Acupuncture - SafeHaven Trauma Centre

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is part of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Traditional Chinese Medicine has developed over thousands of years as a system of health and healing. The theory is that Qi (pronounced Chee) flows through the body in energy meridians or channels. When the Qi flows smoothly and freely, the person is healthy. If the Qi becomes blocked or lacking in some way, then ill health will result. To promote good health, very fine acupuncture needles are inserted into the body in specific acu-points which balance the body’s energy.  Acupuncture benefits you by treating the body and mind at the same time.

Acupuncture has become widely accepted in the western world and within the western medical community, with many clinical trials in Europe and America, as well as China, proving its efficacy for treating many conditions.

Many people are put off acupuncture by the idea of needles. Acupuncture needles are not like those used for injections or blood test. They are much finer. The experience of receiving acupuncture for the first time is normally a pleasant surprise, as the technique used by the acupuncturist and the fine needles means that having acupuncture is a comfortable and relaxing experience.  In fact, people often fall asleep during the treatment! Many people report a sense of calm and well-being that lasts well after the treatment has finished.

Pain and conditions that cause pain, such as arthritis, are some of the most common conditions that people have acupuncture for. However, more and more people are turning to it to help manage the stress, anxiety and trauma that they experience.

Acupuncture can complement medical and psychological treatments.  Stimulation of certain acupuncture points has been shown to affect areas of the brain that are known to reduce sensitivity to pain and stress, as well as promoting relaxation and deactivating the amygdala brain, which is responsible for anxiety (Wu 1999).  Acupuncture has been found to reduce the use of medication for back pain (Thomas 2006); provide cost-effective treatment when compared to other treatments (Radcliffe 2006; Witt 2006) and to improve the outcome when added to conventional treatments such as rehabilitation exercises (Ammendolia 2008; Yuan 2008).

Come and try an initial session at SafeHaven and discover if it could be beneficial for you.

You can also find out more by listening to our mini-podcast talking about acupuncture here: