Acupuncture
Acupuncture helps to restore the body’s energy, or vital life force, known in Traditional Chinese Medicine as “Qi” (pronounced chi) [1-2]. It is believed that by restoring the flow of Qi it restores health, and removes blockages in Qi flow which cause illness. QI can be stimulated at superficial skin a layer which triggers a response in deeper muscles and organs. Acupuncture achieves balance between Yin and Yang, restoring homeostasis of your physical, mental and psychological health to facilitate complete well-being [3-4].
What is it?
During Acupuncture fine disposable needles are inserted into specific points on the body that correspond with meridians or subtle energy lines. This treatment to influences the physiological functioning of these lines/meridians for therapeutic and preventative purposes, and therefore restoring health and improving well‐being [5-6]. Acupuncture should only be administered by a regulated fully qualified healthcare professional. Physiotherapists are the largest group of medical professionals in the UK practising acupuncture.
Western acupuncture, often referred to as dry-needling, primarily regulates the release of neurochemicals and hormones which stimulate the nervous system in the muscles, spinal cord and brain [7-8]. Used within physiotherapy as part of an integrated approach to the management of pain and inflammation [9-10]. Acupuncture stimulates the body’s natural endorphins, melatonin and serotonin to aid recovery and enhance rehabilitation, as well as encouraging a sense of wellness [11-12].
Benefits:
Acupuncture can be used to treat a vast range of health conditions – physical, emotional, and psychological [13, 14, 15]. Acupuncture during physiotherapy practice may relieve a wide range of painful conditions such as neck pain, tension-type headaches, migraines, shoulder and nerve pain as well as back ache and sciatic pain [16-17]. Cochrane reviews have found a combination of acupuncture, physiotherapy and stretching can help to ease psychosomatic pain and improve quality of life [18-19].
Acupuncture also helps people clear congestive mucus from the lung and reduces breathlessness [20-21]. There is also evidence that needling can help reduce tiredness and fatigue, and support sleep hygiene by resolving insomnia through the release of melatonin [22, 23, 24]. Acupuncture may be integrated into the management of systemic conditions [25].
At CHHC we use evidence-based clinical reasoning to provide sound basis for use.
Acupuncture is not recommended if you have:
- a fear of needles
- uncontrolled diabetes
- a pacemaker
- an open wound/bruising/signs of trauma to an area
- a infections/skin disorders
- consumed alcohol or drugs
- a history of frequent seizures
- a bleeding disorder
What to expect:
Following written consent, a complete verbal assessment and detailed history, patients will be physically examined by the physiotherapist. Patients will be asked to remove their outer garments, and comfortably position themselves lying on the couch. Your physiotherapist will discuss the suggested course of treatment with you.
During initial treatment the needles will be inserted for approximately 5 -10 minutes, and this will be built up at each session gradually. The needles are pre-sterilised hygienically individually wrapped, single use and disposed of after use.
Each treatment is individually prescribed as there are hundreds of different acupuncture points, and the precise number of needles will vary depending on condition being treated. The number of treatment sessions required will depend on each individual, and the frequency will depend on the response of the patient.
Patient may experience “De Qi” as a tingling or dull ache when the needles are inserted.
When performed by a qualified practitioner, acupuncture is generally very safe and effective. Occasionally some patients experience mild, short term side effects such as:
Book an appointmentIf you’re interested in any of our acupuncture services, please get in touch to book or find out more.
If you’re interested in any of our acupuncture services, please get in touch to book or find out more.
History:
The ancient medical art of acupuncture originated in China more than 5000 years ago and has been used for prevention and treatment of various diseases ever since. It was first mentioned in documents in 6000 BC, but has been used in the West since the 17th century.
Book an appointmentIf you’re interested in any of our acupuncture services, please get in touch to book or find out more.
Tel: 01206 761806
Mobile: 07713 185645
If you’re interested in any of our acupuncture services, please get in touch to book or find out more.
Tel: 01206 761806
Mobile: 07713 185645
View prices
Consent formBefore you attend your appointment, please print and complete this consent form and bring it with you.
