Conditions

Pain Relief

The International Association for the Study of Pain defines pain as “an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with, or resembling that associated with, actual or potential tissue damage.”

Pain drives a person to withdraw from harmful circumstances, to prevent further damage. Pain often goes away once the stimulus is taken away and the body has healed, but some pain may continue. Pain can occasionally appear in the absence of any visible stimuli, damage, or illness[1].

Acute vs Chronic

Acute pain usually comes on suddenly and is caused by something specific. Acute pain often subsides within six months. When there is no longer an underlying cause for the pain, it goes away.

Chronic pain is pain that is ongoing and usually lasts longer than six months. Pain signals remain active in the nervous system for weeks, months or years[2].

There are eight common chronic pains: Headaches, Musculoskeletal pain, Neurological pain, Cancer-related pain, Arthritis pain, Psychogenic pain, Visceral pain, Chronic disease.

Scale of Problem

Based on information from the most reliable published studies, between one-third and one-half of the adult population in the UK, or slightly under 28 million people, suffer from chronic pain. With an ageing population, this number is projected to rise much further[3].

Evidence Based Studies & NHS Recommendations

NICE (The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) has published guidelines recommending the use of acupuncture for chronic pain[4].

Quote from “ACUPUNCTURE: REVIEW AND ANALYSIS OF REPORTS ON CONTROLLED CLINICAL TRIALS” published by World Health Organization:

“The effectiveness of acupuncture analgesia has already been established in controlled clinical studies. As mentioned previously, acupuncture analgesia works better than a placebo for most kinds of pain, and its effective rate in the treatment of chronic pain is comparable with that of morphine. In addition, numerous laboratory studies have provided further evidence of the efficacy of acupuncture’s analgesic action as well as an explanation of the mechanism involved. In fact, the excellent analgesic effects of acupuncture have stimulated research on pain.

Because of the side-effects of long-term drug therapy for pain and the risks of dependence, acupuncture analgesia can be regarded as the method of choice for treating many chronically painful conditions.”[5]

Traditional Chinese Medicine holds the view that “Obstruction and/or Malnutrition causes pain”.

Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine can treat pain by unblocking the obstruction and nourishing the body which lead to the body’s own healing response.

Acupuncture works well for pain caused by muscle or soft tissues injury. Most chronic pain needs the nervous system to be treated at the same time. The TCM practitioner will check your meridians to find the appropriate healing points (obstruction points) to unblock. The TCM practitioner will not only treat the local pain area but will also focus on the overall state of the body to find out unbalances and try to adjust it, which will make affection last and help the problems such as fatigue, insomnia etc caused by the pain.

At Yue Acupuncture Clinic, the most common pain problems we see people seeking help are: Neck Pain, Frozen Shoulder, Back Pain, Sciatica, Tennis Elbow. Acupuncture, Tui Na, and herbs help alleviate these problems.

‍Study & Research References:

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Reduce Stress & Anxiety

In today’s day-to-day life, we have a lot of demands on our time - work, errands, getting children to school, family, friends, cold callers, accidents, etc - all which utilise our fight-or-flight sympathetic nervous system. This can create stress, depression, and/or anxiety. YUE Clinic have experience in helping reduce all these conditions.

Acupuncture is based on the principles of traditional Chinese medicine, which recognizes the importance of maintaining balance and harmony in the body.

By stimulating specific points on the body, it promotes relaxation and balance in the body's energy, which increases positive hormone function, such as serotonin and epinephrine. In turn it decreases our main ‘stress’ hormone, cortisol.

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM):

Depression can be described as a stagnation of energy.

The stagnation could create an imbalance leading to symptoms like difficulty concentrating, melancholy, irritability, exhaustion, and a lack of motivation.
Herbs and acupuncture treat the problem by enhancing the flow of energy, harmonising the organs systems, and establishing homeostasis.
These ideally enable a person to feel more tranquil and better able to handle stress. The points on the scalp and along the spine are used quite frequently in treating depression.

Anxiety can be described as excessive energy, also known as heat.

This can cause insomnia, racing thoughts, and excessive worrying. Acupuncture is used to redistribute the patient’s excessive energy.
Herbs also could be used to clear heat and act a body tonic to rebalance the body.

Recent Studies point to the effectiveness of TCM treatments.

An increasing number of studies show the benefits of acupuncture in reducing stress, depression/or anxiety
For example, electroacupuncture has been shown to promote relaxation and balance in the body, energy, by increasing positive hormone function, enkephalin, beta-endorphin and endomorphin, and dynorphin .

