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Treatment - What to Expect?
Acupuncture, Moxibustion, Cupping, Ear Acupuncture and Shiatsu Massage
Depending on your symptoms, you will experience several new things during your treatments. It is possible that part of your therapy will require the use of Shiatsu massage, acupuncture, moxibustion, cupping or ear acupuncture. These adjuncts under the umbrella of Traditional Chinese Medicine give you the best possible way to help you help yourselves and speed recovery.

In the beginning, as part of your diagnosis, your pulses on both wrists will be checked. I may ask you to show me your tongue as well. These are standard diagnostic tools in which give indications of how the energy is flowing internally.

Moxibustion involves burning the herb Moxa or mugwort (the latin name is Artemisia vulgaris). This is perfectly safe and in most cases quite pleasurable. Cupping is commonly used. It involves the use of glass suction cups on the skin. Ear acupuncture is used in many situations but more commonly known in treating addictions.

You can benefit from acupuncture and Shiatsu even if you feel fine. The reason is that this form of therapy is preventative as well as healing. Many people have treatments to avoid illness and to help lead a balanced healthy life.

Notes For treatment
Allow enough time so that you don\'t have to rush.
Avoid hot baths before your appointment.
Avoid heavy meals prior to your appointment, have a snack before if needed.
Avoid alcohol on the day of treatment.
To make the most of your session, rest or take it easy after the treatment.
Healing reactions caused by the release of toxins or emotions may be experienced and are considered normal.

How does acupuncture work?
A lot of research is now being carried out in the West to answer this question and provide evidence of how and why acupuncture works. It is a difficult question to answer from a western medical perspective but for thousands of years the idea that illness occurs when the body\’s energy flow is blocked, has been sufficient for millions of people. Acupuncture helps to move these blockages, however nothing yet has provided a definitive explanation as to how.

Research shows that acupuncture causes the release of endorphins in the body (natural painkillers) and other hormones such as serotonin. It affects the adrenal glands. It also shows us that acupuncture effectively treats certain conditions and yet we are not entirely sure how it works. We just know that it does!

Does acupuncture work?
In short, yes! It has been the main form of treatment in the Far East for thousands of years; it could not have continued for so long if it did not work.

Acupuncture is effective because it aims to treat both the symptoms and the underlying causes of illness. In this way for example, it will look at the cause of the headache rather than just providing pain relief. The aim is to treat the root of the problem rather than simply suppressing the symptoms. Acupuncture can treat conditions which are not easily explained in western medicine.

\“Acupuncture has been proven effective in relieving post operative pain, nausea during pregnancy, nausea and vomiting resulting from chemotherapy, and dental pain with extremely low side effects. It can also alleviate anxiety, panic disorders and insomnia\”, World Health Organization website, 2006.

Does it hurt?
Acupuncture should not be a painful or unpleasant experience. The needles used are much finer to those normally used for injections and bear no resemblance to them. The sensation that is felt is often described as a tingling or dull ache around the area. Patients often report feeling relaxed or invigorated during and after treatment.

How long will it take?
The first treatment will usually take from one hour to an hour and a half. At this time, a full history is taken. This may includes some aspects of your personal and family health history. Also, the tongue is examined and the pulses are checked.
Subsequent sessions will be approximately one hour.

How many sessions will I need?
Each individual and their condition is unique and therefore the length of treatment will differ. Many factors influence recovery rates. Sometimes dramatic recovery is made and only one or two treatments are required. For other patients, results can be more subtle and may take longer.

Will I need to get undressed?
Some level of disrobement may be necessary for acupuncture depending on your symptoms and what you need for treatment. I will advise you at the time of consultation (for shiatsu massage light clothing is worn).

Is it safe?
Yes! All needles used are single-use, sterile and disposable. Needles used per consultation only. All members of the British Acupuncture Council (BAcC) must observe the Code of Safe Practice which defines the hygiene and safety standards relating to the practice of acupuncture. These procedures have been approved by the Department of Health, and provide protection against the transmission of infectious diseases. Patients who have been treated by a BAcC member are eligible to donate blood through the National Blood Service. A blood donor certificate will be provided for you. They are almost no side effects.

