Contents

• What is Acupuncture or Dry Needling ?
• How Does Acupuncture Work?
• What Can be Treated with Medical Acupuncture?
• How Many Treatments Will I Need?
• Are There Any Side Effects to the Treatment?
• What Are the Needles Like? Is it painful ?

Sayer Clinics Acupuncture therapists treat many painful musculoskeletal conditions .

What is Acupuncture or Dry Needling ?

Western Medical Acupuncture, Chinese, Japanese or Dry Needling all use acupuncture needles to stimulate specific points in the body and work by effective stimulation to induce a focused and rapid response for the body to heal itself. A mild electrical current or gentle manipulation of the needles may be used to provide additional stimulation of the points to produce a more urgent response.

How Does Acupuncture Work?

The classical Chinese explanation is that channels of energy (Qi) run in regular patterns through the body and over its surface. These energy channels, called meridians, are like rivers flowing through the body to irrigate and nourish the tissues. An obstruction in the movement of these energy rivers is like a dam that backs up the flow in one part of the body and restricts it in others. The meridians can be influenced by needling the acupuncture points; the acupuncture needles unblock the obstructions and re-establish the regular flow through the meridians. Acupuncture treatment can help the body’s internal organs to correct imbalances in digestion, absorption, and energy.

The modern scientific explanation is that needling to the acupuncture points stimulates the nervous system to release endorphins and other chemicals in the muscles, spinal cord, and brain. These chemicals either change the experience of pain or trigger the release of other substances and hormones, which influence the body’s internal regulating system. The improved energy and biochemical balance produced by acupuncture results in stimulation of the body’s natural healing abilities.

What Can be Treated with Medical Acupuncture?

Acupuncture is often associated with pain control, but has much broader applications.

The World Health Organization recognises the use of acupuncture in the treatment of over 40 medical problems, including:

• Digestive disorders: reflux, indigestion, gastritis and hyper-acidity, irritable bowel syndrome, spastic colon, constipation, diarrhoea.
• Respiratory disorders, allergies, sinusitis, sore throat, bronchitis, asthma, recurrent chest infections.
• Neurological and muscular disorders: fibromyalgia, headaches, facial tics, neck pain, rib neuritis, frozen shoulder, tennis elbow, carpal tunnel and other forms of tendonitis, low back pain, sciatica, osteoarthritis, sports injuries.
• Urinary, menstrual, and reproductive problems including infertility, pelvic, sacral and coccyx pain
• Psycho-Emotional & Neurological Disorders: Depression, Anxiety, Panic Disorders, Addiction, Insomnia, Migraines and Tension Headaches, Trigeminal Neuralgia, Fertility and conception Disorders, Prenatal and Post-partum care, PMS, Menstrual Disorders & Menopausal symptoms.
• Acupuncture is particularly useful in resolving physical problems related to tension, stress and emotional conditions.

Are There Any Side Effects to the Treatment?

As internal chemicals and hormones are stimulated the original symptoms may mildly increase for a few days with possible changes in appetite, sleep or emotional state.

What Are the Needles Like? Is it painful ?

Most patients feel no pain. Once the needles are in place, there may be a mild ache in the area. Acupuncture needles are very thin and are made from stainless steel. The point is smooth and insertion through the skin is not painful .There is minimal risk of bruising or skin irritation.

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At Sayer Clinics sterile gloves are worn, the acupuncture site is cleaned with an alcohol swab and disposable needles in sterilised packaging are used once only so that there is no risk of infection.

Call Ines or Maggie on 020 7937 8978 from 8am to 8pm …we’re here to help you.

There are three Sayer Clinics throughout London.

Each Clinic offers a variety of services for:

• back pain relief
• lower back pain relief
• neck pain, stiff back
• neck pain, headaches
• chronic back pain relief

Treatments include Chiropractic, Medical Acupuncture, Physical therapy and Therapeutic Massage.

To view testimonials for Sayer Clinics London, please click here.