A Unique Journey
As acupuncturists we all travel a particular journey through a combination of interests, hardwork, passion, training, luck, personality and upbringing. This journey has been long for me and I’ve accumulated much experience of working with different people and conditions. My love of learning has meant every year I’ve invested huge amounts into training, lots I haven’t even mentioned on my website. This means I can bring to my treatments technical knowhow, with an ever-expanding breadth and depth of health knowledge.
Biomedicine
It’s not just about Chinese Medicine, I’ve had to dig deep into biomedicine. People don’t talk about their ‘stuck Qi’ with me, but instead about their work stress, the arthritis pain, the baby they desperately want, their IVF protocols; they show me medical letters, I interpret these and blood tests.
My studies for the Fertility Support Trained fertility diploma (the Gold-standard in fertility acupuncture training) and ongoing education with this community of experts has enhanced my biomedicine knowledge beyond what a non-specialist acupuncturist would learn and know. Having top consultants in gynaecology and urology talk with us, keeps me on my toes. I constantly strive to be the best to help my clients. I offer acupuncture, sign-posting, advice as well as compassion, listening and effective interventions.
Why me then?
I offer trustworthy, safe and knowledgeable treatments. Experience is invaluable, as well as academic learning, and this gives me insight in to what will be effective and if progress is going as expected or whether another intervention is required. I think back to how I was when graduating from university with my degree in Chinese Medicine and how much I’ve changed over my years in practice. It is huge and it is valuable! I now treat conditions that interest me and where I know I can make a difference. Contact me to find out if I can make a difference for you.
Is Acupuncture Safe?
I have not had any adverse events that required reporting to my professional body, the British Acupuncture Council since I began practicing in 2007. The most you may experience is the occasional bruise.
Acupuncture has been used in China for over 3,000 years and is a very safe therapy. In modern China it is usually used in hospitals, where biomedicine and Chinese Medicine are given to patients separately or together. Cancer care and rheumatology are good examples of this integration. It has been extensively used for women during pregnancy and postpartum recovery. Acupuncture has an impressive safety record in the hands of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Acupuncturists, with most adverse events recorded by non-TCM trained practitioners (such as physiotherapists, osteopaths and chiropractors). Ensure you search for a degree-level trained acupuncturist.
What does it feel like?
Acupuncturists use very fine single-use disposable needles, the needles are as fine as a human hair and nothing like those used for an injection or to take blood. Over the years, I have tried many varieties of needles to find the best quality and most comfortable. This coupled with my needling technique developed from using acupuncture on a wide variety of body types, means any sharpness on insertion is minimised. My clients often describe the needle sensation as a tingling, dull ache, heaviness or warmth. Some say they don’t feel a thing and many fall asleep during their treatment.
How many sessions will I need?
This depends on what you are seeking treatment to address, your age and health. For specific treatments I have given some ideas for the number of sessions that may be required (packages & fees), but this will still vary depending on you. For chronic pain conditions such as migraines and arthritis, I usually recommend a series of weekly sessions, sometimes twice-weekly, to give the correct dose of acupuncture and kick-start the body into change. So results are usually seen from the first session and improvements accumulate.
My Experience
I’ve been giving health advice and treatments since 2002 and acupuncture from 2007, so I’ve seen a lot over the years and treated many conditions, which includes a wide range of people from teenagers to people in their 80s, those from different cultural backgrounds and so on. This is the benefit of working in London. So take a deep breath reader, I’ve listed some of the conditions I’ve treated below. It’s not exhaustive, so if I haven’t included what you want treated, please get in contact to see if I can help.
What have you treated?
Women and couples trying to get pregnant.
Unexplained infertility.
Endometriosis, cysts, PCOS, miscarriage, adenomyosis, fibroids, painful periods, irregular periods, low AMH, ‘ageing eggs’, thin endometrium.
Poor semen quality
IVF support – fresh or frozen, ICSI, donor sperm/egg, IUI, egg harvesting, ovulation induction (clomid/letrazole), immune suppression, clotting, hyperstimulation.
Pregnancy ‘morning’ sickness, miscarriage, sciatica, back ache, rib ache, pelvic pain, migraines, stress, overdue, ‘labour induction’.
Pain here, there and everywhere: neck, shoulder, back, knees, hips, hands, feet. Various repetitive strain injuries. Arthritis osteo or autoimmune. Hypermobility.
Menopause HRT, hot flushes, insomnia, anxiety, incontinence, joint aches and pains.
Cancer chemo/surgery support.
Managing diabetes
Tension headaches
Migraines
Sinusitis
And last but not least, a verruca! Yes we acupuncturists see so much.
Client Stories
Read about what I’ve treated in the past, the clients I’ve helped and how acupuncture and lifestyle advice was given. On my website I’ve included stories of my fertility, IVF and pregnant clients, as these tend to be more complex than for example most musculoskeletal conditions.