Will my insurance cover acupuncture?
Many insurance companies now cover acupuncture treatment. You may need to self-refer or need to acquire referral from your GP or specialist. Please check with your insurance provider. BUPA and PPP do not cover traditional acupuncture.

Do I inform my GP?
It is always a good idea to let your GP know that you are receiving other forms of treatment. For certain conditions and in specific or critical situations referral will be made with your consent. Communication between health professionals is encouraged for the good of the patient and for furthering the practice of holistic and integrated medicine.

Cupping
Cupping is an ancient technique used in traditional Chinese medicine to stimulate acupuncture points or larger areas of the body. It is often practised alongside acupuncture but can also be a \‘stand-alone\’ treatment. The technique involves creating a vacuum inside round glass or bamboo cups by inserting a naked flame and removing it, then placing the cup quickly onto the area to be treated before the vacuum is lost. The cups are then left in place for anything up to 20 minutes. Cupping is most commonly used to treat colds and flu by shifting congestion in the chest and/or to relieve muscle and joint pain. It can also be used to treat digestive and gynaecological problems and to draw out toxins from the body. If large areas of the body need treating, a technique known as \‘sliding cups\’ is used. A thin layer of massage oil is spread over the skin; the cups are placed onto the body in the normal way and then slid along the muscles being treated. This helps the blood and qi to flow more easily in stagnated areas. Cupping is not painful but can leave slightly red patches on the skin, like circular bruises. Although these marks resemble bruises, the muscles have not been traumatized in any way. The redness on the skin indicates that there has been movement in the circulation of blood under and around the cups. Not all cupping treatments will result in redness as this depends on the complaint being addressed. Cupping should be carried out by a properly trained practitioner, as there are contraindications for its use.

Moxibustion (Moxa)
Moxibustion is a procedure whereby moxa - a dried herb, usually of the species mugwort (Latin name: Artemisia vulgaris) - is used either directly on the skin or just above the skin over specific acupuncture points or meridians. The herb is lit and as it smoulders slowly, heat permeates into the body and affects the flow of qi (energy) and blood in the area being treated. Moxa is often used when the patient\’s complaint is diagnosed as a ‘\cold\’ condition. Moxa sticks are commonly used in more generalised areas (indirect moxibustion). The sticks resemble a large cigar or an oversized incense stick, which is lit at one end and then held about an inch above the point or area to be treated. The stick is usually rotated or a ‘pecking’ motion is used to allow the heat to penetrate the body. Direct moxibustion is more commonly used for specific areas that need treatment. Practitioners shape moxa into a tiny cone and place it directly onto the body. The cone is removed as soon as the patient feels heat. The choice of when, where and which form of moxibustion to use is a matter of clinical judgement for the properly trained practitioner as care is needed to ensure that the burning moxa does not make direct contact with the skin. Moxibustion is an essential part of Chinese medicine and cannot be omitted or substituted in most cases. As is the case with numerous other products, moxa has an odour when it burns. Although this odour is considered by many to be therapeutic, some people can be allergic to the smoke generated or to the odour itself in which case a smokeless variety can be found and utilised.

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Practitioners
Members of the British Acupuncture Council (BAcC) have completed a thorough training of at least three years in traditional acupuncture and bio-medical sciences appropriate to the practice of acupuncture. They carry the letters MBAcC after their name. The BAcC maintains common standards of education, ethics, discipline and practice to ensure the health and safety of the public at all times. Members are covered by Medical Malpractice and Public Products Liability insurance.
The BAcC currently has more than 2,500 members whose details are published in an annual Register of Practitioner Members. The register can be accessed via the BAcC website.

All members of the British Acupuncture Council (BAcC) must observe the Code of Safe Practice which defines the hygiene and safety standards relating to the practice of acupuncture. The Code of Safe Practice is available for download from the BacC website. These procedures have been approved by the Department of Health, and provide protection against the transmission of infectious diseases. Patients who have been treated by a BAcC member are eligible to donate blood through the National Blood Service.' content[2]='
The British Acupuncture Council (BAcC)
The British Acupuncture Council (BAcC) has been the leading voluntary, self-regulating body for traditional acupuncture in the UK since 1995.

