What is Acupuncture?
Traditional acupuncture is one of the oldest medical procedures in the world. Its origin lies in ancient China and other eastern cultures and can be traced back over 4000 years. This is now widely used and accepted all over the world. Acupuncture benefits the whole body and all ages.
Meridians
Balance & Harmony
The focus of the treatment is on treating the whole person rather than individual specific symptoms.
Balancing the flow of 'life-force energy' or Qi (pronounced chee) through energy channels around the body is the Chinese philosophy behind acupuncture.
The flow of Qi can be disturbed by a number of factors such as physical illness, emotional issues, infection or trauma and poor nutrition. When Qi is unbalanced, illness may result. Acupuncture aims to address these imbalances by the insertion of fine acupuncture needles into acupuncture points along these channels.
See my You Tube demonstration of someone recieving Acupuncture https://youtu.be/hEklHv22Kr8
These points are also used for other treatments such as acupressure massage, cupping and moxibustion. This is beneficial where patients have a dislike or phobia of needles. See Other Treatments for more information.
Patient Receiving Acupuncture
Auricular Acupuncture
This is a specialised therapy where points on the outer ear are treated. This uses either needles or acupunctoscopes to help relieve many chronic complaints.
There are over 200 points on the ear. Each point is named after an area of the anatomy. When the point is treated, this triggers an electrical impulse from the ear via the brain to the specific part of the body.
Benefits
Research has shown to be effective in treating a number of conditions and the NHS actively recommends it for a number of medical conditions. The National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence also recommends the use of acupuncture for the treatment of
- chronic tension-type headaches
- migraines
It is also often used to treat other musculoskeletal conditions (of the bones and muscles) and pain conditions, including:
- chronic pain, such as neck pain
- joint pain
- dental pain
- postoperative pain
The British Acupuncture Council have compiled fact sheets on the following conditions.
These fact sheets are produced to provide accurate and unbiased general information for a variety of conditions. They provide summaries of research and how it may be beneficial. You should always consult your GP if you have any concerns or please feel free to contact myself to discuss this further.
Acupuncture and tennis elbow Allergic rhinitis Anxiety Back pain Bell’s palsy Cancer Care Chronic fatigue syndrome Chronic pain Colds and flu COPD Cystitis Dentistry |
Depression
Eczema and Psoriasis Endometriosis Fibromyalgia Frozen shoulder Gastrointestinal tract disorders Headaches Insomnia Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) Menopausal symptoms Migraines Nausea and vomiting |
Osteoarthritis Post-operative pain Premenstrual syndrome Puerperium Rheumatoid arthritis Sciatica Sinusitis Sports Injuries Stress Type - Diabetes Urinary incontinence
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Cosmetic Acupuncture
Acupuncture has been around for thousands of years. The Chinese use points on the face to combat the signs of ageing and to help with various skin conditions. You can read about Facial Acupuncture in this article, click here.
Unlike BOTOX®, which carries a large number of possible side effects, this is a totally natural and holistic anti-ageing treatment that aims to reduce fine lines and wrinkles. It has been in the news recently asking if Facial Acupuncture is the new BOTOX®. You can read the article here. Patients often report that they feel healthier, sleep better, have brighter eyes and feel more balanced. Facial Acupuncture is also known as Cosmetic Acupuncture and is endorsed by many celebrities. Read more here.
I was trained by Paul Adkins, who founded the exclusive Cosmetic Acupuncture UK (CAUK) which is a Professional Practitioner Network.

Client Receiving Facial Acupuncture
Further Training
I have undergone further training otherwise known as continuing practitioner development (CPD) with Mr Louw Van Niekerk who is a Consultant in Orthopaedic Surgery and Ms Sharon Bell who is a Consultant in Podiatric Surgery. I've also attended the North East Symposium on Sports Injuries and Exercise Medicine.
In October 2018, I underwent training in Sa am Five Element Acupuncture with Prof Jong Baik, this is one of the major systems of thought within Traditional Chinese Medicine. Based on the five elements of nature: fire, earth, metal, water and wood, five element acupuncture has been used as a method of diagnosis and treatment for over two thousand years
In September 2019 I completed my final training course of the year, attending the Master Tung course in Leeds.
This is Dr Tien-Te Tseng (曾天德) and it was his first time visit to the UK to teach the Master Tung course.
Dr Tseng is a renowned practitioner and one of the very few authorised teachers of Master Tung's Acupuncture. He is part of Master Tung's lineage and one of the four recognised students of Dr Wei Chieh Young, a direct disciple of Master Tung. So I feel very lucky to have attended one of his courses and now able to implement Master Tung in my clinic.
Master Tung has often been referred to as the greatest acupuncture technician who ever lived. He was a scholar of the I-Ching, and a traditional Chinese physician from the Shandong Province in Northern China, famous for the miraculous and spontaneous results he would obtain using just a few needles. The acupuncture points he used are unique in that they are located opposite the affected area. In most cases, the patient notices the effect immediately upon insertion of the needle. Master Tung’s Points are fondly referred to as ‘magic points’ because in most cases, these points deliver instant and lasting results.
Even though I don't speak Mandarin Chinese (we had an excellent translator), I still found myself understanding and nodding along to Dr Tseng and his teachings...and yes I fully understood the slide he was pointing to. 😊
Prices
For a full list of prices click here.