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May 15 2015
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How to choose an acupuncturist

By Acupuncture

Acupuncture is not regulated in the UK. This effectively means that anyone can buy a box of needles on eBay and call themselves an acupuncturist! Following these five steps will ensure that you find a qualified, safe practitioner who is right for you.

1. Choose a type of acupuncture

There are several different types of acupuncture available in the UK:

‘Traditional Acupuncture’ is practiced by members of the British Acupuncture Council (BAcC). BAcC members have completed over 3,600 hours of study that meets World Health Organisation standards, usually in the form of a full time BA or BSc (Hons) university degree in acupuncture. Their training includes Western medical theory, Chinese medicine and acupuncture, and they are qualified to use acupuncture to treat the widest range of conditions. Each treatment they provide is uniquely formulated for you as an individual – like having a pharmacist design a new drug specifically for you.

‘Medical Acupuncture’ is practiced by people with Western medical training (like GPs and midwives) and ‘Dry Needling’ is practiced by people with training in manual therapies (like physiotherapists and chiropractors). Their acupuncture training ranges from 2 days to 6 months in duration. Some medical acupuncturists are members of the British Medical Acupuncture Society (BMAS), and some Dry Needling courses are accredited by the British Acupuncture Society (BAS). Medical Acupuncturists treat a smaller number of conditions than Traditional Acupuncturists, and Dry Needling courses cover where to insert needles for certain musculoskeletal problems. Medical Acupuncture and Dry Needling uses set treatment protocols based on your symptoms – like being given a standard over-the-counter pill.

2. Ask about their qualifications

In the absence of statutory regulation, it is essential to check what acupuncture qualifications a practitioner has before starting treatment.

You can ask what type of acupuncture they practice, how long their acupuncture training was, what qualification they gained, who awarded the qualification, and whether they belong to a professional body. British Acupuncture Council members will have the letters ‘MBAcC’ after their name.

It is never rude to ask to see a practitioner’s certificates and fully qualified practitioners will be happy to oblige. You can often check their professional registration online. For example, you can search for an acupuncturist by name on the British Acupuncture Council website at www.acupuncture.org.uk to check their membership status.

3. Check their Environmental Health registration

Like all skin-piercing techniques, acupuncture carries a risk of cross-infection. This is minimised by following guidelines set out by each district council. By law, everyone practicing acupuncture and dry needling must be inspected by and registered with their local council’s Environmental Health department, and must display their registration certificate in their treatment room. There are two exceptions: medical practitioners (e.g. GPs and nurses) practicing on NHS premises, and British Acupuncture Council members practicing in Greater London (this is because British Acupuncture Council Members adhere to very strict Safe Practice Guidelines that meet or surpass those set out by the Care Quality Commission and district councils). If you can’t see an Environmental Health certificate in your practitioner’s treatment room, ask them about it.

4. Ask about their experience

Ask what experience your prospective acupuncturist has in treating your symptoms or condition. Some acupuncturists complete additional Continuous Professional Development (CPD) training or conduct research into specific areas, so ask about this too.

You can ask what their success rate is like, but be aware that this can be a difficult question to answer because every case is unique. For example, there are many factors that contribute to low back pain, meaning that some people will feel better after just one treatment, while others will need to use acupuncture alongside lifestyle changes to help manage their pain.

5. Decide if you like them

Once you have determined what type of acupuncture they practice, checked out their qualifications, professional accreditation and Environmental Health registration, and asked about their experience, decide if you feel comfortable with them. Feeling that you trust your practitioner will make your experience much more enjoyable.

Have a look at their website and ask around to see if any of your friends have had treatment with them. Many acupuncturists offer free 15-minute sessions where you can meet them, discuss your symptoms, and ask any questions you might have. Of course, you can always give them a call and have a chat before deciding whether or not to start treatment.

 

Borrowed and reproduced with kind permission from Sarah Attwell-Griffiths

May 11 2015
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Mental Health Awareness Week: Depression according to Chinese Medicine

By Acupuncture, Depression

A while ago I stumbled across a wonderful cartoon story that so perfectly describes the experience of depression.

While everyone will have a different experience, I think those of us who have suffered with depression can all claim to have felt apathetic, foggy and a distinct lack of joy. For many, the inability to feel anything at all really.

