Up to 12 million people in the UK are affected by IBS causing discomfort and embarrassment at some time in their lives. More women seek help but it’s common in both sexes and often starts between 15 and 40 years old. Acupuncture has been found to be very effective in relieving the symptoms of IBS – bloating, swelling, bouts of diarrhoea and/or constipation and nausea. Acupuncture recognises how emotional stress can combine with physical factors to stagnate the body’s vital energy known as Qi. Treatments strengthen the digestive tract increasing motility by stimulating the nervous system and the vagus nerve. It can reduce anxiety, depression and alleviate stress. Dietary advice is also given. By treating the underlying cause rather than just the symptoms acupuncture can provide longer term relief for sufferers.
Alison Fletcher MBAcC (Practising over 20 years)
The British Acupuncture Council (BAcC) has welcomed a recent study published in the British Medical Journal showing acupuncture is effective in menopause. BAcC Head of Research Mark Bovey said: “It builds on previous studies that show that women with menopause-related hot flushes, anxiety or depression can find relief through acupuncture”
Where can you find out more about the growing evidence base for acupuncture and read about how acupuncture can help with conditions you have?
The British Acupuncture Council maintains a research index, summarising research where acupuncture is known to be effective for over 60 different conditions. Visit the BAcC website at https://www.acupuncture.org.uk/research-digest where you can search, read, download and print factsheets on conditions including insomnia, anxiety and depression as well as, for example, acne and asthma; Bells Palsy; eczema and psoriasis; facial pain; endometriosis; urinary incontinence and vertigo.
The British Acupuncture Council also publishes factsheets on chronic pain, low back pain, neck and shoulder pain, and information on the more than 80 NHS publications since 2005 that recommend acupuncture for both tension headaches and migraine.
There’s a helpful and in-depth Ask an Expert feature too, where you can post your own questions if you wish. You can also read detailed, considered and balanced information provided in response to queries from other members of the public, such as can acupuncture help an overactive bladder? and can acupuncture offer relief from some of the symptoms of menopause, such as hot flushes?
Kaye Rooney Lic. Ac., MBAcC
One of the team of acupuncturists at Woodbridge Complementary Health Centre
The BAcC website is at: www.acupuncture.org.uk
Read the BMJ published study at: https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/bmjopen/9/1/e023637.full.pdf
Acupuncture works to help maintain your body’s equilibrium. It involves the insertion of very fine needles into specific points on the body to regulate the flow of ‘qi’, your body’s vital energy.
For a number of lifestyle and environmental reasons, qi can become disturbed, depleted or blocked, which can result in some symptoms of pain and illness. In certain instances, traditional acupuncture can be an effective therapy to help restore balance and promote physical and emotional harmony.
Treatment is aimed at the root of your condition as well as your main symptoms. This approach helps with resolving your problem and enhancing your feeling of wellbeing and you may notice other niggling problems resolve as your main health complaint improves.
Remember that acupuncturists treat the person, not just the condition they have, and so each patient’s treatment plan will be different.
You can always arrange to meet me, or the other practitioners at the Centre for a short free chat to help you decide whether acupuncture is right for you. This gives you the opportunity to ask about other patients’ experiences, and will give you an idea of what to expect from treatment.
In my experience both as a practitioner, and as a patient myself, I find that people return to acupuncture again and again because they find it so beneficial and relaxing.
Article provided by our Acupuncturist, Kaye Rooney