How does Acupuncture work?

Daily stresses, lifestyle choices and injury upset our natural balance and lead to physical and emotional symptoms.  By identifying the root cause of the symptoms I use very fine, painless needles to activate specific energy points on the body to help bring both body and mind back to health.  MRI scans show that acupuncture triggers the body’s healing process by calming the central nervous system, regulating hormones and releasing endorphins.

What can Acupuncture treat?

Common complaints successfully and regularly treated include;

• Infertility and IVF support
• Stress, anxiety, depression, insomnia, chronic fatigue
• Digestive disorders – IBS, bloating, constipation
• Menstrual and menopausal disorders – PMT, Endometriosis, PCOS
• Pregnancy discomforts, morning sickness and labour induction
• Headaches Migraines Asthma

The benefits of Acupuncture

Treatment is aimed at the root of your condition as well as your main symptoms. This approach helps resolve your main problem but also enhance your feeling of general wellbeing. You may notice other niggling problems resolve.  You are likely to sleep better and feel less stressed.

In general most report a heightened sense of wellbeing and energy.

Acupuncture in Early Pregnancy

Acupuncture is a safe and effective option to nurture and support early pregnancy by providing relief for many common discomforts without drugs and their harmful side effects.

Acupuncture can treat morning sickness

Many women experience nausea and vomiting during the first trimester of pregnancy. These symptoms, ranging from mild to severe, are likely caused by hormone changes in the body. If you find that you are nauseous most of the day, or if you cannot stop vomiting, you need to seek medical advice.

Most women are reluctant to use conventional medications to reduce their symptoms; so acupuncture offers an appealing alternative for alleviating nausea and vomiting. Smith et al. in 2002 published that acupuncture is a safe and effective treatment for women who experience nausea and dry retching in early pregnancy.

My recommendation

For optimum results, I recommend weekly acupuncture treatments until 12 weeks of gestation.  In addition, i believe that maintaining a healthy diet, better lifestyle, and positive emotions can directly nourish and support the fetus.  Women should eat nutrient-rich and easily digestible, cooked food in small portions more often during the day, drink plenty of fluids, and avoid spicy, fried and greasy foods.

Enjoy this special time in your life!  Staying healthy and supporting a full-term pregnancy is something women have done for centuries.

INSOMNIA

You’ve tried everything you can to solve your insomnia:

• You’ve ‘counted sheep’
• You’ve consumed countless mugs of hot milk
• You’ve found that the countless Sleep Apps don’t do it either.

Nothing has worked. Your last resort appears to be a diet of sleeping pills, with all their potential side effects. These include headaches, stomach pains, uncontrollable shaking, diarrhoea, constipation, dizziness… the list is almost endless. And let’s not forget that sleeping pills are also addictive. Not an attractive proposition.

Many people have discovered that acupuncture has helped them in their struggle with sleep deprivation.
Acupuncture helps you gain a better night’s sleep because it:

• Stimulates the production of melatonin, a hormone that regulates your sleep and wake cycles;
• Increases production of γ-amino butyric acid, which improves quality of sleep;
• Reduces the activity of the sympathetic nervous system, thus promoting relaxation; and
• Regulates various neurotransmitters such as serotonin and noradrenaline. This helps to balance mood and promotes relaxation.

FERTILITY

When we have difficulty starting a family, it is one of the most emotional challenges in the world. Coming to terms with the fact that others around you (friends /family) are happily announcing their pregnancies and the sudden realization that things aren’t going quite to plan for you can be overwhelming.

One of the most challenging aspects of the infertility experience is dealing with the emotional ups and downs, the uncertainty about outcomes, and the challenge of having to make important decisions such as “how long should I try for” or when to start looking into medical treatment.

It is important to learn how to take care of ourselves, make sure we that get the support we need, and to manage our emotions so that our self-esteem and outlook on life remains as positive as possible.

With many years of experience my role is to help you through this journey and support you through its difficult times.

Ultimately through Acupuncture and some lifestyle changes and advice you will give yourself the best possible chance of conceiving either naturally or through IVF.

Do you recognize any of the following symptoms that either appeared or worsened since trying to conceive?

• lack of energy (especially at specific times of your cycle )
• headaches
• irritability (snapping at people or feeling overwhelmed particularly if someone close to you announces they are pregnant)
• insomnia
• extreme sadness
• inability to concentrate

MALE FERTILITY

I understand that for men the emotional impact can be huge and the tendency to “keep it to yourself” can often be the norm.I try to break down some of the concerns or fears you may have and very quickly together we will work out a plan that helps to give you the best possible chance of improving your sperm parameters and give you the sense that you are doing something about it.

I use points in the abdomen and leg which help to increase blood flow through the small blood vessels of the testes, improving delivery of nutrients to developing sperm and promoting optimal sperm vitality.