Medical Acupuncture - Information for Clients
What is medical acupuncture?
This technique uses fine needles, which are passed through the skin to muscles and tissues below to stimulate natural responses.
How does medical acupuncture work?
Medical acupuncture is usually a technique to treat pain, however it can be adapted to treat anxiety and might help with a few other conditions.
Dhruv is particularly interested in modulation of pain signals, especially in chronic pain, some types of acute pain, musculoskeletal pain and pain and fatigue conditions with a psychological component.
As a scientist, he is also wants to research the cumulative effects of hypnotherapy and other psychological therapies when combined with acupuncture to enhance pain killing.
As a result, a clients treatment/management plan can vary greatly, from simple, periodic treatment of a very slowly progressing hand arthritis to a complete pain management approach in complex situations.
Acupuncture can therefore be used along side other therapeutic aproaches such as massage therapy, hypnotherapy, counselling, psychotherapy, pain killing injections (such as local anaesthetics and steroids) and sports performance management.
Our Doctor will work with your existing pain specialist, GP, physiotherapist, occupational therapist and occupational health departments to provide a tailored approach to your care.
If you see our therapist Francesca, or another affiliated therapist, they may refer you for acupuncture or a seek the Doctors opinion, as part of their management plan.
How is acupuncture through to help pain killing?
1) LOCALISED EFFECTS -
Upon local needling, release of adenosine quickly binds to pain receptors on local nerve fibres and inhibits pain signalling.
Adenosine also binds to local blood vessel walls increasing nitrous oxide (No2) release which dilates blood vessels and therefore aids the bodies natural removal of toxins and pro-inflammatory chemicals from painful areas.
Similarly, movement receptors are triggered by acupuncture, which also increase vasodilatation and help improve the circulation.
Removal of chronic inflammatory chemical messengers (cytokines) is thought to be important in allowing accurate and strong soft tissue healing (particularly tendons and ligaments).
2) REGIONAL PAIN RELIEF -
Acupuncture signals ascend in the spinal tracts and activate pain inhibition pathways. This is thought to work via the bodies own version of an opioid pain relief system. The needles need to be stimulated manually or electrically for this to be effective.
3) CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM (brain and spinal cord) effects -
Acupuncture stimulation in the body, leads to activation of the movement receptors which interact with the brain (mainly hypothalamus).
Then, the relevant areas of the brain send out natural pain killing chemicals such as
- Opiods (enkephalins and beta-endorphins)
- Monoamines (Serotonin and noradrenaline
- GABA (gamma amino butyric acid)
- and Glycine
4) GLOBAL EFFECTS
Furthermore, the brain also modulates a global painkilling effect (as opposed to regional) using the DNIC (Diffuse noxious inhibitory control) system.
Advanced needling is needed for such systems to operate and a client will usually need to build up treatments with the Doctor.
The DNIC system piggybacks on descending nerves which emerge from all spinal levels (a-delta and c-fibres).
This system is thought to cause the immediate painkilling effects and may be responsible for extra segmental effects (where acupuncture in a site distant from the pain source reduces pain at the problem area).
*Prices for advanced medical acupuncture start at £60 per session.*
*Note : A preliminary 1 hr, initial assessment, is always required.
This is priced at £60. In this assessment the doctor will take a full history and perform relevant physical and psychological assessments. Following this, both doctor and client will discuss the diagnosis and develop a management plan, specific to the clients needs.*
Therefore a variable pricing structure exists.
Single therapy sessions for well known medical problems, may require occasional treatment with top up sessions for pain relief, every so often.
For guidance more chronic problems are usually treated over 4-6 sessions.
Please email or call the Doctor for advice before booking.
The research behind medical acupuncture is growing.
However, for client purposes, our Doctor has listed several key articles which allow clients to understand the scientific evidence better.
References :
1) Bekkering R and Van Brussel R (1998). Segmental Acupuncture - medical acupuncture : a western sceintific approach.
2) White A (2008). Introduction to western medical acuouncture.
3) Bowsher D (1998). Mechanisms of Acupuncture.
4) Hans JS (2010). Acupuncture and Endorphins
5) Hans JS (1997). Physiology of acupuncture : a 30 year review of research
6) Pomeranz S (2001). Acupuncture and analgesia
7) Baldry PE (2005). Acupuncture - Trigger Points and MSK pain
8) Pyne D and Shenker NG (2008). Demystifying Acupuncture
9) Leung L (2012) Neurophysiological basis of acupuncture induced analgesia - an updated review.
10) Fukazawa Y, Maeda T, Kishioka S (2009). The pharmacological mechanisms of electroacupuncture.
