Acupuncture and Dry Needling in Eastbourne
Some of our chiropractors and massage therpaists are cross trained and can provide acunpunture and dry needling as part of your treatment.
If you would like this or your practioner thinks it will benefit you they will let you know. They will either carry out the treatment themself or as part of our integrated approach, refer you internally to one of our practioners that can.
If you just want acupuncture or dry needling please tell the receptionist when you call so they can book you in with the best practioner to suit your needs.
What is Acupuncture?
Here in Eastbourne at our Chiropractic Clinic, some of the chiropractors and massage therapists use a form of acupuncture called “Dry Needling”.
The word acupuncture is derived from a Latin word acu, which means needle, and an English work puncture. So it is puncturing the skin with a needle.
Acupuncture makes use of very fine needles which are put in the body for a short time. These needles can be stimulated manually (moved around), or can be stimulated electrically.
Acupuncture has been used for thousands of years in the Far East but has started to be used by western medical practitioners in the last few decades. Although western medical acupuncture is derived from Chinese acupuncture, it is based on knowledge of anatomy, physiology and pathology. The focus is no longer on Qi and the disruptions to the flow of energy. However, many similar points are used.
There are a lot of questions about what it can help with, what it entails and how it feels etc. We will try to answer these questions below.
What can Acupuncture Help With?
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Short-term relief of tension type headaches
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Short-rerm relief of migraine typr headache
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short-term relief of chronic low back pain
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Short-term relief of neck or chronic neck pain
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Short-term relief from temporomandibular (TMD/TMJ)
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Temporary adjunctive treatment for osteoarthiritis knee pain
What Does it Feel Like to Receive Acupuncture?
The first thing you will feel is the plastic feeder tube that the needle sits in, touching your skin. Your practioner will flick the needle in quickly. Generally if this is quick, you barely feel it at all. Acupuncture is surprisingly comfortable. You’ll feel a scratch or a sting but not much more than that.
The practioner will move the needle until we get a response from the muscle. This can feel slightly strange as you can sense that something is moving, but it is not uncomfortable.
Then the sensation changes. It slowly builds to an ache. The sensations felt can be different every time. Sometimes it can be very achy and travel down a segment in the body, other times it is a very subtle change. It is generally a quick initial feeling, and then leaves a gentle ache, this feeling can last for a few hours after treatment.
Some people say they are very achy the next day but then the benefits kick in. On occasion, people feel the benefits immediately after treatment.
Needles are single-use and sterilised and disposed of immediately after treatment.
What Are The Side Effects of Acupuncture?
Everybody is different and most people don’t have any side effects at all.
The most common side effect of acupuncture is the ache people can feel after treatment. For most people this seems to disappear within a day or two. However some people do have some pain for a few days after treatment.
Another common side effect is bruising. This is usually very mild, a small circular bruise around the insertion site.
Some people say they feel very tired after a treatment but we have had some people say it gives them a boost of energy.
If you would like to have some acupuncture as part of your treatment, then mention this to your chiropractor or massage therapist . If you want to talk to someone about this then please feel free to book a telephone chat.