Acupuncture also activates distinct brain regions in different kinds of diseases caused by imbalance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic activities, but also modulates adaptive neurotransmitter in related brain regions to alleviate autonomic response 2.

In “ACUPUNCTURE: REVIEW AND ANALYSIS OF REPORTS ON CONTROLLED CLINICAL TRIALS” 3 published by World Health Organization: “The effect of acupuncture on depression (including depressive neurosis and depression following stroke) has been documented repeatedly in controlled studies Acupuncture is comparable with amitriptyline in the treatment of depression but has fewer side-effects.”

Study & Research References:

1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15135942/

2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3677642/

3. https://chiro.org/acupuncture/FULL/Acupuncture_WHO_2003.pdf

Get Better Sleep

Alleviate sleep disorders, such as insomnia, by reducing stress and promoting relaxation, which can make it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep.

According to a study published in the Journal of Sleep Research, acupuncture can improve sleep quality, reduce insomnia symptoms, and increase melatonin secretion in adults with insomnia.1

Depending on the concern, treatments may need a few sessions over the period of about a month, while chronic insomnia may require more than one course of treatment over a longer period.

We will work with you to create a personalised treatment plan that may include acupuncture, herbal medicine, fu subcutaneous needling, and dietary therapy.

How Can it Help?

Treatment can help increase the release of natural melatonin in the body to help improve sleep - Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) may be a natural and effective solution for you.

By stimulating specific points on the body that improves the flow of Qi energy, by using

acupuncture (including electro acupuncture & FSN),
cupping
or one of our other combined treatments.

We can help regulate the body's Qi flow energy, balance hormones, and promote relaxation, which can help improve the quality of sleep.

Herbal medicine can also be beneficial for sleep issues. Chinese herbs such as Suan Zao Ren

(sour jujube seed) and Wu Wei Zi (schisandra fruit) have been traditionally used to calm the

mind and promote sleep.

A trial published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine found that

herbal medicine can significantly improve sleep quality and reduce sleep latency (time to fall

asleep) in people with insomnia. ²

Fu subcutaneous needling has also been shown to improve sleep quality in people with

chronic insomnia, according to a study published in the Journal of Traditional Chinese

Medicine. ³

Study & Research References:

Yeung, W. F., Chung, K. F., Zhang, S. P., Yap, T. G., Law, A. C., & Suen, L. K. (2009). Electroacupuncture for primary insomnia: a randomized controlled trial. Journal of Sleep Research, 18(4), 466-477.
Chen, C., Zou, X., & Li, J. (2017). Efficacy and safety of Chinese herbal medicine for insomnia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 23(5), 329-346.
Chen, X., Chen, Y., Wang, H., Liu, J., & Yu, H. (2015). Fu's subcutaneous needling for primary insomnia: a randomized controlled trial. Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 35(6), 685-689.

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Increase Fertility

Acupuncture may improve fertility by:

regulating hormones: Acupuncture has been shown to regulate the levels of hormones such as follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), and oestradiol, which are important for ovulation and fertility.¹
improving blood flow: Acupuncture may improve blood flow to the reproductive organs, including the uterus and ovaries, which can help to improve their function.²
reducing stress: Stress can have a negative impact on fertility by affecting hormone levels and interfering with ovulation. Acupuncture has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety levels, which may help to improve fertility.³
improving sperm quality: Acupuncture has been shown to improve the quality of sperm, including sperm count, motility, and morphology, in men with infertility.⁴

It is important to note that acupuncture should be used as a complementary treatment and not as a replacement for conventional medical care. It is always recommended to consult with a licensed acupuncturist to determine if acupuncture is appropriate for your specific fertility issues and to develop an appropriate treatment plan.

Study & Research References:

Regulating hormones: • Stener-Victorin, E., Waldenström, U., Andersson, S. A., & Wikland, M. (1996). Reduction of blood flow impedance in the uterine arteries of infertile women with electro-acupuncture. Human Reproduction, 11(6), 1314-1317.
Improving blood flow: • Ho, M., Huang, L. C., Chang, Y. Y., Chen, H. Y., Chang, W. C., Yang, T. C., & Tsai, H. D. (2009). Electroacupuncture reduces uterine artery blood flow impedance in infertile women. Taiwan Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 48(2), 148-151.
Reducing stress: • Balk, J., Catov, J., Horn, B., Gecsi, K., & Wakim, A. (2010). The relationship between perceived stress, acupuncture, and pregnancy rates among IVF patients: A pilot study. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, 16(3), 154-157
Improving sperm quality: • Pei, J., Strehler, E., Noss, U., Abt, M., Piomboni, P., Baccetti, B., & Sterzik, K. (2005). Quantitative evaluation of spermatozoa ultrastructure after acupuncture treatment for idiopathic male infertility. Fertility and Sterility, 84(1), 141-147.

