At Islington Acupuncture we use fine needles and gentle techniques.

Acupuncture works best when you feel some sensation, but not pain.

People describe it as a slight 'tingling' like a very faint 'electric current' or a 'dull', 'heavy' sensation.

Is there good evidence for acupuncture?

A systemic review of high-quality clinical trials testing the effectiveness of acupuncture for the treatment of certain chronic pain conditions (osteoarthritis, chronic headaches, back, neck and shoulder pain) was published in 2018. The trials involved over 20,000 adults and concluded that:

·       acupuncture was more effective than control (conventional treatment such as physiotherapy or medication) for all pain conditions.

·       acupuncture is not a placebo for treatment of chronic pain.

·       the effects persisted over time (15% reduction at one year).

(Vickers et al 2018 from the British Acupuncture Council website)

We refer to evidence wherever possible on this website to help you make informed decisions. But for some for conditions the research is of low quality. This is not because acupuncture has been found not to work, but mostly due to a lack of funding. Acupuncture research in the UK is dependent on charity and state funding. Conducting clinical trials is expensive and consequently trials are often small scale.

We refer to research posted on the British Acupuncture Council’s website and from the Evidence Based Acupuncture Project:

https://acupuncture.org.uk/about-acupuncture/acupuncture-research/

https://www.evidencebasedacupuncture.org

Western acupuncture is an adaptation of Chinese acupuncture. It uses acupuncture techniques but not the theory. Western acupuncturists are often GPs, nurses and physiotherapists.

BAcC (the British Acupuncture Council) accredited Traditional Acupuncture training courses takes a total of 3600 hours. In comparison some basic Western acupuncture courses are much shorter, e.g. a Western acupuncture foundation course can be completed in just 32 hours.

When you choose a BAcC trained Acupuncturist you are choosing a therapist who has a deep understanding of the practice and theory of Chinese Acupuncture.

Also known as tui-na massage, it originated in ancient China and is believed to be the oldest system of bodywork. It’s one of the four main branches of traditional Chinese medicine, along with acupuncture, qi gong, and Chinese herbal medicine.

Like acupuncture it targets specific acupoints, but practitioners use fingers instead of needles to apply pressure to stimulate these points. Tuina massage is often used in combination with acupuncture.

Chinese Dietary Therapy uses the principles of Chinese medicine to identify each client's 'constitutional type' and creates a diet designed for their optimum health and digestion using this information.

Dietary therapy is a continuation of herbal medicine.

Different foods are categorised according to taste, nutrient content and ease of digestion.

Dietary therapy aims to provide a simple diet to suit the metabolism and the nutritional deficiencies of each individual.

Diet sheets and recipes are given to clients in order to help to achieve a healthy change in diet.

Diet therapy is not about 'restriction', but learning to understand the effects of different foods on your body.