Western medical acupuncture is a therapeutic technique involving the insertion of fine needles into the skin and underlying tissues. It has been adapted from Chinese acupuncture using current knowledge of anatomy, physiology and pathology. The theory behind the therapy is that certain trigger points (nerve fibres or receptors) are stimulated with needles which are thought to induce rhythmic discharges that cause a release of endogenous opioids and oxytocin.
Who can Medical Acupuncture help?
Medical acupuncture can help with a wide range of painful conditions:
- Short term relief of tension type headaches
- Short term relief of migraine headaches
- Short term relief of chronic back pain
- Short term relief of neck pain and chronic neck pain
- Short term relief of temporomandibular (TMD/TMJ) pain
- Temporary adjunctive treatment for osteoarthritis knee pain
What can I expect from my first treatment?
During the initial assessment the therapist will spend about one and half hours with you. This session will include:
- Taking a full case history, looking at previous and current symptoms, and talking about your general health
- With permission a full physical assessment, to include orthopaedic and neurological tests.
- A full explanation of findings and a treatment plan will also be discussed.
- A treatment will be included in the first session.
During a treatment fine needles are inserted and left for 5-30 minutes. Patients can be fully clothed, but the area the needles are to be inserted into need to be exposed.
Subsequent treatments will last from 30-45 minutes.
How many sessions will I need?
A typical course of acupuncture will last 4 sessions, but more or fewer may be needed in certain cases. The number of sessions needed will depend on the individual, but can be dependent on a number of factors including age, extent of injury, duration of injury, general fitness and posture.
Medical acupuncture can be used in conjunction with chiropractic for very effective results.