Before you attend your appointment, please print and complete this consent form and bring it with you.
https://www.aacp.org.uk/page/16/why-an-acupuncture-physiotherapist
1 Hopwood V (2004) Acupuncture in Physiotherapy. Butterworth Heinemann: China
2 Charman RA (2000) Complementary Therapies for Physical Therapists (Eds). Butterworth Heinemann: Somerset.
3 https://academic.oup.com/rheumatology/article/43/5/662/1788282
4 White A, Cummins M and Filshie J (2008) An Introduction to Western Medical Acupuncture. Churchill Livingstone Elsevier: China
5 Bradnam-Roberts L (2010) Clinical reasoning in Western Acupuncture. In: Acupuncture in Manual Therapy (Editor Longbottom J 2010). Croydon:Churchill Livingstone Elsevier
6 Bradnam L (2011) A biopsychosocial clinical reasoning model for western acupuncture. Physical Therapy Reviews Vol 16 No 2 Page 138 -145
7 Gyer G, Michael J and Tolson B (2016) Dry needling for Manual Therapists. China: Singing Dragon
8 Deutsch JE and Anderson EZ (2008). Complementary Therapies for Physical Therapy: A clinical Decision-Making Approach. United States: Elsevier
9 White A, Cummings M and Filshie J (2008) An Introduction to Western Medical Acupuncture. Churchill Livingstone Elsevier: China
10 https://www.csp.org.uk/frontline/article/physio-findings-cochrane-sifts-evidence-acupuncture
11 Dhond, R.P., Kettner, N., Napadow, V. (2007) Neuroimaging acupuncture effects in the human brain. The Journal Of Alternative And Complementary Medicine,13, (6), 603-616
12 https://www.csp.org.uk/journal/article/physiotherapy-june-2018/effects-dry-needling-trigger-point-therapy-shoulder-region
13 Hu C, Zhang H, Wu W, Yu W, Li Y, Bai J, Luo B ad Li S (2016) Acupuncture for Pain Management in Cancer: A systematic review and meta-Analysis. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
14 Choi, T.Y., Lee, M.S., Kim, T.H., Zaslawski, C. and Ernst, E., 2012. Acupuncture for the treatment of cancer pain: a systematic review of randomised clinical trials. Supportive Care in Cancer, 20(6), pp.1147-1158.
15 Xiang, A et al (2017) The Immediate Analgesic Effect of Acupuncture for Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine (eCAM), pp. 1-13. Doi: 10.1155/2017/3837194
16 Paley, C.A. and Johnson, M.I., 2017. Acupuncture for the management of cancer-related pain?
17 Lee, M.S. and Ernst, E., 2011. Acupuncture for pain: an overview of Cochrane reviews. Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine, 17(3), pp.187-189.
18 Lee, S., Nam, D., Leem, J., Han, G., Lee, S. and Lee, J., 2015. Efficacy and safety of Myofascial-meridian Release Acupuncture (MMRA) for chronic neck pain: a study protocol for randomized, patient-and assessor-blinded, sham controlled trial. BMC complementary and alternative medicine, 16(1), p.45.
19 Nakajima M1, Inoue M, Itoi M, Kitakoji H (2013) Clinical effect of acupuncture on cervical spondylotic radiculopathy: results of a case series. Acupuncture in Medicine : Journal of the British Medical Acupuncture Society. 2013 Dec;31(4):364-7. doi: 10.1136/acupmed-2013-010317. Epub 2013 Aug 21
20 von Trott, P., Oei, S.L. and Ramsenthaler, C., 2019. Acupuncture for breathlessness in advanced diseases: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of pain and symptom management.
21 Xie, Y., Wang, J.J., Li, G.Y., Li, X.L. and Li, J.S., 2017. Acupuncture for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: Protocol for a systematic review. Medicine, 96(52).
22 Posadzki, P., Moon, T.W., Choi, T.Y., Park, T.Y., Lee, M.S. and Ernst, E., 2013. Acupuncture for cancer-related fatigue: a systematic review of randomized clinical trials. Supportive Care in Cancer, 21(7), pp.2067-2073.
23 Cheuk, D.K., Yeung, W.F., Chung, K.F. and Wong, V., 2012. Acupuncture for insomnia. Cochrane database of systematic reviews, (9).
24 Ernst, E., Lee, M.S. and Choi, T.Y., 2011. Acupuncture for insomnia? An overview of systematic reviews. The European journal of general practice, 17(2), pp.116-123.
25 Cui, Y., Liu, Z., Marchese, M., Lee, M.S., Wang, J. and Niu, J., 2018. Acupuncture for multiple sclerosis. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2018(9).
26 Ezzo, J., Streitberger, K. and Schneider, A., 2006. Cochrane systematic reviews examine P6 acupuncture-point stimulation for nausea and vomiting. Journal of Alternative & Complementary Medicine, 12(5), pp.489-495.