For pain, I often use a variety of different techniques that I have gathered over the years - I love working with injuries and helping you to get healed and back to what you do, whether this be just day to day life, sporting hobbies or getting battered on a rugby field! I have lots of tools under my belt from both modern and western therapies which can be utilised, all depending on your needs. They will likely involve needles or cups though - its what I do! If I had a penny for the amount of times I have heard someone tell me they are scared of needles and then realise acupuncture needles are SO tiny, and it doesn't hurt, and then proceed to fall asleep on my massage couch, well I would be very rich!
New, acute injuries or chronic conditions, headaches, migraines, shoulder aches and pains, back pain and sciatica, knee pain, sports injuries, strains, tendonitis - not to mention seasonal allergies like hayfever, anxiety, insomnia.. the list goes on!
Treatments may include various techniques of acupuncture, remedial massage, electro acupuncture, taping, cupping, specific stretching for deep relief, and rehab exercises where required.
Below is an overview of the just some of the types of treatment I can utilise in clinic to treat physical pain, whether that be a sports injury or a pesky niggle that keeps creeping up on you.
First things first, you might look like you've been hugging a friendly octopus after cupping, but its worth it! Cupping therapy is an alternative therapy that involves suctioning the skin with glass, plastic, or silicone cups. I most often utilise traditional fire cupping where a flame is passed through the glass cup to remove the oxygen, creating a suction effect when applied to the skin. It increases blood flow by up to 200% locally, whilst helping to remove the toxins and so it's natural pain relief at a deeper level. The cupping marks serve as a super diagnostics tool for me because the darker the mark when the cup is removed, the more stagnation was removed and so, it helps me to see where the issue is coming from - rather than simply chasing symptoms - we don't want to do that!
You know by now that I love acupuncture, and for physical pain and injuries it helps to get the job done more quickly than soft tissue treatments alone, such as massage. It is recognised by doctors and is included in the NICE guidelines for treating chronic muscular pain as a preferential treatment over long term pain relief medication. Its an incredible natural pain relief for the lower back and shoulders, healing tendons, and in short helping all of the sports injuries. Acupuncture works on many different levels in the body, physically and systemically.
I utilise various acupuncture methods - I may use the surface of your ears if you are in acute pain, this is called 'Battlefield Acupuncture' and has been shown to reduce pain FAST! In this way as your body is moving and more mobile, it can take over and start to heal itself.
It all depends on you as an individual and your needs at that moment as to what methods of treatment I will utilise - always with your input and consent.
Battlefield Acupuncture is a specialised ear acupuncture protocol developed to help provide rapid pain relief.
Using a series of tiny needles placed at specific points on the ear, this technique can be used alongside traditional acupuncture to support a wide range of painful conditions, including back pain, neck pain, joint pain, headaches and acute injuries.
Many patients notice improvements in pain levels, mobility and comfort during treatment, making it a valuable tool for both acute and chronic pain management.
Auricular acupuncture involves stimulating carefully selected points on the ear which correspond to different areas and systems of the body.
Often used to support stress, anxiety, sleep, emotional wellbeing and overall balance, ear acupuncture can be used as a standalone treatment or alongside body acupuncture.
This is a popular type of treatment for anyone who is apprehensive about body needling and is deeply relaxing.