Acupuncture for pain relief
There are many painful conditions that benefit from acupuncture. They may be acute or they may be chronic.
We define acute pain as one that has typically lasted for less than 12 weeks, or pain that is directly related to tissue soft damage such as a sports injury or a paper cut. Acute pain is of short duration but it gradually resolves as the injured tissues heal. Acupuncture may help by stimulating the body to produce its own healing and pain relieving substances – well known ones are ‘endorphins’.
Chronic pain is often defined as any pain lasting more than 12 weeks. It may arise from an initial injury, such as a back sprain, or there may be an ongoing cause, such as illness. However, there may also be no clear cause. Other health problems, such as fatigue, sleep disturbance, decreased appetite, and mood changes, often accompany chronic pain. It may limit a person’s movements, which can reduce flexibility, strength, and stamina. This difficulty in carrying out important and enjoyable activities can lead to disability and despair. Many people have found relief from any or all these symptoms with acupuncture.
Janine Jones, as a Chartered Physiotherapist and Clinical Pilates specialist uses acupuncture as a standalone therapy, or in combination with physiotherapy, including exercise prescription. This is in keeping with her ethos of treating holistically.
- Arthritis (osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis)
- Back pain and stiffness
- Dental Pain and Anxiety
- Fibromyalgia
- Foot and Heel Pain
- Headaches/Migraine
- Joint, muscle, tendon, ligament and nerve injuries
- Knee problems
- Myofascial pain syndromes
- Neck pain
- Repetitive strain injury/work related injury
- Sciatica
- Shoulder problems
- Sports injuries
- Tennis/golfer’s elbow
- Trigeminal Neuralgia
- Trapped nerves
- Whiplash
Janine has been giving me acupuncture for several years. I originally consulted her for physiotherapy for my back pain. As I can’t take anti-inflammatories, Janine suggested I try acupuncture for the pain and as a complementary treatment to the physiotherapy. Acupuncture has been so successful for me. It doesn’t just relieve the pain, it also makes me feel better in myself. I have recommended her to others, including my family.
I suffer from chronic degenerative back pain. Having read about acupuncture, I asked my doctor how to find a qualified and safe acupuncturist. He advised me to look for someone who is registered with the British Medical Acupuncture Society, and this is how I found Janine.
I have now been having acupuncture for eight years for the back pain and the relief from having regular acupuncture is quite incredible. As the pain in my back moves or changes, Janine is able to target this by putting the needles into different places to have the best effect.
As Janine is a physiotherapist, I find it very informative when she explains to me why needles are put into my ankles and lower legs as well as my back to relieve the pain. I am able to discuss the back exercises I do with Janine, and she changes or modifies them as necessary.
I have also experienced shoulder pain and Janine was able to relieve that with acupuncture and explain why I was in pain, and that I needed to be investigated further. She wrote to my doctor and he referred me to an orthopaedic consultant.
I know that acupuncture can be used to treat lots of different problems and would highly recommend Janine as an acupuncturist.
I had some trepidation about acupuncture when Janine suggested it as a method for relieving the pain from my whiplash injury as I had never tried it before, but she quickly put me at ease and I was amazed at how effective and pain free it was.