Acupuncture at Norris Health
Acupuncture at Norris Health is given by Chartered Physiotherapists who have attended a recognised hospital based course kitemarked and endorsed by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy.
Our clinic director, Dr Christopher Norris, is a member of the British Acupuncture Council (MBAcC), and an advanced member and tutor for the Acupuncture Association of Chartered Physiotherapists (AACP). He is an approved national trainer, teaching other physiotherapists how to use this valuable technique. He has written two textbooks on Acupuncture and sets the standard for our clinic.
- Acupuncture is given in clean ‘sterile’ conditions
- Disposable needles are used with no needle ever being used twice
- Both medical and traditional Chinese acupuncture is used
- Acupuncture can relieve pain and treat conditions such as hay fever, headaches and migraine, stress and sleeping problems
One of the effects of acupuncture is to activate natural pain killing chemicals in the body. Another is to restore the flow of ‘life energy’ or ‘qi’ which runs through the body in channels or ‘meridians’. By restoring the normal energy flow, it is said that the natural healing ability of the body is increased. Often acupuncture points are used which are some distance from the painful area. These are important points, which may lie on the meridian channels travelling through the painful area.
What to expect
Acupuncture is only one of the treatment techniques (modalities) which a physiotherapist can use. As such you will undergo a full physiotherapy assessment prior to treatment, and acupuncture would be offered as part of a physiotherapy treatment programme. For example if you had a painful back we may use acupuncture to help reduce pain and then use clinical exercise to restore movement and help re-strengthen your back.
On the whole we use a modern, science based form a acupuncture called Western Medical Acupuncture which is used in hospitals. Fewer needles are used than in traditional Chinese acupuncture, and rather than burning herbs we use state-of-the-art electrical machines to gently stimulate the needles – a technique called electroacupuncture.
We also use Dry Needling, a similar technique to acupuncture. Whereas acupuncture uses pre-defined points, Dry Needling uses the same type of needle to target painful spots (trigger points) in tight, sore muscles. Often after treatment the muscle feels easier to stretch and can be less painful.