Acupuncture in Maidenhead
Acupuncture is one of the oldest continuously practised forms of medicine in the world. The earliest written reference to it appears in The Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic, a text compiled around 100 BCE that already describes a sophisticated system of channels, points and treatment principles. Two thousand years on, that same system is still in active clinical use — refined, researched and practised by hundreds of thousands of practitioners worldwide.
What is happening when needles are inserted?
From a traditional perspective, acupuncture regulates the flow of qi — the body's vital energy — through a network of channels called meridians. When this flow is disrupted, illness develops; when it is restored, health returns. From a modern biomedical perspective, acupuncture has been shown to influence the nervous system, modulate inflammatory pathways, regulate hormone levels and stimulate the release of endogenous opioids and other neurochemicals.
Both perspectives describe the same phenomenon in different language. Both, in their own way, are correct.
What can acupuncture treat?
The World Health Organization and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) both recognise acupuncture as effective for a range of conditions. In our Maidenhead practice, the most common reasons patients seek treatment are:
Musculoskeletal pain
Back, neck, shoulder and joint pain. Sciatica, frozen shoulder, tennis elbow, knee pain. Sports injuries and post-surgical recovery.
Headaches and migraines
Tension headaches, migraine prophylaxis, cluster headaches. NICE specifically recommends acupuncture for migraine prevention.
Mental health
Anxiety, panic, low mood, insomnia, post-traumatic stress responses. The body and mind are not separate systems.
Hormonal & fertility
Irregular periods, PMS, perimenopause symptoms, PCOS, endometriosis pain, fertility support.
Digestive complaints
IBS, bloating, acid reflux, constipation. Most digestive complaints are stress-mediated and respond well to TCM.
Fatigue & immunity
Chronic fatigue, post-viral syndromes, frequent infections, low energy that doesn't improve with rest.
What is a treatment session like?
Your first appointment lasts about 90 minutes. Roughly an hour is given to consultation: medical history, current symptoms, sleep, digestion, energy, mood, menstrual cycle (where relevant), past illnesses, medications. Your practitioner will also examine your tongue and feel your pulse at six positions on each wrist — both are diagnostic tools that give detailed information about internal function.
Treatment then takes place on the same visit. Single-use, sterile, hair-thin needles are inserted at carefully chosen points. Most people feel only a slight sensation on insertion — sometimes a brief dull ache or a feeling of warmth, which traditional Chinese medicine calls the arrival of qi. Once the needles are placed, you simply rest for 20 to 30 minutes. Many patients fall asleep.
Is it safe?
Acupuncture, when practised by a properly trained practitioner, has an excellent safety profile. Two large prospective studies of more than 65,000 treatments combined found serious adverse events to be exceptionally rare — significantly safer than most pharmaceutical interventions for the same conditions. All needles used are single-use, sterile and disposed of immediately after treatment in line with British Acupuncture Council standards.
Chinese herbal medicine
For some conditions, particularly internal complaints like digestive problems, hormonal imbalance, fertility, eczema and chronic fatigue, Chinese herbal medicine can significantly enhance results. Where appropriate it can be prescribed alongside acupuncture treatment, using pharmaceutical-grade granules from Sun Ten (Taiwan).