Acupuncture & Chinese Herbs :: Reflexology & Shiatsu
London Bridge

ACUPUNCTURE #01

ACUPUNCTURE

Tim Mulvagh
MBAcC, MRCHM, MRSS(T)

telephone 07900 023 607

Mondays Wednedays Thursdays Saturdays

Acupuncture is an effective treatment for a wide range of health problems. It is used to relief pain and inflammation, help unblock fluid and mucus congestion and improve circulation and stimulate the function of the organs. We use sterile, disposable fine needles, gently inserted into the skin at specific acu-points. The patient relaxes on a couch during the treatment.

Facial Cosmetic Acupuncture is a relaxing cosmtic facial treatment, which tones the skin and muscles of the face. It stimulates circulation and nourishment to the skin and facial tissues, whilest detoxing the area and visibly reducing wrinkles.

Here is what some of our clients ahve said about Acupuncture

Acupuncture for a Damaged Foot Muscle
Two years ago I slipped on a wet pavement and damaged a muscle in my left foot. I was referred to a podiatrist at my local hospital but he actually caused me even more pain during the course of treatment. When I came for Acupuncture, however, my foot was massaged with oils and then needles where applied, so that after only three treatments, I found my condition much improved and I was able to walk again with only the minimum discomfort. SP


ACUPUNCTURE #02Acupuncture for a Chest Infection
I am now 62 years of age and last winter I suffered the worst chest infection of my entire adult life and my GP feared that my condition would develop into pneumonia and considered referring me to my local hospital. Following only two visits to the acupuncturist, he was able to help alleviate the severe respiratory condition, and my considerable alarm, so that I was able to resume work and enjoy life again. PS

Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs for Anger outbursts
I was diagnosed as having diabetes. I was very stressed with work and family problems. I would just explode in the middle of a conversation with my family and friends. Anything would set me off, the wrong word, the dinner not being perfect or anything found out of its place. I took a course of acupuncture and driving home after the very first treatment I felt completely relaxed. My wife and I were amazed at how much it had calmed me down; it was like I became a human being again. I had weekly treatments for two months and now I go once a month for acupuncture. Although I am still on diabetic medicine, I have found the treatments have really helped me to deal with stress and they have also improved my over all health including my digestion, vision and energy levels.IT


ACUPUNCTURE #03Acupuncture and Chinese herbs for haemorrhoids
I take a lot of long term medication for diabetes and my heart condition. I had a very sensitive digestive system and suffered from constipation with bleeding and very painful haemorrhoids. My doctor suggested surgery for the haemorrhoids at which point I looked for an alternative.
I started with regular acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine, which were very mild at first and carefully chosen to work with my existing medication. Within a few weeks my energy levels increased and the frequency of the constipation bouts and the intensity of the haemorrhoid pain noticeably reduced. I am now free of the pain and bleeding and my digestion is stronger. I sleep better, have better concentration and am generally less stressed. SA

Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs for Celiacs Disease
From time to time I get very tired and run down. I have celiacs disease and a rather weak immune system and have found that acupuncture with Tim and regular courses of Chinese herbs, tailored to my needs after careful consultation, have been very helpful. As well as making me feel more energised and healthy they also help to give me a sense of well being and confidence. EO

Our therapies, being based on or compatable with Oriental Medicine, are well matched and can be taken individually or in conjunction with each other. They are in most case compatible with Western medicines and therapies.

Visit The British Acupuncture Council website

Research
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World Health Organisation Reaseach into Acupuncture

WHO Acupuncture and The NIH Consensus Study

In 2003, the World Health Organization published a landmark study, titled "Acupuncture: Review and Analysis of Reports on Controlled Clinical Trials". A summary of their findings is quoted below. Diseases and disorders that can be treated with acupuncture
The diseases or disorders for which acupuncture therapy has been tested in controlled clinical trials reported in the recent literature can be classified into four categories as shown below.

1. Diseases, symptoms or conditions for which acupuncture has been proved-through controlled trials-to be an effective treatment:

Adverse reactions to radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy
Allergic rhinitis (including hay fever)
Biliary colic
Depression (including depressive neurosis and depression following stroke)
Dysentery, acute bacillary
Dysmenorrhoea, primary
Epigastralgia, acute (in peptic ulcer, acute and chronic gastritis, and gastrospasm)
Facial pain (including craniomandibular disorders)
Headache
Hypertension, essential
Hypotension, primary
Induction of labour
Knee pain
Leukopenia
Low back pain
Malposition of fetus, correction of
Morning sickness
Nausea and vomiting
Neck pain
Pain in dentistry (including dental pain and temporomandibular dysfunction)
Periarthritis of shoulder
Postoperative pain
Renal colic
Rheumatoid arthritis
Sciatica
Sprain
Stroke
Tennis elbow

2. Diseases, symptoms or conditions for which the therapeutic effect of acupuncture has been shown but for which further proof is needed:

