What You Need To Know.
Before attending your appointment.
In line with Government guidelines if you or a member of your household are experiencing symptoms of Coronavirus you should stay at home, arrange a test and NOT attend your acupuncture appointment. Please let us know as soon as possible if you are needing to cancel your appointment. If you have underlying health conditions and are therefore particularly vulnerable and unsure if it is wise for you to attend the clinic then please contact us to discuss your particular circumstances.
When you attend your appointment.
PLEASE TRY TO MAINTAIN SOCIAL DISTANCING WHEN MOVING AROUND THE CLINIC
Please come alone if possible to minimise the number of people in the clinic at any one time. For the same reasons it would be helpful if you can try and time your arrival at the clinic as close to the appointment time as possible to avoid having to spend time in the waiting room. If you arrive by car, you may want to wait in the car until your appointment time.
Your acupuncturist will be wearing a face mask and in the interests of protecting everyone in the clinic face coverings are mandatory for all patients. If you do not have a face covering unfortunately you will not be able to have your treatment.
There will be hand sanitiser available when you enter the clinic, please use it on the way in and out.
Due to the extra hygiene measures needed before, during and after the clinic blankets will not be available in the usual way. Please consider this and wear something that we can work around (access to lower arms and legs) while still keeping you warm. You can bring a clean blanket from home if you wish.
Your treatment.
For the majority of your appointment every effort will be made to maintain social distancing but this obviously will not be possible during the needling. As well as wearing face masks, we will be trying to keep face to face time to a minimum (not as much chatting as usual, sorry). Once the needles are in you will be able to relax on your own and allow them to do their work as usual.
Payment.
It is possible to make contactless card payments. If you prefer to use cash it would be helpful to have the correct change.
Test and Trace.
It is hoped that all staff and patients remain well and that the risk of infection in the clinic is minimal but of course, like everywhere outside the home there is always going to be a small risk when in places open to the public. By maintaining social distancing, limiting face to face time and wearing face masks it is hoped that in the unlikely event of someone who has been in the clinic testing positive for Coronavirus there will be no need for anyone else to self isolate. However if contacted but NHS Test and Trace and asked to provide patient contact details, these will be provided. Information given will be contact details only (no medical or treatment information) in the interests of the health and well-being of the wider community.
Where will the needles go?
There are literally hundreds of points all over the head and body, each with their own action. However, in Balance Method acupuncture (used at Core Acupuncture) most of the points used are from elbow down and knee down. As a golden rule, needles are not used in the area of pain. It is possible to bring about changes in one area of the body by needling a different part of the body due to the way all the meridians are interconnected.
Is it safe?
Acupuncture is one of the safest medical treatments on offer in the UK.
The risk of serious adverse reaction to acupuncture was estimated by the British Medical Journal in 2001 as 1 in 10,000. This was following two independently conducted surveys totalling 66,000 treatments. This is far less than orthodox medical treatments. A further survey in 2003 of 6,000 patients also only identified a handful of minor transient side effects.
Any side effects that do occur, such as dizziness or bruising around the needle site are mild and self correcting.
Does it hurt?
No.
Acupuncture should not be painful. The needles used are very fine and therefore not felt in the same way as hospital needles. Some patients experience and dull ache or tingling sensation on the needles but a sharp type pain is not normal. When treating pain, the area of pain is avoided when selecting points.
Most people find acupuncture pleasant and relaxing.
Can I get acupuncture free on the NHS?
The body of evidence on the effectiveness of acupuncture is growing and more and more Western medical doctors are recognising acupuncture as a useful and cost effective addition to their treatments.
NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) have included the use of acupuncture in their reviews of treatment options for a range of conditions in recent years. Currently they recommend acupuncture for the treatment of migraine and tension headaches on the NHS.
The reality is that in the Hull area there is a very limited availability of acupuncture on the NHS although many patients are encouraged by their doctors to seek acupuncture. Most health plans and insurance companies cover the cost of acupuncture so it is worth checking with your provider and asking for a receipt if you can make a claim.
Jane is aware that the cost of ongoing treatment can add up and also runs a low cost clinic to ensure that as many people as possible can benefit from acupuncture. To find out more about this low cost option please visit Hull and East Yorkshire Community Acupuncture.
What should I wear?
The style of acupuncture used at Core Acupuncture usually uses points on the lower legs and feet as well as forearms and hands. It is therefore ideal if clothes can be rolled up to elbow and knees. It may be necessary to remove tight fitting clothes for comfort or ease of access to the acupuncture points.
Above all you need to be comfortable.
How many treatments will I need?
This varies from patient to patient and is influenced by many factors including the nature of the condition, the duration of the symptoms, the lifestyle of the patient as well as individual responsiveness to acupuncture.
Acupuncture is never a one off quick fix. It is always necessary to complete a course of treatment to achieve meaningful, lasting results. Treatments have an accumulative effect and regular (usually weekly) treatments are needed to build up the treatment before treatments can be spaced out or reduced to maintainance treatments.
As a general guide, patients are encouraged to stay with it for 5-6 treatments before evaluating the effectiveness of treatment and planning ongoing management.
