Many people have acupuncture as a preventative treatment or because they feel unwell in themselves but may not be ill in the conventional sense. Others find that it helps them alleviate their symptoms caused by injury, illness or the stresses of busy, modern lifestyles. I shall be happy to discuss any questions or concerns you may have about acupuncture or Chinese herbal medicine. Please contact me to discuss how acupuncture may help you.
Conditions for which Acupuncture has been found, in modern clinical trials to be beneficial* so far are:
§ Dental pain
§ Osteoarthritis of the knee (as a temporary, adjunct therapy)
§ Nausea and vomiting, including morning sickness
Although acupuncture was used in many Eastern cultures for centuries as a long established principal source of healthcare, in Great Britain, acupuncture is not, and must not, be viewed as primary care. Most of my clients come to me for acupuncture or herbal medicine after having already consulted their GP except where treatment is sought for relaxation and well-being.
* Whilst there is a growing body of scientific research into the uses of acupuncture for many different conditions, there is little data which conforms to the Western standards of large scale, double blind, randomised, controlled trials. This style of evidence gathering does not sit comfortably with acupuncture partly due to lack of funding, partly due to the difficulties in supplying either "real" or "sham" acupuncture without either the patient or the practitioner knowing who is receiving which treatment! Therefore, regardless of the large amount of positive anecdotal evidence, from the objective, Western scientific point of view, it's efficacy is still, unfortunately, considered to be largely unproven. Any reference made on this website to research into acupuncture should therefore be viewed in that context. Having said that, I believe that acupuncture sits very well alongside orthodox Western medicine as a supportive and complementary therapy and, in my experience, can offer an incredibly positive effect on people's lives.
