 |
|
||
|
|||
 |
Introduction to Acupuncture Acupuncture or similar techniques have been practised in most cultures around the world for thousands of years. Stone acupuncture needles have been found in Mongolia from 3000BC, Egyptian mummies, Ötzi the Iceman, and south american mummies have all shown evidence of tattoo markings over acupuncture points. However, it is Traditional Chinese Medicine which has been practised for over 3000 years from which our Western medical acupuncture derives. Traditional Chinese acupuncture centres around the principle that qi (pronounced chee) flows through our bodies as an invisible life energy, and that any disruption to this flow leads to illness. The qi flows in specific pathways known as meridians. Acupuncture used along these meridians can improve the flow of the qi and resolve the illness. In Western medicine acupuncture is mainly used to treat pain, it is thought that the insertion of the needles releases our natural pain-killing endorphins. The same principles of the meridians are used and it is therefore not unusual to have needles inserted some way away from your painful area.
Acupuncture at The Physiotherapy Centre Several of the physiotherapists at The Physiotherapy Centre are trained to use acupuncture. As physiotherapists we use different treatment techniques to achieve the best results for our patients. Acupuncture can be a very useful tool in pain relief and as such is often used to compliment other techniques or used on it’s own. Do not worry if do not like needles, acupuncture needles are extremely fine, and most people don’t feel them, or hardly feel them being inserted (it is nothing like having a flu jab!) The needles we use are sterile and disposable, so they are only used once and them destroyed. Commonly when acupuncture is used anything from one to fifteen needles might be used, depending on the area or type of pain being treated. These usually stay in place for 15-20 minutes, and your physiotherapist may turn them during this time. Some patients gain relief from a single session of acupuncture, but often it is cumulative in nature, with the improvements occurring over a course of treatment. Usually the more chronic the condition the longer it takes for the acupuncture to be effective. This form of treatment aims to reduce your pain. Additional pain management stratergies, erganomic and manual handling advice etc. will be provided to suit your personal needs to minimise recurrences of your problems. If you are interested in having acupuncture please mention this when you are booking your appointment.
|
||
 |
|||
 |
|||
 |
|||
 |
|||
 |
|||
 |
|||
 |
|||
 |
|||
 |
|||
 |
|||
 |
|||
 |
|||
 |
|||
 |
|||
|
|||
News!