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Acupuncture

Lidder Therapies | Acupuncture Treatments in Hitchin

Western Medical Acupuncture

Acupuncture is one of the many skills employed within physiotherapy as part of an integrated approach to the management of pain and inflammation. It involves stimulating sensory nerves under the skin and in the muscles of the body. This results in the body producing natural substances such as pain relieving endorphins, melatonin (which promotes sleep) and serotonin (to promote well-being). These chemicals assist the body’s healing processes and offer pain relief. 

 

A course of acupuncture usually creates longer lasting pain relief than when a single treatment is used.

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Traditional Chinese Medicine Acupuncture

The traditional view is that there are energy or Qi (pronounced chee) meridians running throughout the body. When our bodies are healthy, there is plenty of Qi and it flows smoothly. However if there is a problem the energy becomes unbalanced and stagnates. Needles are inserted into these meridians to restore balance, and promote the bodies own natural healing properties.

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Trigger point Acupuncture or Dry needling 

This kind of acupuncture is used in the treatment of muscle spasm and trigger points. It involves inserting a needle into a tight muscle, maybe rotating the needle to release tension within the muscle fibres. The needles are kept in situ for a shorter period of time than in a standard acupuncture treatment.

Lidder Therapies, Acupuncture, Hitchin

Who is acupuncture treatment for? 

There are a wide range of conditions that can be treated and helped by acupuncture

The current guidelines by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends acupuncture for:

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  • chronic tension headaches

  • migraines​

  • neck pain

  • joint pain

  • dental pain

  • post surgery

 

However, in many conditions where acupuncture is used, there's less good quality evidence to draw any clear conclusions over its effectiveness compared with other treatments. Clinically we find that acupuncture can be an effective treatment modality for many pain conditions. 

 

Acupuncture and its use in Fertility 

Fertility problems are common and currently one in six couples in the UK are considered to experience difficulty in getting pregnant. The desire to have children later in life is also having an effect on conception. 

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Until fairly recently the medical profession has been sceptical about integrating complementary therapies with conventional medicine, but there is now an increasing amount of research that suggests that acupuncture may have some benefit during IVF treatment and also in helping with natural conception by regulating the menstrual cycle.

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Acupuncture during pregnancy

Acupuncture is an ideal form of treatment during pregnancy because it offers women safe, drug free relief for a multitude of problems that can arise during pregnancy and childbirth. It may prevent these conditions becoming serious enough to necessitate medical intervention:

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  • Back pain and sciatica

  • Neck pain

  • Pelvic pain

  • Nausea & Vomiting 

  • Constipation

  • Carpal tunnel syndrome

  • Anxiety

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Acupuncture may also be helpful in turning breech babies, birth preparation and induction of labour.

 

Acupuncture in pelvic health

Acupuncture can be used to help symptoms of

  • Pelvic or vulval pain

  • Menopause

  • Anxiety

  • Insomnia 

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Acupuncture for bladder and bowel urgency and frequency

Percutaneous Tibial Nerve Stimulation (PTNS) is a beneficial treatment for bladder and bowel conditions such as constipation, pelvic prolapse, pelvic pain and more. The tibial nerve in the lower leg has the same nerve root as the nerves that supply the bladder and bowel.  Treatment involves inserting thin acupuncture needles just above the ankle and stimulating the tibial nerve through gentle electrical impulses using an electro-acupuncture machine. This can result in improved bladder and/or rectal activity. For optimal results, the treatment requires 8-12 sessions, once or twice a week.

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​​Book your acupuncture appointment here

 

Read what to expect on your first visit. 

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If you are unsure how we can help or what treatment you require please get in touch

Treating with Acupuncture

TESTIMONIALS ABOUT ACUPUNCTURE

Acupuncture is an amazing thing which certainly helps and certainly works. These days everyone believes in medical science and drugs to sort you out forgetting about natural solutions. Maybe because there’s no ‘scientific’ evidence behind it,  but two thousand years of successful application should prove you wrong. My husband was sceptical when I first mentioned it to him: “Needles?!!! Are you sure?”. But after a couple of months when we started seeing positive changes in my cycles and then eventually got pregnant without any drugs, we both realised it worked. It’s really a shame that NHS specialists never mentioned acupuncture as one of the ways to treat PCOS, but advised us to wait for a year and be back afterwards. I was lucky to meet Bally who helped us out naturally, and really thankful for her knowledge and experience to help me out without any drugs!

Mrs RH

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