Massage & Acupuncture

What are these treatments?
Traditional Chinese remedial massage (tui na) and acupuncture are part of a medical system based on ancient principles originating from various Eastern Countries. According to this system of medicine, both physical and emotional health is dependent on the smooth and balanced flow of qi - the body’s vital energy.  This energy mainly flows along channels within the body known as meridians. The aim of these treatments is to produce benefit by adjusting the flow of energy within these channels. 

As the massage and acupuncture are part of the same system of medicine, they use the same underlying principles – a brief introduction to traditional acupuncture can be found on the British Acupuncture Council’s website (http://www.acupuncture.org.uk).

The Federation of Holistic Therapists have summaries of popular treatments on their website (http://www.fht.org.uk) including brief descriptions of acupressure, acupuncture, massage and soft tissue therapies.

What are their benefits?
Most people find that remedial massage is very relaxing and produces a sense of well-being. My patients include people who have problems with stress, tension headaches, digestive and sleep problems, certain muscle and joint complaints, and those recovering from sports injuries.

I usually use acupuncture only in conjunction with the remedial massage, but it can also be used as a stand-alone treatment.  Some people turn to acupuncture for help with a specific condition.  Others choose to have treatment to help maintain good health, or because they feel generally ‘under the weather’ without having a specific health problem.

There is now a growing body of evidence-based clinical research to show that acupuncture safely treats a wide range of common health conditions (further details can be found via the links under the ‘further information on acupuncture’ heading in the links page). However normally with traditional acupuncture the aim is to treat the whole person, rather than specific symptoms in isolation.

Back pain management
In 2009 the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommended that acupuncture and massage should be included in the therapies made available on the NHS, as a cost-effective short-term treatment for the management of early, persistent non-specific lower back pain.  However, the availability of these therapies on the NHS varies in different areas - your GP should be able to advise you on this.

What is involved?
I always offer a 15 minute initial consultation for people who wish to discuss possible treatment before starting.  At the start of the first treatment session I carry out a case history, and assess any conditions which you wish to have treated.  I will also take your pulse on both wrists and ask to look at your tongue, as this forms part of the traditional diagnosis.  With traditional oriental medicine both physical and emotional aspects are viewed as being very much interrelated, so both of these aspects are considered when taking the case history.

From this information I can formulate a treatment plan, so that the treatment can be tailored to your requirements.  At the start of subsequent treatments sessions I spend a short time reviewing the treatment in the light of the results from the previous session, so this plan is continually updated.

Which treatment would I have?
I would discuss the best combination of treatments during the initial consultation and/or after taking the case history.  Either the remedial massage or acupuncture can be offered as stand-alone treatments, but I usually recommend a combination of the two.  However, for patients who are sensitive to needles, good results can be achieved from the massage alone.  I may also suggest the inclusion of one or more of the adjunctive therapies (see below).

Should my doctor know?
These therapies can be used effectively alongside conventional medicine.  However, if you are prescribed medication or receiving medicinal treatment, it is recommended that you tell your doctor that you are planning to start receiving acupuncture or massage therapy.  I would also suggest that you inform your GP if you displayed any symptoms that I was concerned about.

All practitioners who are British Acupuncture Council members have received minimum training equivalent to a three year full-time course, which includes anatomy, physiology, and other appropriate elements of western medicine.  We are trained to recognise any serious underlying health conditions.

Adjunctive therapies

What are these therapies?
Traditionally these therapies have been used in conjunction with the remedial massage and acupuncture, to reinforce the treatment by further improving the flow and balance of the body’s vital energy (the qi).  They can also help maintain improvements between treatment sessions.

Traditionally cupping has been used to clear stagnant energy, but the sliding cups also have the physical effect of producing a deep massage.  Normally I use a suction pump arrangement, but occasionally use ‘fire cups’ for sliding cupping to produce a deeper massage (e.g. over an area of cellulite).

Traditional Chinese exercise therapy (qigong)
This involves performing gentle movements and stretches with the aim of activating the energy within the channels (the meridians). These movements can be combined with modern remedial exercises to address specific muscle and joint problems.  For patients who are interested, I can draw up daily exercise programmes.

Traditional Chinese dietary advice
In traditional Chinese medicine various food groups are considered to have different energetic properties, so diets can be tailored to meet the patient’s individual energy requirements.

Neuromuscular Taping Therapy
This is a more modern treatment, developed in Japan and Korea during the 1960s and 1970s. It has been used by physiotherapists in the West for a number of years, and more recently has been taught to acupuncturists as an adjunctive therapy.

With this treatment special tapes are applied with different levels of tension, to produce very gentle compression or decompression of the appropriate muscle groups. These tapes are left on for 3 to 5 days (removed by the patient) and allow normal movement, so during everyday activity they gently massage the area treated.

Facial treatments

What are these treatments?
These treatments include a number of techniques derived from traditional oriental medicine.  They can be divided into two groups:

When doing facial acupuncture, I also insert needles into several body acupuncture point (e.g. in hands and feet), and complete the treatment session with a gentle tui-na body massage through normal clothing.  This helps balance and root the energy within the body.

Derma-rollers with micro-needles
Treatments using derma-rollers with micro-needles (different from the rollers discussed above) are now becoming popular at cosmetic clinics – there are several treatment systems being marketed. Typically each roller contains 192 needles of 0.5mm in length. The aim of these systems is to deliver benefits by inducing collagen production in the treated areas, and increasing the absorption of any serums applied to the skin.

Derma-rollers can also be used on areas of the body (not just on the face), such as over areas of cellulite.  Rollers used on the body usually have slightly longer needles.

I am planning to undergo training in one of these systems, and expect to be able to start offering this treatment during 2012. However, if you are interested in starting this type of treatment before then, please contact me; I will be happy to discuss the various treatment systems on offer, and recommend another practitioner.