Traditional Chinese Medicine is probably one of the oldest complementary therapies and continuously practiced systems of medicine in the world. This unique medical system is used to treat a wide range of diseases, and is widely known throughout the world to be especially useful in treating various kinds of pain and is an effective drugs, it has no side effects.

In Western medicine it is quite common for patients to be told by their doctors that the real cause of their pain cannot be found. Fortunately, acupuncture has acquired a very good reputation as a treatment for relieving pain. Today many doctors are now referring their patients for acupuncture.

In terms of pain control, the effects of acupuncture treatment include:

• To relieve pain completely, or give as much relief as possible
• To reduce pain levels
• To improve the ability to deal with pain
• To regulate the emotions
• To increase the energy
• To increase the ability to perform everyday functions
• To enhance the quality of life
• To reduce reliance on inappropriate medications

Acupuncture treats pain by using selected points on the effected channels to activate qi and blood circulation. Acupuncture treatment for pain is varied and based largely on what is causing the patient's suffering. The Chinese do not limit the use of acupuncture to alleviating pain only. Instead treatment includes addressing all health issues the patient is dealing with, some of which may be the cause of the pain.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes acupuncture's ability to treat over 30 diseases including these:

• Headache and migraine
• Trigeminal Neuralgia
• Peripheral neuropathies
• Cervicobrachial syndrome
• Frozen Shoulder, Tennis Elbow
• Sciatica and low back pain
• Osteoarthritis

Although the WHO recognises acupuncture's ability to treat the above conditions it is by no means limited to only these few conditions, if you have pain and are considering acupuncture, please contact Caitriona to see how she can help you with your pain.
The number of treatments and the length of therapy that a patient may receive are based on many factors including the patient's health, age, and personal contribution to the therapy. Other deciding factors include the severity and longevity of the pain and the patient's response to therapy. The course of treatment will be determined during the first few acupuncture sessions.

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Acupuncture is a natural method of treatment that involves no chemicals or surgery or manipulation. Large bodies of research have been able to establish a connection between acupuncture and relief from back pain - especially sciatica.

Sciatica refers to a type of back pain in which the pain radiates from the buttocks down the legs. Sometimes, sciatica pain can also be a consequence of a muscle spasm impinging on the sciatica nerve. Acupuncture can be effectively used to alleviate muscle spasms. The results are almost immediate and can provide relief within minutes.

Back pain is generally caused because muscles that are not frequently exercised and stretched are suddenly put to excessive use. Muscle spasms are common in such cases and result in the individual feeling sore, stiff and a dull ache in the back. Patients suffering from sciatica may even feel a tingling sensation or numbness. This is generally due to the narrowing of the disc space or a disc protrusion in the lumbar region.

Acupuncture is used to improve blood circulation to the entire lumbar region and spinal cord. It relaxes paraspinal muscles and provides relief from muscle spasms. The increased blood flow provides greater nourishment to the discs and increases the elasticity and strengthens the spinal cord. Acupuncture can be extremely effective in reducing back pain symptoms. It is important to remember that different patients respond differently to acupuncture sessions and it can take anywhere between 4-12 sessions to really feel the difference.

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