Acupuncture is a treatment where fine sterile needles are inserted into certain specific sites on the body for therapeutic purposes. They stimulate the nervous system and thus help to relieve pain, muscle spasm and support wellbeing.
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Acupuncture
Also known as: medical acupuncture, dry needling, auricular acupuncture, women’s health acupuncture, TCM acupuncture
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What is it for?
To help with the management of pain
Acupuncture treatment at The London Clinic
Acupuncture is an evidence-informed treatment used by trained physiotherapists as part of a boarder rehabilitation approach.
It helps with reducing pain and muscle spasm, improving movement and supporting the body’s natural healing processes.
Acupuncture can be used for various health conditions including:
- Chronic primary pain used as part of a wider pain management approach, alongside exercise, education and psychologically informed care
- Lower back pain
- Neck pain
- Osteoarthritis
- Shoulder pain
- Sporting injuries
- Muscle strains and ligaments injuries
- Hand therapy
- Tendinopathies e.g tennis elbow, achilles tendinopathy
- Scar sensitivity
- Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)
- Muscle spasm and myofascial trigger point pain
- Headaches including tension-type headaches and migraines
- Sciatica
- Persistent chronic MSK pain
- Pain associated with rehabilitation after injury or surgery
- Supportive symptom management in oncology treatments e.g arthralgias, cancer pain, chemotherapy induced nausea or vomiting, dry mouth, chemotherapy fatigue
- Support for wellbeing e.g promotes sleep, stress management and improvement with mood
- Women’s Health acupuncture alongside, specific physiotherapy
- Bells or Facial Palsy: some evidence suggests that acupuncture can form part of a rehabilitative programme for recovery and nerve stimulation.
Why choose The London Clinic
At The London Clinic, acupuncture is performed by our world-class experts who take a multimodal, integrative approach to health and wellbeing. As part of your holistic treatment plan, our experts may recommend a combination of acupuncture alongside other traditional physiotherapy techniques, such as exercise, posture strength and conditioning, stretching, manual therapy and aquatic therapy.
Your acupuncturist will create a bespoke, holistic treatment plan, tailored to your needs and requirements. Find out more about our other Therapies services here.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
No. You may feel a small pin prick as the needle goes in, however there should be no discomfort during the treatment.
This will be discussed with your Acupuncturist as part of your treatment plan. We often recommend once a week for at least four weeks, but it depends on the condition and plan required.
Everyone’s body is different, some feel immediate results and for some it may take longer.
What to expect
At your first appointment
You will meet your Acupuncturist who will carry out a full assessment and discuss your symptoms, medical history and treatment goals. All the risks will be explained and consent signed if acupuncture is deemed appropriate for you. A treatment may be conducted same-day, if time permits.
Your treatment
Very fine, sterile, disposable needles are gently inserted into specific points in the body. The needles are usually in place for 10-30 min depending on the condition and treatment plan. You might experience a mild ache or even a twitch when needles are inserted. This is normal and will settle. The number and location of needles used can vary.
After your appointment
Acupuncture is often part of a multimodal treatment plan including exercise, education, manual therapy and self and pain management. Your expert team are on hand to answer your questions.
Why choose The London Clinic?
Trusted for over 90 years, The London Clinic is an independent charitable hospital that reinvests into care, research, and support for those who can’t easily access private treatment.
The UK’s largest independent hospital
More patients choose The London Clinic than any other.
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Full intensive care on-site
World-class 13-bed ICU for expert support if your care becomes complex.
Investing in clinical excellence
Backed by Northwestern, we equip our teams with cutting-edge medical equipment.
0% Finance Options
We’ve teamed up with Chrysalis to offer you funding options that allow you to spread the cost of your treatment.
If you choose to pay for your treatment at The London Clinic over 12 months, you can make use of a great 0% interest option and pay nothing extra. Or you can choose to pay over two to five years at 14.9% APR.
Trustees of the London Clinic Ltd trading as The London Clinic is an Appointed Representative of Chrysalis Finance Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. The London Clinic is a credit broker, not a lender. The provider of a payment scheme which is not offered through or by Chrysalis Finance Limited may not be so authorised and regulated. Cancer treatments or transplants aren’t covered by finance packages. Finance options are only available for UK patients.