Absolute Health
108 Edward Avenue
Narborough Road South
Leicester LE3 2PD
ask@absolute–health.info
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Acupuncture (Medical/Dry Needling)
Treatment session (20 minutes) - £26
Treatment session (30 minutes, including trigger point massage) - £34
4 sessions (booked in advance, basic treatment without massage) - £95
What is Medical Acupuncture?
Dry Needling involves needling to altered or dysfunctional tissues in order to improve or restore function. This may include needling of myofascial trigger points, periosteum and other soft tissues.
Western acupuncture utilises some meridian points but applies it to ‘western’ reasoning with particular consideration to relevant neurophysiology and anatomy. It does not utilise any traditional Chinese medicine assessment methods or paradigms. Points are stimulated to create local, spinal segmental or supraspinal pain modulating effects.
Simply put, acupuncture involves the insertion of a sterile, single use, fine needle to soft tissue to reduce pain, release tension and improve movement.
How does it work?
The modern scientific explanation is that needling the acupuncture points works in two main ways:
- Stimulation of the nervous system to release chemicals in the muscles, spinal cord, and brain. These chemicals (including endorpohins and serotonin) will either change the experience of pain, or they will trigger the release of other chemicals and hormones which influence the body's own internal regulating system.
- Reduce tension of muscle or other soft tissues.
The improved energy and biochemical balance produced by acupuncture results in stimulating the body's natural healing abilities, and in promoting physical and emotional well-being.
The number of needles used during a treatment varies but may be only two or three.
Treatment might be once a week to begin with, then at longer intervals as the condition responds. A typical course of treatment lasts 5 to 8 sessions.
What can Medical Acupuncture be used for?
Medical acupuncture is a system which can influence three areas of health care:
- promotion of health and well-being,
- prevention of illness,
- treatment of various medical conditions.
Acupuncture can be effective as the only treatment used, or to complement other medical treatments. The World Health Organisation recognises the use of acupuncture in the treatment of a wide range of medical problems, including:
- Neurological and muscular disorders: headaches, trigger points, neck pain, rib neuritis, frozen shoulder, tennis elbow, various forms of tendinitis, low back pain, sciatica, osteoarthritis.
Acupuncture is particularly useful in resolving physical problems related to tension, stress and emotional conditions.
What are the Needles like? Do they hurt?
People experience acupuncture needling differently. Most patients feel only minimal pain as the needles are inserted; some feel no pain at all. Once the needles are in place, there is usually no pain felt. Acupuncture needles are very thin and solid and are made from stainless steel. The point is smooth (not hollow with cutting edges like a hypodermic needle) and insertion through the skin is not as painful as injections or blood sampling. The risk of bruising and skin irritation is less than when using a hollow needle.
Because our Osteopaths only use disposable needles, there is no risk of infection from the treatments.