Acupuncture made a big difference for me, and now that I’m a qualified acupuncturist myself I am beginning to understand the hows and whys. Every case is different, the background to the illness, the experience of the illness vary with each individual. So diagnosis and treatment will be different for each individual. There is no “one pill cures all”.

Here is a brief and simplified overview of Depression and its relationship to the Five Elements in Chinese Medicine. Often patients fall clearly into one category, others are spread across several, but it is always interesting to recognise some of these characteristics within ourselves.

WoodWood

The root emotion of the Wood Element is anger. Anger is a positive and healthy emotion when felt and expressed appropriately and proportionately. The Wood Organ, the Liver, is profoundly affected by stress, frustration and unexpressed emotion. The function of the Liver in TCM is to maintain the free flow of Qi around the body, but when this function is damaged or interrupted Qi Stagnation occurs. Tension in body and mind, constriction of the chest, a lump in the throat, headaches, IBS, irritability are all symptoms of Qi Stagnation. An underactive Wood Element can result in someone lacking purpose and ambition, afraid to speak their feelings, burying everything deep inside. An overactive Wood Element creates rigidity, perfectionism and explosive emotions.

 

Fire

Fire

The root emotion of Fire is Joy. The Organ is the Heart, which in TCM houses the Shen (Spirit). When suffering from depression, there is usually at least a little Fire involvement. An imbalance of this Organ results in sadness, anxiety, low self-esteem, timidity, despondency and a general loss of joie de vivre. Insomnia is a common problem. When somebody looks dead behind the eyes, in TCM the Shen is said to have been extinguished. When over-active, Fire may cause over-excitement, excessive talking, self-centeredness, highly sensitive feelings and nervous exhaustion.

 

EarthEarth

Over-thinking is the root emotion of Earth. Its Organs are the Spleen and Stomach, which oversee both physical and mental digestion. When we start to obsess on something or find ourselves stuck in a cycle of negative thinking, Earth is often at the root. Earth is also the nurturing Element, and the disproportionate worry and anxiety felt by a parent results from this Element being out of balance. A weak Earth Element may manifest in difficulty concentrating, a fuzzy head, a lack of mental clarity, dependency and neediness. When it overacts, Earth may cause over-protectiveness, constant worry and mental churning.

MetalMetal

Metal is the Element of Grief. Its Organ, the Lung, takes in and lets go. Metal is imbalanced when we lose this ability to let go of something or someone, fail to accept reality and move on with our lives. It is no coincidence that following a great loss many people become ill themselves, feeling run down and often catch colds and other viruses very easily. When the Lungs are weak they are unable to provide Wei Qi, the body’s immunity and leave us vulnerable to infections. Metal is also the Element of connectedness. When it is imbalanced, we may find ourselves withdrawing from people and shutting ourselves off from friends and family.

WaterWater

Fear is the root emotion of Water. Again, this is a healthy emotion when felt at appropriate times – it keeps us safe after all. However, when Water is out of balance we can become too afraid to live our lives fully and lose our sense of Will. Loss of confidence and self-sufficiency, feelings of apathy and powerlessness are those of a weak Water Element. An over-active Water Element creates unsettled, workaholic personalities who demand far too much from themselves resulting in burn out. The Water Organ, the Kidney is the creator of our Yin and Yang and without this energy we become exhausted. We spend more energy than we create.

Apr 23 2015
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Tips for a healthy digestive system

By Acupuncture, Aromatherapy, IBS

As April is IBS Awareness Month I am continuing this theme. Here are some simple tips that can be used by everybody to keep their digestive systems in good working order:

  • Eat regularly – don’t skip meals. Avoid eating too late in the evening to allow food to be digested before bedtime.
  • Try not to eat when feeling stressed or anxious. The mind has an intimate connection to the gut, hence why we often feel nauseous or in need of the toilet when under stress. When in a state of stress our sympathetic nervous system takes control, switching off unnecessary systems such as digestion in order to concentrate on muscles and respiration to help us escape the source of stress. Food will sit undigested in the gut until the stress has passed.
  • Concentrate on your meal. We process food better when we pay attention to what and how we are eating. There is also a tendency to over eat when watching the television or working as we do not notice the signals that we are full.
  • Don’t eat when in a hurry. Eating too quickly and not allowing some quiet time for digestion can add to digestive complaints.
  • Consider any negative emotional associations you may have with certain foods. These may be due to bad memories involving a meal, negative emotions or simple mental associations. Often eating these foods can trigger stress responses that can affect digestion. According to the IBS Network, a survey of IBS sufferers found the following common food associations:
    o Chocolate – guilt or a treat
    o Muesli – control
    o Meat – violence
    o Shellfish – sex
    o Milk – mother
    o Roast dinner – family arguments
  • Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) views the Stomach as a crockpot that processes the food. It sits above the Spleen which acts as the fire beneath. TCM dietetics advise avoiding cold and raw foods where possible as these douse the fire of the Spleen, making it difficult for the Stomach to “cook” and digest the food. Foods that are kind to the Spleen and Stomach are warming such as soups and stews.

abdominal-massage

  • Try gentle abdominal massage to keep things moving smoothly. Your colon runs up the right hand side of your abdomen (ascending colon), across below your ribs (transverse colon) and back down the left side (descending colon). Start by stroking down the descending colon 3 or 4 times. Then stroke across the transverse colon 3 or 4 times, and finally up the ascending colon. Then stroke all the way along, starting up the right, across the middle and down the left.
  • Essential oils of Aniseed, Basil, Black Pepper, Cardamom, Roman and German Chamomile, Fennel, Ginger, Nutmeg, Orange, Peppermint and Rose are carminative, providing local stimulation to the stomach lining which increases tone and contraction of the muscles. They increase stomach secretions thus improving digestion, relax the intestines to facilitate the passage of intestinal gas, have an antiseptic action on undesirable micro-organisms and promote the digestion and absorption of nutrients.
  • Herbal and fruit teas such as Chamomile, Ginger, Fennel and Peppermint are helpful in maintaining digestive health and calming an upset system.

For information and support for IBS visit The IBS Network

Apr 01 2015
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IBS Awareness Month: Can acupuncture help?

By Acupuncture, IBS

For information and advice on managing IBS symptoms visit the IBS Network

The umbrella term Irritable Bowel Syndrome refers to a number of unexplained digestive disturbances including constipation, diarrhoea, abdominal pain and bloating, rumbling and wind. About a third of the British population are affected by IBS at some point in their lives and one in ten people are severely affected.

IBS is referred to as a ‘functional disorder’ of the bowel as tests and examinations find no structural abnormality or any obvious cause. IBS is commonly associated with stress and emotional tension, often triggered by difficult periods in our lives. There is a profound connection between our emotions and our gut.

Acupuncture, as a holistic medicine, takes your entire physical and emotional health along with lifestyle factors into consideration when forming a diagnosis and treatment plan. Every person is different and as such, every illness is different. There is also no use in merely trying to ease the symptoms without addressing its cause. This is why acupuncture has such long-term benefits.

Here are some recent studies into the efficacy and mechanisms of acupuncture and related Traditional Chinese medicine treatments for IBS.

A new acupuncture method for management of irritable bowel syndrome: A randomized double blind clinical trial
Conclusion: There was statistically significant difference between treatment groups in constipation and bloating. Differences that were statistically significant favoured acupuncture on pain and depression. The average of weight loss was 2 kg in acupuncture group.

Brain regions involved in moxibustion-induced analgesia in irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhoea: a functional magnetic resonance imaging study
Conclusion: Moxibustion can improve symptoms and quality of life in D-IBS patients. It can also decrease rectal sensitivity.

Effectiveness of acupuncture to treat irritable bowel syndrome: A meta-analysis
Conclusion: Acupuncture exhibits clinically and statistically significant control of IBS symptoms.

Jul 08 2013
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IVF news round-up

By Fertility

It’s been a big week in IVF news. I’ve been tweeting links all over the place so it seemed sensible to put them all neatly here together.

Ground-breaking new IVF procedure using DNA from 3 people to use to prevent passing on mitochondrial diseases:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2013/jun/28/uk-government-ivf-dna-three-people

Cost of IVF could be reduced from on average £5000 to £170 per cycle if new system is adopted:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-23223752#?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

First baby born after embryo gene sequencing to reduce frequency of miscarriages:
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-07-07/first-baby-born-after-embryo-gene-sequencing-to-cut-miscarriages.html

Collected opinions on the future of IVF from the BBC:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-23181620

Happy reading!

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