What to Expect - Ana Canela Acupuncture

What to expect on your Visit

Your initial visit will take up to an hour and a half and consists of a personal and medical consultation covering your family history, lifestyle, systems functions (eg. sleep, appetite) and full details of your current complaint/s including any test or investigations that you have had. You will also have the opportunity to discuss in complete confidence any concerns or troubles you may currently be dealing with.

After your consultation, I will carry out a number of short, non-invasive physical diagnostic tests which include taking your blood pressure, checking for temperature distribution and pulse taking. In most cases, aside from the most complex, this is then followed by your first treatment. Subsequent appointments take 45 minutes to one hour. These consist of a progress review and chat before

What does it feel like?

Many patients are concerned that acupuncture may be painful but as the needles are flexible and about as thick as two human hairs, there is usually only a very slight sensation as it enters the skin. Sometimes patients also feel a dull ache on the acupuncture point but this only lasts for a few seconds and is generally not considered to be uncomfortable. Many find acupuncture relaxing and feel very calm during and after a treatment; you may also feel a little tired or sleepy so if possible, try to arrange a relatively restful and quiet day, especially for your first treatment.

Is it safe?

Acupuncture is one of the safest medical treatments currently on offer in the UK. In fact, in 2001, a number of studies concluded that the risk of serious adverse reaction to acupuncture is less than 1 in 10,000. Any minor side effects that do occur, such as dizziness or bruising around needle points, are infrequent, mild and self-correcting. To see more information regarding the safety of acupuncture please visit the British Acupuncture Council’s website.

Acupuncture Research

Over the years, the British Acupuncture Council has done an excellent job of working through the swathes of research into the efficacy of acupuncture.

There is a page on their website dedicated to informing the public. This page also contains factsheets on various conditions. You can access it by clicking the button below

Acupuncture The Research?

Other therapies I may use

Moxibustion

The Chinese character translated as ‘acupuncture’ actually means ‘acupuncture and moxibustion’. Moxa is the name for ‘Vulgaris Artemisia’ and refers to a dried herb. We use it in a variety of ways: moxa sticks, moxa ball on needle, moxa cones (as you can see from the picture), amongst others.

Cupping

Cupping has been used by different cultures for thousands of years. Today many bodywork practitioners use it to treat everything from constipation to cellulite to back and shoulder pain (Gilmartin 2017, 12). East Asian Medicine sees cupping as a way of promoting better circulation of Qi whether in terms of the physical body or the emotions (eg. it is very good for shoulder tension caused by stress). In Western Medicine terms, this may be translated as encouraging the circulation of blood and lymph in the body.

Gua sha

Gua sha has been used in Asia for centuries. Gua means ‘to rub’ and ‘sha’ is a term that describes the blood congestion in surface tissue in areas where the patient may experience stiffness and pain; sha is also the term for the little red dots that are raised from applying gua sha

Gua sha may be used for any illness or condition where there is pain or discomfort, for upper respiratory and digestive issues amongst others. It is often done in combination with acupuncture where it is felt that acupuncture alone would not address the stagnation in the system.