Will Acupuncture Help Me?

Who has acupuncture?
Many people come to acupuncture for help with specific symptoms or conditions, and some because they simply feel generally unwell. Others choose acupuncture to enhance their feeling of well-being. Acupuncture is considered suitable for all ages, including babies and children. It can also be used alongside conventional medicine.

Who chooses acupuncture?
A wide variety of people come for treatment, ranging from children to the elderly. A lot of people come for acupuncture as their first choice of treatment whilst others find it extremely beneficial when other forms of treatment have been unsuccessful.

Some people seek help with physical problems and others with emotional or stress related disorders...Increasingly people are becoming aware of the need to take responsibility for their health and to take measures to prevent problems.  Acupuncture can help with the prevention of disease by balancing your Qi energy before any blockages become the source of dis-ease.

The point of acupuncture
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 well-being; physical, mental, emotional.

According to traditional Chinese philosophy, our health is dependent on the smooth flow of the body’s motivating Qi energy.  However, the flow of Qi can be disturbed by many different factors.  These include physical conditions due to trauma, infection, lifestyle and hereditary factors and emotional states such as grief, anger, anxiety or fear.

The intention of traditional acupuncture 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.

What conditions can be helped?
Acupuncture is widely considered to be beneficial for a range of illnesses and symptoms, from clearly defined complaints such as headaches, vomiting, neck ache, back and dental pain, through to more general feelings of ill health such as nausea or low energy.  Acupuncture is also successfully used in conjunction with western medicine.

Here are the main conditions for which people come for treatment:

• Musculoskeletal conditions - such as back pain, frozen shoulder, tennis elbow and sciatica
• Psychological conditions - anxiety, depression, insomnia, headaches
• Respiratory conditions - sinusitis, hayfever, asthma
• IBS and bowel disorders
  
• Gynaecological conditions - such as easing menopausal/menstrual symptoms and supporting fertility
• Skin conditions - eczema and psoriasis
• Generally feeling unwell with low energy - chronic fatigue
• Digestive disorders, nausea and vomiting
  
• Addictions

You can get more information about which conditions acupuncture has been used for by visiting the British Acupuncture Council website www.acupuncture.org.uk.