Conditions Treated with Acupuncture
Acupuncture can be used across a broad spectrum of physical and mental conditions and is beneficial for well-being encouraging relaxation and positivity. It can aid many acute and chronic conditions including:
- Headaches and migraines
- Chronic low back pain
- Neck pain
- Knee pain
- Sinus headaches and Tinnitus
What is acupuncture and why would it help me?
The use of acupuncture needling for the treatment of pain is supported by an ever-growing body of scientific evidence. It is recommended by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) as the gold standard of treatment. The NICE guidelines state that acupuncture should be used as a cost-effective treatment for persistent, non-specific low back pain, OA knee pain and tension headaches. (source: NICE, 2009).
Acupuncture is a process of inserting very fine needles at specific points to encourage natural healing, reduce or relieve pain, reduce inflammation and improve function of the body. These needles are so thin they do not cut the skin and therefore can be painless on insertion. Acupuncture is safe and effective and is often successfully used as an alternative to medications. It can be used as a stand-alone treatment or in conjunction with Manual Therapy or Physical Therapy practices.
Conventional acupuncture involves the use of single-use, pre-sterilised disposable needles. The physiotherapist will determine the locations of these points on the basis of an assessment of the cause of the imbalance. A number of needles may be used during each treatment and left in for up to 25 minutes.
Trigger point acupuncture may also be used to facilitate relaxation in specific muscles following traumas, for longer-term unresolved muscle pain, or as a means of increasing muscle length and reduce chronic tightness. The needles are stimulated more and often only left in for a few minutes.
Following a detailed physiotherapy assessment, inserted needles can be coupled to the electrodes of an electroacupuncture machine. These units are designed to deliver variable amplitudes and frequencies of electrical impulses. Low-frequency electroacupuncture is intended to contribute to the mechanism of pain reduction, especially by stimulating chemicals in the brain that aid analgesia, relaxation and sleep. This technique is particularly useful in chronic pain problems and solid research to supports its use.
Why use an AACP member?
Chartered physiotherapists at Physio Plus are bound by a strict professional and ethical code of practice. The Acupuncture Association of Chartered Physiotherapists (AACP) requires its members to keep up with a stated minimum number of hours of continuing professional development each year in order to remain on the register.