The BAcC requires a minimum of 3 years study in traditional acupuncture in order for membership to be granted.

The British Acupuncture Accreditation Board (BAAB) established in 1989 has the primary purpose of accrediting institutions that provide courses in acupuncture in the UK. These courses have to include modules covering Western medicine to meet the requirements of entry to the BAcC.

The BAcC always stresses that it is imperative that patients visit a qualified and registered acupuncturist whose credentials can be checked by a regulating professional body in lieu of a statutory regulation.' content[3]='
Regulation
Acupuncture, along with herbal medicine is currently progressing statutory regulation in the UK. The BAcC welcomes this, as it will further ensure that the current high standards offered by BAcC members will continue to benefit existing patients. It will also give members of the public the reassurance they need to experience the benefits that acupuncture can offer.

The Department of Health issued a consultation document to all interested parties last year on the regulation of acupuncture and herbal medicine. The results of this consultation and other relevant publications can be downloaded from the Department of Health website at www.doh.gov.uk.' content[4]='
Different Modalities
Acupuncture has its own use of language, which although different, is as valuable and appropriate as language used by conventional medicine. The language has very specific meanings in Chinese medicine from where acupuncture originated. From China, acupuncture travelled throughout Asia before eventually coming to Europe. Japan, Korea, Vietnam and Sri Lanka have all developed unique variations and traditions of the original. Additionally, in the West, Five Element acupuncture was developed.

It is also important to know that in the West there are several different understandings and methods of use of acupuncture. Western acupuncture as defined by the British Medical Acupuncture Society is as follows: \'Acupuncture stimulates the nerves in skin and muscle, and can produce a variety of effects. We know that it increases the body\'s release of natural painkillers - endorphin and serotonin - in the pain pathways of both the spinal cord and the brain. This modifies the way pain signals are received.\'

The Eastern view (traditional oriental medicine) adheres to the existence of energy, which runs throughout the body - more superficially at the acupuncture points – but can become deficient or obstructed and therefore not be able to flow smoothly, so causing illness and disease. Rebalancing, or \‘harmonising\’ the flow with acupuncture can restore health and wellbeing.

Both systems use the same points but with different adherence to the function that point carries out.' content[5]='
Media
During 2003, there were some 142 individual articles regarding acupuncture in the UK, which included reference to the British Acupuncture Council. Obviously, this is beneficial in raising the profile of acupuncture and its benefits to the general public but it must be borne in mind that not all acupuncturists belong to a professional body that regulates them.

It is the BAcC’s view that the reason acupuncture is increasingly popular is because, in properly trained hands and for most cases, it works! Today’s general public would not be demanding a treatment that produces no results. The fact that it has a continuous clinical history for some 3,000 years is hard to argue but for cultural reasons the West requires an evidence base to incorporate any system of medicine into mainstream healthcare.' content[6]='
Acupuncture and the NHS
Traditional acupuncture and its associated techniques are often depicted in the media as an “exclusive, trendy” thing to do. This is primarily dictated by the fact that it is often only available as private healthcare. The right place for this system of medicine is within a powerful infrastructure of integrated healthcare, available to the mass population and via the National Health Service.

Although there are several initiatives set up and services funded and provided within NHS hospitals and clinics, it is limited and even fewer of these conform to providing the traditional medicine version of acupuncture.

Unfortunately there have been very few studies in the UK that clearly identify the cost benefits of acupuncture versus conventional care. There is one from the USA called Health Visions 2000, by Claire Cassidy with the following findings from a study covering six clinics in the USA:
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Safety and Efficacy
It is true to say that every system of medicine is never without some element of risk, known or unknown. The key to minimising the risks is appropriate and extensive training and continued professional development. In properly trained hand, acupuncture is safer than most other methods of healthcare.

In 2001, the results of an extensive survey involving 1,848 traditional acupuncturists were published in [BMJ September 2001;323:486-487]. The salient points of the findings are as follows: