Acupuncture in Hayes, Bromley
Andreas practices Western Medical Acupuncture. This is a form of acupuncture based on traditional Chinese acupuncture, involving insertion of fine needles but using current knowledge of anatomy and physiology and principles of evidence based medicine. This type of acupuncture is used by conventional health care practitioners and is not regarded as an alternative medical system.
Medical acupuncture works by stimulating the nerves in the skin, muscle and other tissues, and can produce a variety of effects. We know that it increases the release of the body’s natural painkillers; these include endorphin and serotonin, in both the spinal cord and the brain. This modifies the way pain signals are received by the brain. However acupuncture can do more than just reduce pain levels, it seems to have a beneficial effect on the health of some patients. Patients often notice an improved sense of wellbeing after treatments.
Current research shows that acupuncture can affect most of the body’s systems – the nervous system, muscle tone, hormone production, circulation, and allergic responses, as well as the respiratory, digestive, urinary and reproductive systems.
Each patient’s case is assessed by the practitioner and treatment tailored to the individual, but a typical treatment involves fine needles being inserted through the skin and left in position briefly. The number of needles used varies, but may be as little as two or three.
What can Medical Acupuncture treat?
Acupuncture is effective in a wide range of painful conditions and is commonly used to treat the following conditions;
- Back and Neck pain
- Sciatica
- Headaches
- Migraines
- Arthritis
- Excess muscle tension and spasm
- Tennis Elbow
- Plantar Fasciitis
What to expect in your treatment
On your first visit you will have a consultation with your practitioner, which will involve a detailed assessment in order to make a clinical diagnosis and select the appropriate treatment.
The assessment will involve many questions related to your present complaint, general health and past medical history. A general examination is carried out including looking at posture and general movements of the body, checking muscle tone, and integrity of the nervous system. Some medical examinations such as blood pressure and reflexes may be taken.
A working diagnosis and appropriate treatment plan for your complaint will then be explained to you before the treatment commences.
You may feel a small pin prick on the skin or no pain at all as the needle is inserted. Once the needle is in place it will be left for a short amount of time, typically this can be as short as a couple of seconds or up to 10 minutes. Whilst the needle is in place you may experience an achy feel, tingling or warmth in the area. Once your practitioner feels the muscle has relaxed the needle will be removed and disposed of safely.
The number of needles used varies, but may be as little as two or three. The amount of treatment needed does vary depending on the condition being treated; usually around 3 to 6 sessions are needed.
Andreas finds acupuncture particularly effective with patients presenting with headaches and has found that symptoms improve with a mixture of structural Osteopathy and Acupuncture.
Acupuncture is also very beneficial during the acute phase of an injury. During this time a patient may be in a lot of pain and there may be muscle spasm occurring. We have found that Acupuncture is able to relax the muscle spasm quickly and therefore help relieve pain and improve the range of movement.
