Acupuncture in York

Our Acupuncturist Nicky Thomas is a member of the British Acupuncture Council. She trained at the Northern College of Acupuncture in York and is experienced in successfully treating a wide range of conditions. For further information on the different styles of treatment, please read Nickys practitioner page.

Acupuncture has been around for over 2000 thousand years and has its roots in Ancient China. It is a very unique and gentle therapy and is renowned for its effectiveness in treating a wide range of conditions, including non-specific problems, which may be difficult to diagnose or treat in Western Medicine, such as a general feeling of being unwell or not ‘feeling yourself’.

Traditional Acupuncture looks at pain and illness as signs that the body is out of balance and, through treatment, aims to restore the body’s natural equilibrium. Rather than looking at symptoms in isolation the Acupuncturist will consider not only the presenting symptom but also the overall health of the person. Acupuncture seeks to make connections between a person’s physical, emotional and mental wellbeing. By treating these interdependent aspects of a person’s health an acupuncturist gains a deeper understanding or what may be underlying or contributing to a patient’s presenting symptoms.

Based on traditional practice acupuncturists are trained to use subtle diagnostic techniques to assess the patient as a whole, which enables treatment to be focused on the whole person rather than just your presenting symptoms.

The key to success is for your acupuncturist to listen to you. What you say about your concerns and why you are seeking help will contribute greatly to your treatment plan. The information you provide, whether it be regarding your physical health, mental wellbeing or even deeper emotional or spiritual issues, is crucial to a successful outcome.

This will be discussed in detail during your first consultation once a full assessment of your needs has been undertaken. In the majority of cases a course of treatments is suggested, with routine ‘top-ups’ required to maintain results. Treatments generally last one hour and fifteen minutes.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) recognises more than 50 conditions as either proved through clinical trials to be effectively treated by Acupuncture, or for which therapeutic benefit has been shown. For a complete list on the WHO website click here http://apps.who.int/medicinedocs/en/).

For further information about acupuncture and the symptoms and conditions it can help to treat, please go theBritish Acupuncture Council website http://www.acupuncture.org.uk/category/a-to-z-of-conditions/a-to-z-of-conditions.html The British Acupuncture Council provides fact sheets on conditions including; chronic pain; IBS; digestive complaints; depression; anxiety; infertility and gynaecological problems, arthritic pain, tension headaches, hypertension, hayfever, induction of labour, morning sickness and urinary tract infections.

The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines also recommend acupuncture for treating back pain.

Whatever problem you face, it is worth considering acupuncture. Our practitioners are always happy to discuss acupuncture and you are invited to contact them with questions or concerns you may have, prior to making any decisions regarding treatment.

Acupuncture needles are super fine. In fact they can hardly be referred to as needles as they are more like a wisp of hair. On insertion, you may feel nothing, a slight fizz or a dull ache. Almost every patient comments on how relaxing the treatment is. The sterile needle is only used once and thrown away in a clinical waste container immediately afterwards.

For those who may be anxious about needles acupressure or exceptionally fine needles can been used.

Firstly, a case history is taken, which simply takes the form of a conversation about you.You only share the information you wish to give. It generally centres on why you are seeking treatment, what your current health is like, how your health has been throughout your life and other areas such as diet, sleep, relationships, work and hobbies.

You will have pulses taken on both wrists and your tongue will be observed, as this information will help to inform the acupuncturist’s diagnosis and treatment plan.

Each time you visit, progress is discussed, feedback is obtained and a personalised treatment is administered. Frequency of treatments depends on the improvement rate and is decided with you each time.

Standard treatment at the clinic is on Wednesdays as follows:
First consultation 1 hour £48.
Subsequent treatments 1 hour £40.