The Nancy Doyle Clinic
     
 
Acupuncture
The first known medical textbook is one on ACUPUNCTURE and it dates about 400BC. Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese form of medicine and it has been used in China for the last 3000 years. It is now becoming popular in Western countries, especially as more people in our society dislike taking pills.

How Does Acupuncture Work?
No one really knows how acupuncture works, but the ancient Chinese explain it in the basis of their philosophy.

In Chinese medicine the body has 14 channels running over it. These channels conduct the flow of vital energy or 'qu' over the body. When there is a disease the flow of 'qu' through these channels is disrupted. If needles are inserted into selected acupuncture points on these channels, the flow of 'qu' is corrected and therefore the body is returned to a healthy condition. The emphasis is on making the body healthy rather than curing the disease, which is the Western emphasis

What Is The Treatment? And Will It Hurt?
The short answer to this is no. Acupuncture is a little uncomfortable but it is not painful. The treatment is the process of re-establishing the energy balance. Very fine needles will be inserted into the acupuncture points in the body for a few minutes only, but sometimes longer, thus causing stimulation or sedation of the energy of a specific pathway. The other method is the application of warmth to the acupuncture point and this method is often used in combination.

How Many Treatments Will I Need?
You may need several acupuncture treatments in order to help your disease. A large number of people feel relief from their symptoms after the first treatment. This relief will ususally be short lived in the first instance (a few hours) but relief should progressively increase in quantity as the treatment progresses. You may not find the relief starting until the second or third treatment. The total number of treatments required depends on the patient and the condition being treated, but it seems the average is between four and eight sessions for most conditions.

What Conditions Can Acupuncture Treat?
  • PAIN - from any cause
  • HEAD - headache, migraine & facial pain
  • LIMBS AND MUSCLES - rheumatism, lumbago, back pain, arthritis & fibrositis
  • DIGESTION - stomach ulcers, wind, gastritis, heartburn, indigestion, nausea, vomiting & diarrhoea
  • RESPIRATORY SYSTEM - asthma & shortness of breath
  • CIRCULATORY SYSTEM - Angina, palpitations & poor circulation
  • URINARY SYSTEM - bedwetting, recurrent cystitis & bladder control
  • SEXUAL SYSTEM - painful periods, hot flushes, pelvic pain & menopause symptoms
  • EAR, NOSE AND THROAT - hayfever, sinusitis & catarrh
  • NERVOUS SYSTEM - depression, anxiety, neuralgion
What Are The Side Effects?
The beauty of acupuncture is that there are very few side effects. Occasionally you may experience a transitory worsening of symptoms after acupuncture. This will pass and it usually means that the acupuncture will work.

How Long Does Acupuncture Last?
The improvement may be permanent, it may be temporary. For conditions such as arthritis in the knee, acupuncture might have to be repeated every six or nine months to keep the knee pain free.

How Does Acupuncture Work?
No one really knows the answer to this question, there is, however, a great deal of exciting research work in this field. At the moment there are ideas with good scientific evidence for them, but there are no clear answers.

Will Acupuncture Work For Me?
Acupuncture works in many conditions, some conditions respond better than others, whether you 'believe' in acupuncture or not seems to make no difference to the response to acupuncture. About 70% of people receiving acupuncture for pain do gain some benefit.

If you are interested in receiving acupuncture then we advise that you discuss your specific problem with your own GP and then your local acupuncture practitioner.