Onebody Acupuncturist and Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner, Andi, gives her insight into the management of pain with her unique approach to acupuncture and reflexology.
"Pain, whether acute or chronic, effects millions of people in the UK, it cost the economy £10 billion year and is miserable and wearing for those suffering with these conditions. Most of us are familiar with musculoskeletal aches and pains, minor injuries and headaches. Abdominal pain, period pain, sinus pain and post-surgery pain are also common but pain can occur anywhere in the body, be severe and can affect people on a daily basis. Unfortunately, there are few safe and effective long-term medicines available.
Pain is an area in which I have had great success with treatments that combine Acupuncture and Reflexology (AcuReflexology). This combined-technique can offer relief relatively quickly, often in one treatment, and with a course of 6-8 sessions often results in a complete cure.
In the theory of Chinese Medicine (TCM) pain is viewed as a stagnation of Qi; the vital energy that flows through channels throughout the body. Regardless of the cause or location of the pain, it causes an interruption to the flow of qi leading to blockage in these channels; pressure builds up and causes pain.
TCM can provide insight into the cause and nature of most pain conditions. Rather than focus purely on the site of the symptoms, the problem is considered holistically in the context of the whole body, in order to identify weakness and imbalances that may have contributed to the pain disorder. It aims to correct the root cause of the problem, as well as relieve the symptoms. It is therefore necessary to assess and understand the whole person along with the signs and symptoms of the specific problem itself. With the exception of acute trauma most pain disorders have some relevant underlying imbalance or lifestyle factor.
Reflexology also works indirectly on the actual problem area via reflexes on the feet, hands and ears which uncannily correspond to all the parts of the body and can be tender when problems arise. It is even more powerful when administered whilst standing up using an advanced technique called Vertical Reflex Therapy (VRT). These tender reflexes help to identify where the root of the problem resides.
During an AcuReflexology session the patient is asked to gently move, massage or tap the problem area as the therapist applies pressure to the corresponding reflexes on the feet and hands whilst synergistically working on the appropriately placed acupuncture needles. These fine needles are inserted into points along energy meridians, these are the main channels of communication and energy distribution in the body; they link the interior organs with the superficial areas of the body. This meridian system allows an acupuncturist to influence the function of a particular area through the selection of points both local and distant from it.
Frozen shoulders, locked necks, stiff hips and knees and aching backs can be immediately released and instant pain relief can often be gained. For more complex pain conditions a few treatments are necessary with relief gained each time.
Other techniques used in this pain treatment arsenal include; cupping, moxibustion, gua-sha and massage, strengthening the persons general constitution. These disciplines and techniques can be used to amplify the effect for most pain related disorders.
Cupping is the application of suction cups to areas of tension to remove obstruction and alleviate inflammation, moxibustion is a technique of warming the needles or the affected area directly, gua-sha is an ancient technique of scrapping which encourages movement and flexibility of the muscles and fascia."
Our Acupuncturist, Andrea, is a Massage Therapist, Reflexologist and Vertical Reflex Therapist and has developed a treatment system that uses a combination of these disciplines to enhance her treatments. Call us now to book your appointment. T. 02070183980