Can acupuncture help?

Anxiety is the scourge of the modern world. Technology meant to help us throws us into a pace of life that we just weren’t designed for; 24/7 access via electronic devices, and constant pressure to look good and be seen to have exciting lives leave us ever vulnerable to criticism, be it real or perceived.

I’m thrilled to introduce complentary thereapist Teresa Barron, who wil be joining me at Oxford Street from next week,. Teresa has many years experience, both as a highly qualified complemenatry therapist and as a nurse. Here’s what she has to say………..

Watching brekfast television this morning, I was surprised to hear there was an 18% chance of having an adverse reaction to acupncture. Some people bruise a little, some might feel a little light headed, but the chance of you having an adverse reaction to acupuncture is 1 in 10,000 So why such a discrepancy?

Is Something Disturbing You?

We’re coming towards the end of stress awareness month. But do you know what stress really is, how stress affects your health, and how can you live a less stressful life? Find out here!

February is Raynaud’s Awareness Month. Raynaud’s affects 1 in six people living in the UK.

Acupuncture is often dismissed by western scientists because they don’t understand how it works. That’s understandable. Chinese medicine practitioners talk a different language. We ramble on about Qi, Zang Fu organs, channels, extraordinary vessels and the like. But, at the end of the day, we’re treating the same body and there is plenty of evidence that acupuncture works well for a wide range of conditions (see my “Does Acupuncture Work” blog).

If only I had a pound for every time someone asked me that question! It usually comes up when someone is trying to decide how to deal with a health issue and is not sure what to do.

Not so long ago, you went to your family doctor if you were ill. Nowadays, there is a wealth of choice. That’s great in one respect, but it can also be confusing.

The NHS advisory service, The National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE), recommend acupuncture for the treatment of migraines and chronic headaches. Acupuncture has been found to be more effective than basic or no treatment, and at least as effective as some drug treatments, but with little risk of side effects.

Cancer care is an area in which Western Medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine complement each other well. Acupuncture can make changes to biochemistry that help to reduce these symptoms along with the stress and anxiety that cancer naturally brings.