Acupuncture
Acupuncture is one of the oldest forms of medicine dating back more than 5000 years. The traditional Chines view is that when we are healthy energy flows freely through the body in channels called meridians. If there is a problem the energy will stagnate, stimulation of the appropriate acupuncture points frees this stagnation.
There is now increasing scientific evidence to support the effects of acupuncture. It has been shown for instance that acupuncture stimulates the brain to produce natural pain relieving chemicals called endorphins.
Is Acupuncture Safe?
Acupuncture has an exemplary safety record, only pre-sterilised single use needles are used, and they are inserted to a high degree of accuracy into the acupuncture points.
Does Acupuncture Hurt?
Most people who have acupuncture from a skilled practitioner are amazed how comfortable it feels. The proper sensation for acupuncture to be most effective is dull and heavy not sharp. As acupuncture stimulates the healing and regenerative processes within the body people often experience a wonderful sense of calm, and notice improved sleep and a feeling of well being after each session.
Is Acupuncture Effective?
Some people experience rapid improvement in their condition with only a few sessions while others take longer to respond. Part of the reason for this variation is that some people are naturally better responders than others while some conditions are more deep seated and naturally require more treatment to produce a beneficial effect. The effects of acupuncture are cumulative in nature, building up its effectiveness as treatment progresses.
Conditions That May Be Helped By Acupuncture
At Sheffield Physiotherapy we specialise in using acupuncture as an adjunct to our physiotherapy treatments for:
- Arthritis and Rheumatism
- Back and Neck Pain
- Headaches/Migraine
- Muscle and Joint Problems
- Frozen Shoulder
- Repetitive Strain Injuries
- Whiplash
- Sports Injuries