To bring a patients body into balance, and to stimulate the bodies natural healing abilities, so that the patients condition will improve.
At The Osteopaths, medical acupuncture is commonly used in conjunction with osteopathic techniques to treat musculoskeletal pain; for example back, shoulder, neck and leg pain. It can also be applied to treat trapped nerves, chronic muscle strains, sports injuries and various kinds of arthritic pain. Acupuncture is also recommended by National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) for low back pain.
Acupuncture is proven to be effective in a wide range of painful conditions and is commonly used in short term relief of musculoskeletal pain, including chronic low back and neck pain, knee osteoarthritis pain, migraine and tension–type headache, and temporomandibular (jaw joint) disorders (TMD)
Some other situations in which acupuncture might be used are: improvement in the symptoms of overactive bladder syndrome; elbow and shoulder pain; facial and dental pain; nausea and insomnia.
Research has shown that there may be benefits to women’s health including treatment for painful periods; fertility issues and IVF; menopausal conditions such as hot flushes and night sweats.
Electro-acupuncture is quite similar to traditional acupuncture in that the same points are stimulated during treatment. As with traditional acupuncture, needles are inserted on specific points along the body. The needles are then attached to a device that generates continuous electric pulses using small clips. These devices are used to adjust the frequency and intensity of the impulse being delivered, depending on the condition being treated. Electro-acupuncture uses two needles at time so that the impulses can pass from one needle to the other. Several pairs of needles can be stimulated simultaneously, usually for no more than 30 minutes at a time.
Electro-acupuncture is a bit like a TENS machine attached to the acupuncture needle but with more profound effects on pain. This is because it stimulates around the point of the needle, much closer to the pain nerves. The patient is in complete control of the strength of the impulse that can feel like a small “buzz” around the needle.
