FULLY COMPREHENSIVE
Chinese Medicine has spread to every country in the world. Acupuncture is a fully comprehensive and evolved branch of Traditional Chinese Medicine, which also includes herbal medicine, Tui Na massage, Qigong, Acupressure and Cupping.There are over 300 acupuncture points on the body surface all of which activate different energetic functions of the body, as in Chinese terms all ill health is caused by an imbalance in the energies of the person.
Acupuncture can be used to treat most health problems, it can work physically, emotionally, psychologically and spiritually. A number of conditions acupunture can treat are:
- Stress
- Panic Attacks
- Insomnia
- Digestive Problems
- Hairloss
- Headaches
- Infertility
An acupuncture session usually lasts up to an hour and in the initial consultation the practitioner will take your medical history and ask you to provide further details about the condition you would like to address and areas that could be negatively impacting upon this, such as sleep patterns, stress levels etc.
The more honest you can be here the better as the more accurate the picture you paint yourself the better able the practitioner is to tailor a treatment for your benefit.
Acupuncture and Pregnancy
During pregnancy a woman can receive Acupuncture treatments to help ease them through the trimesters and ensure a healthy birth and a healthy baby.
Acupuncture is known to be effective in the treatment of the following during pregnancy:
Morning sickness.
Varicose veins.
Vulval variscosities.
Migranes / Headaches.
Constipation.
Lower back pain and sciatica.
Anxiety.
Oedema.
Exhaustion.
Depression.
Lack of libido.
Food cravings.
Stress.
Insomnia.
Nausea
Nausea during pregnancy is often dismissed as a minor disorder, but it can be compared to having persistant food poisoning for up to 12 or 16 weeks! Nausea is estimated to affect one third of all pregnancies so it is worth considering finding a solution to it. In Chinese medicine the nausea is linked with the stomachs energy. An acupuncture treatment is aimed at strengthening the energetic function of the stomach and correcting any underlying dis-harmonies, dietry advice will also be given.
Breech Presentation
Breech babies are ideally treated between 34 and 36 weeks gestation. This is often a one off treatment at home with a moxa stick. The moxa stick is lit and held over specific places in the body to stimulate the acupuncture points.
Pre Birth Acupuncture
This involves a series of four treatments weekly from 36 or 37 weeks to prepare for labour. Points are used according to a womans constitution and pregnancy history. This will help the baby get into the best position for labour and promote optimal energy and stamina for the woman to enter into labour.
Acupuncture and Infertility
On its own, acupuncture can be seen as an alternative way of treating fertility problems. It is also often seen as a complementary therapy to modern fertility treatments. When used alone, though, acupuncture is probably most effective for those couples who are experiencing a functional problem, like irregular ovulation, rather than a structural problem, like a blockage in the sperm ducts.
Acupuncture helps by regulating your body’s system. This aids in blood flow to the reproductive organs and stabilizes hormone levels. This in turn will increase ovarian function in women as well as sperm production in men.
Used as a complementary form of therapy for women undergoing other fertility treatments, acupuncture has been proven to be especially beneficial. Some believe that acupuncture works by helping women stay more relaxed through stressful fertility treatments. In particular, studies have shown that acupuncture definitely increases the rate of pregnancy in women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF).
A German study done in 2002 showed that of the 80 women who underwent IVF and received acupuncture, 34 women got pregnant, a success rate of 42.5%. Of the 80 women involved in the study who received IVF without any acupuncture treatments, only 21 women (26.3%) became pregnant. More recently, an American study involving 114 women showed that 51% of the women who had acupuncture and IVF treatments became pregnant versus only 36% of the women who had IVF alone. Deeper analysis of this study revealed that, while 8% of the women in the acupuncture group miscarried, the rate of miscarriage in the IVF-only group was 20%. Furthermore, women who received acupuncture also had lower rates of ectopic pregnancies.
Facial Enhancement Acupuncture
Facial Enhancement Acupunture has been practiced for thousands of years. It is acupuncture on points of the face to stimulate the meridions and therefore improve the muscle tone and skin contraction, this helps to eliminate fine lines and wrinkles.
The treatment also reduces the sagging jowls and helps eliminate puffiness by improving the metabolism. The skins circulation is greatly improved and this helps even out colour tone and tightens the pores.
As the treatment is totally natural and is working with the body’s energy the client will feel revitalised all over with a general sense of well being.
Facial Enhancement Acupuncture is a fantastic alternative to medical and chemical treatments.
What is involved?
Improvement can be evident after the first treatment although significant improvements are usually clearer after receiving a number of treatments.
12 to 14 weekly treatments are recommended with top ups carried out 6 monthly.
Acupuncture & TCM are covered by VHI, Quinn Healthcare and Hibernian Health.
Provider: Anita Hughes O’Brien
