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There are two types of Acupuncture at York Natural Health, private consulations with Alex Lochead or Gateway to Acupuncture- where more affordable acupuncture care is offered (£20 per treatment). At Gateway to Acupuncture the initial diagnosis is in a private consultation room and treatment is provided in a communal multibed setting - with screens offering privacy.
Gateway's practitioners are Alex Lochhead and Sylvia Schroer. Gateway practitioners are highly trained professionals and use many different approaches including Five Element acupuncture (and 'detox' treatments), and Toyohari acupuncture. Click on the links to find out more! What is Acupuncture? Acupuncture originated in China and other far eastern cultures where it still features in mainstream healthcare, both as a stand-alone therapy and in combination with conventional western medicine. The focus of Acupuncture is on balancing and harmonising the flow of 'qi' in the 'meridians' to optimise health and wellbeing. The World Health Organisation states that acupuncture may be a useful adjunct therapy in more than 50 health conditions - including chronic stress whilst NICE guidelines recommend acupuncture for treating back pain. Whatever your problem it is worth considering acupuncture - you can feel reassured by the fact that this treatment has a 2500 year history of development and it is widely accepted all over the world. Many people come to acupuncture for help with specific symptoms or pain, whilst others may come because they feel generally unwell but have no obvious diagnosis. Some people use acupuncture simply to enhance their feeling of wellbeing. Acupuncture is considered suitable for all ages including babies and children. It can be used effectively alongside conventional medicine. Research has shown that most patients who come to use acupuncture in the UK have already tried conventional medicine for the same condition (Thomas and Coleman 2004), suggesting they still feel in need of help. We welcome such patients - especially skeptics! People who receive acupuncture say it makes them feel more calm, relaxed and energised - which has got to be a good thing if you are stressed, anxious or depressed. In fact there is now molecular proof that acupuncture can help with stress reduction and can even offer protective benefits (Eshkevari et al, 2011). It is no surprise then that acupuncture has a long record of being used as a preventative treatment. Since acupuncture is a holistic treatment with a 'whole body 'effect' there is often a gap between the evidence base - which focuses on single health conditions (back pain or depression for example), and the patient experience - especially in relation to feeling a greater sense of well being and increased ability to cope. Finally, the fact that acupuncture can be used as an anaesthetic during a surgical procedure surely offers convincing evidence that something is happening to help the person cope with the pain - and if it is down to a 'placebo effect' it is a pretty powerful one.
At Gateway to Acupuncture the treatment is provided in a communal multibed treatment room, which enables the practitioners to work collaboratively. All consulation prior to treatment takes place in a private room. Some people may prefer to receive acupuncture privately. This is available with Alex Lochhead on Tuesdays. Whether you attend a private consultation and treatment with Alex Lochhead or visit Gateway to Acupuncture you will always receive a full traditional Chinese medical diagnosis, which includes:
Following diagnosis treatment begins, with the practitioner monitoring and checking to see if there are improvements beginning to show, usually by checking the pulse. A patient may require a number of treatments and people respond at different rates, and in different ways - for example age or duration of illness can be factors influencing response. The frequency and duration of treatment is something that you will decide on, together with your practitioner, once you have seen how the therapy works for you. Single-use sterile needles are always used, these come in sealed packs that are opened during the treatment session and disposed of safely after use.
What does acupuncture feel like? Gateway to Acupuncture practitioner Sylvia Schroer is trained in Japanese non-insertion needling methods, the treatment experience is very relaxing and there is no pain. This maybe of interest for people with needle phobia and also for children. Sylvia is also trained in a specific type of children's acupuncture called Shonishin that does not use needles. Research, including two independent surveys published in the British Medical Journal has suggested that Acupuncture has an excellent safety record. Practitioners at York Natural Health are experienced professionals, registered with relevant professional governing bodies - The British Acupuncture Council and The Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine. With your consent we would like to inform your Doctor that you are receiving treatment at Gateway to Acupuncture - to improve links between conventional medicine and complementary health care. You will qualify for a 10% discount if your Doctor refers you for treatment. Please see downloadable form below or call in at York Natural Health to pick up a printed form. *Come into the clinic for your GP referral form or download here
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