Acupuncture
Acupuncture is one of the longest established forms of healthcare in the world.
Acupuncturists are trained to use subtle diagnostic techniques that have been developed and refined for thousands of years. The focus is on you as an individual, not your illness, and all symptoms are seen in relation to each other. Treatment involves the gentle insertion of very fine needles into specific points on the body to affect the flow of your body’s qi, or vital energy.
Polly is a Member of the British Acupuncture Council and practices traditional acupuncture.
What does acupuncture treat?
A growing body of evidence-based clinical research is discovering how the body responds to acupuncture and its benefits for a wide range of common health conditions. Many people use acupuncture to relieve specific aches and pains, such as osteoarthritis of the knee, tennis elbow, TMJ, headaches and low back pain, or for common health problems like an overactive bladder. Acupuncture can also be helpful for treating those experiencing anxiety, stress and more general feelings of ill health and low energy.
Increasingly acupuncture is the go to treatment for those wishing to optimise natural conception, or support for IVF. Some women have treatment throughout their pregnancies and find it effective for treating morning sickness and other pregnancy related symptoms. And many women choose acupuncture to treat the discomfort menopausal symptoms can bring.
Other people choose acupuncture when they can feel their bodily functions are out of balance, but they have no obvious diagnosis. And many have regular treatments because they find it so beneficial and relaxing.
Please follow the link to the British Acupuncture Council Website for fact sheets on various conditions.
Acupuncture is covered by most Health Insurers. We can provide you with receipts so that you can claim directly yourself.
Your first consultation
During your first visit we need to gain a thorough understanding of your main complaint and your general health and lifestyle. This involves asking questions about your current symptoms and your medical history, as well as such things as your sleeping pattern, your appetite and digestion, and your emotional wellbeing. Women are also asked about their menstrual cycle and any past pregnancies and childbirth.
You might feel that some questions appear unrelated to your condition but the information you give helps your practitioner to form a more complete picture of your health and lifestyle. Your acupuncturist will also take your pulse on both wrists and may examine your tongue and feel for areas of muscular tension or pain.
Your treatment plan
Based on all the information you have given, Polly will make a diagnosis and put together your treatment plan, which may include lifestyle and dietary advice as well as acupuncture. She will use very fine single-use pre-sterilised needles to stimulate specific acupuncture points on your body.
Because energy meridians range across the whole body, the points used are not necessarily close to where you experience pain or discomfort. For example, if you suffer from headaches needles might be inserted in your foot or hand.
Lifestyle advice & after treatment
Polly is likely to suggest ways in which you can enhance the long-term effects of your treatment. This may involve making changes to your diet and daily routine.
If necessary you will be referred to other healthcare practitioners for specialist care.
Acupuncture has very few side effects and any that do occur are usually mild and self-correcting.
Most people find acupuncture relaxing and often feel very calm after a treatment.
“She always took time to listen and I often felt that the time I spent talking to Polly was as beneficial as the needles. We have been rewarded with the gift of our amazing son, Leo who makes this whole experience worthwhile. We cannot thank Polly enough for all that she has done for”
