What is Acupuncture?
Acupuncture is a tried and tested system of complementary medicine. The Chinese and other eastern cultures have been using acupuncture to restore, promote and maintain good health for thousands of years. Nowadays more and more people are finding this long established therapy can offer an effective solution to all manner of today’s ills. Acupuncture is now widely used and accepted all over the world and in the UK there are currently over 2800 qualified acupuncturists registered with the British Acupuncture Council.
IS IT SAFE?
The results of two independent surveys published in the British Medical Journal in 2001 (MacPherson et al, White et al, both BMJ September 2001) concluded that the risk of serious adverse reaction to acupuncture is less than 1 in 10,000. The needles used are single-use, sterile and disposable. Responses to the treatment can sometimes include tiredness or mild dizziness, and very occasionally minor bruising may occur. However, all such reactions are short lived.
WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE?
Acupuncture needles are much finer than needles used for injections and blood tests. When the needle is inserted, you may feel a tingling sensation or a dull ache.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I GO FOR TREATMENT?
Your acupuncturist will use a number of different diagnostic methods to get a complete picture of your health and lifestyle, including taking a full medical history, reading your pulses, and looking at your tongue. Based on this information, the practitioner makes a diagnosis and puts together your personal treatment plan. Acupuncture points are selected according to your symptoms. The single-use sterile needles come in sealed packs: they should be opened in front of you and are safely disposed of after each treatment.
WHAT CAN IT DO FOR ME?
Good health is not just the absence of pain or disease. Traditional acupuncture works to maintain the body’s equilibrium by focusing on all aspects of wellbeing: physical, mental, emotional.
According to traditional Chinese philosophy, our health is dependent on the body’s motivating energy moving in a smooth and balanced way through a series of channels beneath the skin. This energy is known as qi. The flow of qi can be disturbed by any number of factors. These include emotional states such as anxiety, anger, or grief, as well as poor nutrition, hereditary factors, infections, and trauma. When the qi is unbalanced, illness may result.
The acupuncturist inserts ultra fine needles at chosen points along the channels of energy. The aim is to stimulate the body’s own healing response and restore its natural balance. Treatment is aimed at the root of your condition, as well as your symptoms. This approach can lead to a more permanent resolution of your problems.
You can get more information on current scientific research into the effectiveness of acupuncture by visiting www.acupuncture.org.uk .
WHO HAS ACUPUNCTURE?
Many people come to acupuncture for help with specific symptoms or to relieve specific pains like osteoarthritis of the knee. Some use acupuncture because they feel generally unwell but have no obvious diagnosis. Others choose acupuncture simply to enhance their feeling of wellbeing. Acupuncture is considered suitable for all ages including babies and children. It can be used effectively alongside conventional medicine.
HOW MANY SESSIONS WILL I NEED?
Frequency and number of sessions depend on your individual condition. Some change is usually felt within five or six treatments, although occasionally just one or two treatments are sufficient. Some people choose to have regular acupuncture to maintain good health.
How much will it cost?
New patient consultation and treatment 90 mins £70
Returning patient consultation and treatment 55 mins £50
Payment is due at the end of each appointment. You may pay by cash or online bank transfer.
Additional Information
If you would like additional information about acupuncture and about Ghislaine Ingman, please visit her website www.qimen-acupuncture.com.