Your Treatment

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Your initial visit will take up to an hour and a half and will consist of a personal and medical consultation covering your family history, lifestyle, systems functions (eg. sleep, appetite) and full details of your current complaint/s and any test or investigations that you have had.

You will also have the opportunity to discuss in complete confidence any concerns or troubles you may currently be dealing with. After your consultation I will carry out a number of short non-invasive physical diagnostic tests including blood pressure, temperature distribution and pulse taking. In most cases, aside from the most complex, this is then followed by your first treatment. 

 Subsequent appointments take up to three quarters of an hour, and include discussion of your progress and your treatment to date. 

Many patients are concerned that acupuncture maybe painful but as the needles are flexible and about as thick as two human hairs there is usually only a very slight sensation as it enters the skin. Sometimes patients also feel a dull ache on the acupuncture point but this also only lasts for a few seconds and is generally not considered to be uncomfortable. 

Many people find acupuncture relaxing and feel very calm after a treatment; you may also feel a little tired or sleepy so if possible, try to arrange for your first session for a relatively restful and quiet day. 

Acupuncture is one of the safest medical treatments currently on offer in the UK, in fact in 2001 a number of studies concluded that the risk of serious adverse reaction to acupuncture is less than 1 in 10,000.  Any minor side effects that do occur, such as dizziness or bruising around needle points, are infrequent, mild and self-correcting. 

There are many different styles of Acupuncture practised in the UK.  I am trained in 5 Element Acupuncture and Toyohari (non-insertive needling) Japanese Acupuncture.   I hold a Professional Licentiate in Acupuncture which is a 3 year degree level qualification.

No.  If you would like to see the research on the efficacy of Acupuncture for specific conditions, please see my 'What's the Research?' page. 

That depends upon how long you have had your condition., how deep or serious it is and your age and constitution.  There is no one size fits all.  An illness such as Fibromyalgia may require long-term treatment because different functions of your body are involved and your illness is much more complex.  A muscular problem or osteoarthritis of the knee may only require two or three treatments.  Each week before we begin your treatment, we will review progress to date and decide how to continue.

Yes.  You should always consult with your GP or medical professional prior to changing your medication.

Needles are single-use disposable sterile needles which have been sourced from a reliable UK organisation.

Whilst you are being treated by me, I will not leave the room to treat another person.  When I am with you, your treatment is my priority. 

I specialize in non-narcotic practices in healing pain . I use an array of proven methods.  My goal is to treat and relieve your condition permanently by getting to the root cause instead of using pharmaceuticals for temporary relief.  

As part of your treatment I will suggest perhaps using adjunctive therapies if I feel it is appropriate for your condition.  Some of these treatments are:

• 5 Element Acupuncture
• Cupping Therapy
• GuaSha
• Moxibustion
• Muscle Taping
• Korean Hand Therapy
• Auricular Acupuncture & NADA
• Korean Magnet Therapy
• Japanese Acupuncture (non-insertive needles) / Toyohari 
• Cosmetic Acupuncture and Guasha Facial Massage
• Battlefield Acupuncture