Abdominal pain (in acute gastroenteritis or due to gastrointestinal spasm)
Acne vulgaris
Alcohol dependence and detoxification
Bell’s palsy
Bronchial asthma
Cancer pain
Cardiac neurosis
Cholecystitis, chronic, with acute exacerbation
Cholelithiasis
Competition stress syndrome
Craniocerebral injury, closed
Diabetes mellitus, non-insulin-dependent
Earache
Epidemic haemorrhagic fever
Epistaxis, simple (without generalized or local disease)
Eye pain due to subconjunctival injection
Female infertility
Facial spasm
Female urethral syndrome
Fibromyalgia and fasciitis
Gastrokinetic disturbance
Gouty arthritis
Hepatitis B virus carrier status
Herpes zoster (human (alpha) herpesvirus 3)
Hyperlipaemia
Hypo-ovarianism
Insomnia
Labour pain
Lactation, deficiency
Male sexual dysfunction, non-organic
Ménière disease
Neuralgia, post-herpetic
Neurodermatitis
Obesity
Opium, cocaine and heroin dependence
Osteoarthritis
Pain due to endoscopic examination
Pain in thromboangiitis obliterans
Polycystic ovary syndrome (Stein-Leventhal syndrome)
Postextubation in children
Postoperative convalescence
Premenstrual syndrome
Prostatitis, chronic
Pruritus
Radicular and pseudoradicular pain syndrome
Raynaud syndrome, primary
Recurrent lower urinary-tract infection
Reflex sympathetic dystrophy
Retention of urine, traumatic
Schizophrenia
Sialism, drug-induced
Sjögren syndrome
Sore throat (including tonsillitis)
Spine pain, acute
Stiff neck
Temporomandibular joint dysfunction
Tietze syndrome
Tobacco dependence
Tourette syndrome
Ulcerative colitis, chronic
Urolithiasis
Vascular dementia
Whooping cough (pertussis)

3. Diseases, symptoms or conditions for which there are only individual controlled trials reporting some therapeutic effects, but for which acupuncture is worth trying because treatment by conventional and other therapies is difficult:

Chloasma
Choroidopathy, central serous
Colour blindness
Deafness
Hypophrenia
Irritable colon syndrome
Neuropathic bladder in spinal cord injury
Pulmonary heart disease, chronic
Small airway obstruction

Acupuncture
National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Conference Statement
November 3-5, 1997
NIH Consensus statements and State-of-the-Science statements (formerly known as technology assessment statements) are prepared by a nonadvocate, non-Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) panels, based on (1) presentations by investigators working in areas relevant to the consensus questions during a 2-day public session; (2) questions and statements from conference attendees during open discussion periods that are part of the public session; and (3) closed deliberations by the panel during the remainder of the second day and morning of the third. This statement is an independent report of the panel and is not a policy statement of the NIH or the Federal Government.
The statement reflects the panel’s assessment of medical knowledge available at the time the statement was written. Thus, it provides a "snapshot in time" of the state of knowledge on the conference topic. When reading the statement, keep in mind that new knowledge is inevitably accumulating through medical research.

Abstract Objective.
To provide health care providers, patients, and the general public with a responsible assessment of the use and effectiveness of acupuncture for a variety of conditions
Participants.
A non-Federal, nonadvocate, 12-member panel representing the fields of acupuncture, pain, psychology, psychiatry, physical medicine and rehabilitation, drug abuse, family practice, internal medicine, health policy, epidemiology, statistics, physiology, biophysics, and the public. In addition, 25 experts from these same fields presented data to the panel and a conference audience of 1,200.
Evidence.
The literature was searched through Medline, and an extensive bibliography of references was provided to the panel and the conference audience. Experts prepared abstracts with relevant citations from the literature. Scientific evidence was given precedence over clinical anecdotal experience.
Consensus Process.
The panel, answering predefined questions, developed their conclusions based on the scientific evidence presented in open forum and the scientific literature. The panel composed a draft statement, which was read in its entirety and circulated to the experts and the audience for comment. Thereafter, the panel resolved conflicting recommendations and released a revised statement at the end of the conference. The panel finalized the revisions within a few weeks after the conference. The draft statement was made available on the World Wide Web immediately following its release at the conference and was updated with the panel's final revisions.

Conclusions.
Acupuncture as a therapeutic intervention is widely practiced in the United States. While there have been many studies of its potential usefulness, many of these studies provide equivocal results because of design, sample size, and other factors. The issue is further complicated by inherent difficulties in the use of appropriate controls, such as placebos and sham acupuncture groups. However, promising results have emerged, for example, showing efficacy of acupuncture in adult postoperative and chemotherapy nausea and vomiting and in postoperative dental pain. There are other situations such as addiction, stroke rehabilitation, headache, menstrual cramps, tennis elbow, fibromyalgia, myofascial pain, osteoarthritis, low back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and asthma, in which acupuncture may be useful as an adjunct treatment or an acceptable alternative or be included in a comprehensive management program. Further research is likely to uncover additional areas where acupuncture interventions will be useful.

      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
 
London Bridge
Central London