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Addressing Skin Conditions

Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine can be used to treat acne, eczema, shingles, psoriasis etc. TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) considers skin conditions as an internal disharmony. These conditions might result from any of poor eating habits, sleeping habits (especially shift work), emotional stress, or physical stress. Any of these can weaken the Qi or Yin internally. External influences, including as wind, dampness, and heat can also be the trigger.

Redness: In TCM redness and rash are symptoms of Heat. The patient may frequently experience other symptoms such as dry mouth, or irritability.

Weeping: weeping is usually an indication of dampness by TCM. The patient might experience lethargy, exhaustion, and digestion problems.

Itching: itching is an indication of Wind by TCM. The patient might commonly suffer with poor sleep, and a quick temper.

Herbs and Acupuncture could help by clearing heat, dampness and wind and restore balance of Yin-Yang to improve skin conditions.

Acupuncture and skin conditions: • Ma, C., & Sivamani, R. K. (2015). Acupuncture as a treatment modality in dermatology: A systematic review. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 21(9), 520-529.

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Other Conditions

Other conditions can be helped by Traditional Chinese Herbs, Acupuncture, etc.:

Bell’s Palsy
Fatigue
Hay Fever
IBS
Gastritis
Tinnitus
TMJ

The World Health Organisation Consultation On Acupuncture: “Acupuncture: Review And Analysis Of Reports On Controlled Clinical Trials”[1] Section 3: Diseases and disorders that can be treated with acupuncture:

Diseases, symptoms or conditions for which acupuncture has been proved— through controlled trials—to be an effective treatment:

Adverse reactions to radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy
Allergic rhinitis (including hay fever)
Biliary colic
Depression (including depressive neurosis and depression following stroke)
Dysentery, acute bacillary
Dysmenorrhoea, primary (Period Pain)
Epigastralgia (Stomach Ache), acute (in peptic ulcer, acute and chronic gastritis, and gastrospasm)
Facial pain (including craniomandibular disorders)
Headache
Hypertension, essential
Hypotension, primary
Induction of labour
Knee pain
Low back pain
Nausea and vomiting
Neck pain
Pain in dentistry (including dental pain and temporomandibular dysfunction)
Periarthritis of shoulder (frozen shoulder)
Postoperative pain
Rheumatoid arthritis
Sciatica
Sprain
Stroke
Tennis elbow

Diseases, symptoms or conditions for which the therapeutic effect of acupuncture has been shown but for which further proof is needed:

Abdominal pain (in acute gastroenteritis or due to gastrointestinal spasm) Acne vulgaris
Bell’s palsy
Bronchial asthma
Cancer pain
Cardiac neurosis
Cholecystitis, chronic, with acute exacerbation Cholelithiasis
Competition stress syndrome
Craniocerebral injury, closed
Diabetes mellitus, non-insulin-dependent
Earache
Female infertility
Facial spasm
Female urethral syndrome
Fibromyalgia and fasciitis
Gastrokinetic disturbance, e.g. Colitis
Gouty arthritis
Hyperlipaemia e.g. High Cholesterol
Hypo-ovarianism
Insomnia
Labour pain
Lactation, deficiency
Ménière disease
Neuralgia, post-herpetic Neurodermatitis
Obesity
Polycystic ovary syndrome (Stein–Leventhal syndrome)
Postoperative convalescence
Premenstrual syndrome
Prostatitis, chronic
Pruritus (itching)
Radicular and pseudoradicular pain syndrome (esp. leading to leg & back pain)
Raynaud syndrome, primary
Recurrent lower urinary-tract infection
Reflex sympathetic dystrophy e.g. lasting pain
Sore throat (including tonsillitis)
Spine pain, acute
Stiff neck
Temporomandibular joint dysfunction
Tobacco dependence
Tourette syndrome
Ulcerative colitis, chronic
Vascular dementia

[1] “Acupuncture: Review And Analysis Of Reports On Controlled Clinical Trials”, from the WHO Consultation on Acupuncture held in Cervia, Italy in 1996

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