Acupuncture
Acupuncture involves the expert and precise insertion of fine sterilised needles into the skin at locations known as acupuncture points. These points lie throughout the body on pathways called meridians along which Qi flows. In the Chinese medical system, stimulation of acupuncture points through the insertion of acupuncture needles regulates the flow of Qi and influences the functioning of organs in your body. Biomedically, various studies have shown that Acupuncture can stimulate nerve impulses, change the body's perception of pain and influence levels of hormones and neurotransmitters in the body.
Acupuncture is today the most widely practiced Chinese medicine treatment in the UK, offered by traditional acupuncturists, as well as NHS healthcare professionals such as GPs, physiotherapists, midwives and nurses.
What happens during an acupuncture treatment?
Acupuncture is often carried out on the abdomen, the forearms and the lower legs, although this obviously depends on the problem being treated. Before your treatment, Lily will ask you to remove any clothing covering the areas that need to be used. It is therefore best to wear loose clothing that can be easily pulled up or removed. Lily will usually use between 5 and 10 acupuncture points, depending on your personal needs and the condition being treated.
Acupuncture needles are very fine, about the thickness of a strand of hair, and are solid rather than hollow. When the needles are inserted, you may feel a small pin prick with people often describing a tingling, heaviness or a dull ache after the needle is inserted. You will then be asked to relax whilst the needles are retained for approximately 30 minutes. During this time, the circulation of your Qi is restored and the natural balance in your body regained.
Who can use acupuncture?
In 1997, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) released a consensus statement that supported the use of Acupuncture for a wide range of conditions. Acupuncture is particularly well documented in the treatment of:
- Headache and migraines
- Painful conditions such as lower back pain, sports injuries and arthritic or rheumatic joint pains
- Nausea and vomiting
- Smoking, drug and alcohol addictions
- Respiratory and allergic conditions such as asthma, hayfever and sinusitis
- Gynaecological conditions such as painful periods and irregular periods
- Neurological conditions such as Bell's Palsy and hemiplegia.
Chinese Herbal Medicine
Chinese herbs consist of natural dried leaves, bark, flowers and roots which possess different characteristics and have different actions on the body. Chinese herbal medicine is most commonly taken as herbal teas or pills. Herbal teas involve a personalised prescription of different herbs that has been designed by Lily to directly target different areas of imbalance within your body to restore harmony. Herbal pills consist of a generalised prescription of different herbs that are designed to combat commonly seen patterns of disharmony amongst patients. Whether prescribed as teas or pills, Chinese herbs always work together to correct internal imbalances within your body and activate the body's self-healing processes.
What is the science behind Chinese Herbal Medicine?
Recent studies on Chinese herbal medicine have found that Chinese herbs have a wide range of regulatory effects on the body. Chinese herbs can reduce inflammatory agents in the body, stimulate the body to release natural pain-relieving chemicals known as endorphins, regulate the immune system and can also enhance the effect of conventional cancer treatment as well as help control or reduce the side-effects of cancer therapies.
What will happen when I receive Chinese Herbal Medicine?
Lily may prescribe you prescriptions of herbal tea or herbal pills.
Herbal tea prescriptions need to be boiled on a daily basis following instructions from Lily and are usually taken twice a day. The herbs may initially taste unusual and often bitter but will usually include herbs that are sweeter in taste, making the tea easier for you to take.
Herbal pills are pre-prepared prescriptions and are usually taken two or three times a day according to Lily's instructions. Because they are comparatively more convenient to take, herbal pills are often a popular alternative to herbal prescriptions.
Who can use Chinese Herbal Medicine?
Chinese medicine can be safely prescribed to people of all ages and constitutions. Lily will always take into account your past medical history and any medication you have been prescribed when selecting the herbs in a formula and will adjust the dosages accordingly.
Chinese herbal medicine can successfully treat a wide range of disorders and is most commonly used for:
- Skin diseases such as eczema, psoriasis and acne
- Gastrointestinal disorders such as IBS and constipation
- Rheumatological conditions such as Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoarthritis
- Gynaecological problems such as painful periods, PMT and menopausal symptoms
- Stress-related disorders such as depression, anxiety and mood-swings
- Immunological disorders such as chronic infections or alongside conventional cancer treatments
Are there any risks involved in taking Chinese Herbal Medicine?
Chinese herbs are perfectly safe when prescribed correctly by a properly trained practitioner. Serious adverse effects as a result of taking Chinese herbal medicine are rare and usually occur due to inadequate training by the practitioner, bad practice or poor herbal medicine processing controls.
Lily is a practitioner member of the Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine (ATCM), the largest professional self-regulatory body for TCM in the UK . All members of the ATCM must abide by strict Codes of Practice and Professional Conduct with ensure the highest professional standards of hygiene, sterilisation and safety in the practice of TCM. Lily prescribes authentic Chinese herbal medicine that has been quality-assured by using only ATCM approved suppliers who must fulfil rigorous criteria following a thorough investigation by independent auditors. This is very important in protecting public safety and to ensure that patients receive the best quality Chinese herbs available.
Tui Na
Tui Na is a form of manual therapy, relatively new to the west but whose roots are based in ancient China, contemporary with the origins of Acupuncture.
Historically in clinical practice Tui Na was the Chinese equivalent of what we in west would refer to as Physiotherapy, Osteopathy and other manual therapies including certain types of massage.
As part of the theory of Chinese medicine Tui Na is considered as one of the main branches of Chinese Medicine (Acupuncture, Herbal medicine, Tui Na and dietary therapy to which some also include practices such as Tai Chi or Qi Gong). As such Tui Na can be used in conjunction to acupuncture or herbal medicine but also as a standalone intervention, depending on patient’s needs and condition.
Tui Na is an invaluable tool for practitioners of Chinese medicine used for a wide number of conditions and works particularly efficiently on musculoskeletal conditions such as back and neck pain, knee pain, tennis elbow or simply as a relaxing massage.