Question 1

How does acupuncture work?

Accepted Answer

Think of your body as an intelligent system and the acupuncture needles as a light switch. Based on a thorough assessment of your health and the symptoms you have, different light switches will be selected to activate and harmonise your intelligent system.

Question 2

Is acupuncture safe?

Accepted Answer

Acupuncture is very safe, when carried out by a professional with extensive training. The needles come in single use sterile disposable packs and are very fine that most people don’t even feel them. Sarah is trained under the British Acupuncture Accreditation Board  - which is a 3-year full time degree level course with a minimum of 400 clinical hours, before qualifying. Sarah is also a member of the British Acupuncture Council - one of the few professional memberships recognised by the Department of Health for safety standards.

Question 3

Is acupuncture painful?

Accepted Answer

Acupuncture should not be painful and many find it very relaxing. The needles Sarah uses are very fine – as thin as human hair. You will likely experience a tingling or dull sensation and this is a very good sign as it means the treatment is working.

Sarah also works with patients who are needle phobics and in this instance Sarah will select the thinnest needles where possible and / or use tui na (Chinese medical massage) and acupressure as part of the treatment.

Question 4

How many treatments do I need?

Accepted Answer

Acupuncture is a bespoke form of medicine. Sarah will recommend a course of treatment best suited to you. However, as a rough guide weekly treatment for a minimum of a month is likely to be recommended as the treatments are cumulative. For gynaecological issues or fertility, you should expect to commit to weekly treatments for three months.

Question 5

Can I have acupuncture if I’m pregnant?

Accepted Answer

Treatment can safely continue throughout pregnancy, supporting symptoms such as morning sickness, nausea and fatigue and preparing the mother mentally, emotionally and physically for labour. Research has shown that labour preparation with acupuncture from 37 weeks onwards can shorten the length of delivery. After 40 weeks, acupuncture can be used to encourage the natural onset of labour and is also beneficial for breastfeeding, urinary issues and general well-being postpartum.

Question 6

What should I wear?

Accepted Answer

You should feel as comfortable as possible, therefore loose-fitting clothes are helpful, but not essential. You will only need to expose certain parts of your body, typically your forearms and lower legs. If you need to remove any items of clothing your underwear will always stay on and you will be covered so that only the part of the body being treated will be visible.

Question 7

Is there anything I should do to prepare for treatment?

Accepted Answer

Please have a light meal a couple of hours before and ensure you are well-hydrated.

Question 8

What should I do/feel post-treatment?

Accepted Answer

The benefits of the treatment will increase the longer you can stay relaxed. Ideally you should avoid any strenuous exercise and ensure you remain hydrated. It is advisable to avoid alcohol the day of your treatment.
  
You may feel the following after an acupuncture treatment: 
- Pain relief: You may notice the pain easing during the treatment session, but the pain may come back after a few hours or even return with a revenge. This is because the body is beginning to purge the pain. If the pain is worse after acupuncture, don't panic or worry, but take some sensible steps to help calm the pain, like resting, or take some painkillers if needed. 
 
- Relaxation / sleepiness: You may feel deeply relaxed or particularly sleepy which can last for hours or even for a day.  Acupuncture helps to regulate the hormones which may explain why you may experience feeling more relaxed or sleepy. This is the body beginning to rebalance its hormones. The best thing you can do in this situation is rest. Please try to avoid any vigorous activity immediately afterwards. Your body heals faster when you spend more time in a deep sleep state.

- Emotions: Some patients may become more emotionally sensitive for a short period of time, such as crying without reason, grieving for something that happened long ago. It is healthy to release your emotions from time to time, like emptying an emotional bucket. You might use this opportunity to start an in-depth emotional conversation with friends. After this period of emotional liberation, you may feel emotionally lighter.
 
- Elimination: Some patients experience detox symptoms such as increased urination after the acupuncture session, increased frequency of bowel movements, increased volume, or stronger odor. These are good indications that the body has increased the level of metabolism and detoxification. 
 
You may also notice having a runny nose, sore throat or some cold symptoms. In Chinese medicine, an unresolved cold or flu is often underlying cause of many health problems, like poor circulation, stiff neck and back and migraine.

Some patients may notice a recurrence of other previously resolved symptoms. This can be attributed to increased body energy expelling underlying ailments.

Please let us know if you experience any change in your symptoms or severity.

Question 9

Can I have acupuncture even if there isn’t anything ‘wrong’ with me?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely. Clients need not have anything ‘wrong’ with them. Regular acupuncture treatment is a powerful way to maintain balance in the system and therefore prevent imbalance which leads to illness. Many patients who have been successfully treated with acupuncture, move to maintenance treatment every 2-4 weeks. Preparing your body for seasonal changes is a great way to use acupuncture. For example, supporting the immune system in anticipation of the cold/flu season, ideally treated in autumn or hay fever, ideally treated in winter.

Question 10

What about the medical treatment / medication I am currently taking / undergoing?

Accepted Answer

Not a problem. Acupuncture is a non-invasive treatment that won’t interrupt or hinder any other treatments you might be having. In fact, the use of acupuncture alongside some other treatments, such as IVF, has been shown to increase success rates and for others, such as anti-depressants, to help manage possible side effects.

Question 11

I have multiple health issues, can you help me?

Accepted Answer

Chinese medicine is the earliest form of functional medicine, meaning that it treats the individual, not the disease(s) and seeks to find the root cause so that you can finally start to feel better. We are well prepared to treat clients who may be visiting as a last resort after seeing countless doctors and having had multiple tests and a prescribed range of medications. Often in our quest to find the root cause of a client’s symptoms, we find there is a connection between the issues that are occurring. This means multiple complaints can be treated at the same time.

Frequently asked questions