • the odour emitted by their body
  • the sound present in their voice, particularly a tone that does not fit with the emotion being expressed.

  Together these indicate which of the Five Elements is the constitutional imbalance of the patient: Fire, Earth, Metal, Water, or Wood.

• I’m on medication for a particular condition, will it affect it?

  This is highly unlikely; we will discuss what medication you are taking during your first visit. There are some instances, for example if patients have a bleeding disorder or are taking an anticoagulant like Warfarin, where acupuncture is still safe as long as certain acupuncture points are avoided.

• Should I tell my Doctor I’m having Acupuncture?

  More and more Doctors are becoming interested in the results that Acupuncture delivers, and there is scientific research which shows that some patients have been able to reduce or even stop taking some forms of medication. So I would recommend that your Doctor is made aware that you’re having Acupuncture. However, I would work closely with your Doctor to ensure any plan to slowly reduce your medication was appropriate, and I would only proceed once consent was granted.

• Do I have to have a specific health complaint to have Acupuncture?

  Most people do come to acupuncture with a specific health complaint.

  This might be an acute complaint – such as a bad back, sports injury or a skin rash. Or it might be a chronic, long-term problem – such as depression, menorrhagia, Parkinson’s or arthritis.
  Other people come because they just want to feel better in themselves, or because they have aches and pains and would rather use experiment with Acupuncture, than try medication which generally has side effects.

• Why do you need my Consent before your begin?

  In complying with the Code of Professional Conduct set out by the British Acupuncture Council, I will ask you to sign a simple form confirming that I have your consent to treat you. On the form, I also ask you to disclose whether you are pregnant or taking any medications, as this may affect your response to the acupuncture treatment. No treatment can be given until the Consent Form is signed.