What is Medical Acupuncture?
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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.
As we learn more about this type of treatment, the possibilities of using acupuncture alongside orthodox medicine increase. The distinction between complementary or alternative medicine and conventional medicine is becoming blurred as acupuncture is accepted in medicine. Acupuncture is already available in most hospital pain clinics and it is provided by an ever-increasing number of GPs and hospital doctors. |
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What does Medical Acupuncture treat?
• Acupuncture is effective in a range of painful conditions and is commonly used for short-term relief of chronic low back pain and neck pain, and can help with knee pain caused by osteoarthritis;
• There is good evidence that it is effective in the short term relief of tension type headaches and migraine, and of temporomandibular (jaw joint) pain;
• Short term improvements in the symptoms of overactive bladder syndrome;
• It also has been found effective in other forms of chronic pain such as neuralgia and cancer pain.
This is not a complete list and other conditions have been treated with acupuncture. You can find more comprehensive list of conditions which have been continuously updated based on the most recent research.
Both of our osteopaths can offer this service, Alan Reed is a fully qualified practitioner in medical acupuncture and Mariah Ramoly is qualified to use dry needling. Differing from traditional Chinese acupuncture in that a conventional medical diagnosis is made and needles are used to influence the patient’s physiology according to a conventional scientific view. This treatment can be used either in conjunction with osteopathic techniques to reduce pain and decrease the tenderness in muscles, or as a stand alone treatment.
*Information above has been extracted and adapted from The British Medical Acupuncture Society website.
• There is good evidence that it is effective in the short term relief of tension type headaches and migraine, and of temporomandibular (jaw joint) pain;
• Short term improvements in the symptoms of overactive bladder syndrome;
• It also has been found effective in other forms of chronic pain such as neuralgia and cancer pain.
This is not a complete list and other conditions have been treated with acupuncture. You can find more comprehensive list of conditions which have been continuously updated based on the most recent research.
Both of our osteopaths can offer this service, Alan Reed is a fully qualified practitioner in medical acupuncture and Mariah Ramoly is qualified to use dry needling. Differing from traditional Chinese acupuncture in that a conventional medical diagnosis is made and needles are used to influence the patient’s physiology according to a conventional scientific view. This treatment can be used either in conjunction with osteopathic techniques to reduce pain and decrease the tenderness in muscles, or as a stand alone treatment.
*Information above has been extracted and adapted from The British Medical Acupuncture Society website.