Recently, there have been quite a few enquiries asking if acupuncture treatment is covered by their health insurance, so I thought I’d write a short blog to outline the details. There are many health insurance providers who allow you to claim back the cost of your acupuncture session, if your practitioner is registered with the British Acupuncture Council (BAcC). In most cases, you just request a receipt/invoice from us, which you pass on to your provider. We include all the necessary details so that your insurer can pay out. The amount you are able to claim back will vary depending on who your provider is, and the level of cover you have taken out. The following providers offer some level of cover for acupuncture treatment (at the time of writing this blog):
It is worth noting that certain ones require a GP referral. If you are looking to take out a policy to help with costs, it is worth shopping around to find the right one for you. If you would like anymore information, then please get in touch. My clinic hours are: Tuesday 9.30-2.30 Meanwood Leeds Wednesday 10.00-20.00 York Thursday 9.30-20.00 Meanwood Leeds
0 Comments
New year has brought about a few changes and I'm pleased to announce that I will also be working from The Old Surgery in the heart of Meanwood. This wonderful treatment space provides a safe and tranquil place for me to expand my Leeds practice. I will be working here on Thursdays 9.30am to 6.30pm.
I'd also like to take the opportunity to thank all of my York patients, who've followed us to the new location (after the York Clinic closed down). We found the perfect new site at Independence House, where my colleague Amanda has created a beautifully serene treatment room. It has made the move a lot easier and I think our patients agree! This new space in Leeds gives me a great opportunity to work with fellow experienced practitioners, whilst also finding a good work/life balance for my young family. Thank you to those who have already been to see me at the new location and for those who would like some more information on how I can help, please don't hesitate to get in touch. Contact me on [email protected] or call/leave me a message on 07906306228. Sciatica is the pain we experience when our sciatic nerve is irritated. The irritation can be caused by structures pressing on the nerve, such as a prolapsed disc, or inflamed muscle tissue.
Steve came to see me for help with his sciatica, after several sessions he recalls his experience with acupuncture, and how it helped him… ‘My GP recommended that I consider a course of acupuncture treatment after diagnosing me with sciatica and prescribing me codeine to help manage the pain, which was more intense than anything I’d ever experienced before in my life. Three days later I met Rachel, still bent-double with pain and struggling even to lever myself onto the treatment couch. She started by asking me a number of detailed questions about my condition; how had it occurred, where exactly was the pain, how painful was it, and so forth? Rachel also asked me what I knew about acupuncture - which was not a lot - and what I was hoping to achieve by the treatment? This detailed questioning was to characterise my whole experience with Rachel; she started every subsequent session with a review of what I had done since our last treatment, where the pain was now and how, if any, the pain had reduced? At our initial session, Rachel concluded that a mix of acupuncture and massage would optimise my chances of a speedy recovery, supplemented by a regime of daily walks; just a few steps at first, but eventually increasing to an hour a day. The massages were deep and intensive, but really relaxed my muscles. These were always followed by the acupuncture, with needles applied along the length of my right leg and lower back. I was pleasantly surprised that inserting the needles was virtually painless, merely the tiniest of pricks on occasions and sometimes I was even unaware that they had even been inserted. Rachel would then leave me for approximately 20 minutes for the needles to do their stuff, with the room darkened and some music playing softly in the background. I always found this very relaxing and on more than one occasion fell asleep; a real blessing, as I did not sleep well for the first month or so after my sciatica started. After each session, the pain was noticeably eased and I was able to walk more freely. Equally important, I also undoubtedly benefited emotionally from doing something positive to help the healing process. Within a couple of weeks I had stopped taking the codeine and all pain-killers after about a month. Over the course of the next 6 weeks, I had around one treatment per week on average and I am convinced they played an important part in my speedy recovery. I then went on a long-planned trips to the Maldives and whilst the 14 hour flight was not completely pain-free, it was far more comfortable than I could have ever imagined, further helped by some exercises which Rachel had recommended. Now, some 3 months after first developing sciatica, I am completely mobile, pain-free and exercising as normal, a great testament to Rachel’s expertise’. If you’d like to know more about sciatica, get in touch or for more information. Or take a look at my last blog. (Image courtesy of York Clinic) What is Sciatica? Sciatica defines any pain that is caused by the irritation of the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in the body, it runs from the lower back (exiting in the lumbar part of the spine) through the buttocks and down the leg. It can affect different people in different ways, with pain ranging from mild and irritating to severe and debilitating. What are the Symptoms? Typically, sciatica only affects one side of the body. You may experience any of the following symptoms in your buttocks, down your leg or even your toes:
What causes Sciatica? Nerves exit the spine via nerve roots in between the vertebrae. A group of nerves in the lower back merge to form the sciatic nerve. Sciatica occurs when something is pressing or rubbing the nerve as it exits the spine, such as:
How can it be treated? General treatment for sciatica includes prescription painkillers specifically for nerve pain, and combination of gentle exercises and stretches. It also advised that where possible to carry on with your day to day activities. How Acupuncture can help: Acupuncture helps to relieve sciatica by:
It also has an effect on the nervous system; when the needles are inserted, local nerves stimulate the release of endorphins and other neurotransmitters. These change how the brain and spinal cord processes pain, explaining how pain is reduced. Over the past few months there has been an increasing amount of people seeking relief for their sciatica. We have found that most patients respond well to acupuncture, both for relief from the acute pain and in helping to manage and resolve their sciatica. Find out how acupuncture helped Steve, in the next blog. Tips for keeping back pain at bay:
If you'd like to talk more about how acupuncture could help you, get in touch. Thanks for reading! What comes to mind when you think about Acupuncture? Maybe you’ve never thought about it. As an Acupuncturist when people ask you what you do, the usual response is either “Is that where you stick needles in people” or “Does it work?”. If you’ve never experienced it for yourself, there may be a few things you’d like to know. This blog aims to satisfy your curiosities and to change any misconceptions you might have. What is it? Acupuncture is one of the oldest and established forms of healthcare. It has been used by the Chinese for thousands of years and is still used today in hospitals and main stream medicine. Acupuncture is all about balance and equilibrium, when we experience pain and illness it can be a sign that our body is out of balance. This imbalance disrupts the free flow of our body's qi (or energy). Acupuncturists are trained using subtle techniques to diagnose and treat different illnesses and ailments. The main focus of the treatment is on you as an individual and looks at the symptoms and the person's constitution in relation to each other. Treatment involves the use of tiny sterile needles into specific acupuncture points on the body, with the aim to affect your body's qi and restore balance How does it work? From a Western point of view, mechanisms of acupuncture are based on an understanding that the insertion of needles has an effect on nerves, such effects cause muscles to relax, over-ride brain signals, etc. The use of certain points are said to activate our parasympathetic nervous system (responsible for rest and digest), which is why it is so relaxing. More recent studies using brain imaging have shown that the use of specific points deactivates pain centres, thus explaining its use for pain relief. From an Eastern perspective, the physiology of the body is understood differently whereby free flow of your body’s energy or Qi is directly related to your health. Acupuncturists use tiny sterile needles at precisely located points to connect with your body’s qi. Following a detailed consultation and examination of aspects of your health and lifestyle, they will decide which points are right for you. The aim is to direct the flow of qi to trigger your body’s healing response and to restore physical, emotional and mental equilibrium. It also works to promote blood flow to certain areas, which in turn increase healing. Acupuncture is designed to affect your whole body as well as your symptoms so, as the condition being treated improves, you may notice other health problems resolve and an increased feeling of wellbeing. What does it treat? Acupuncture can be used to help with many illnesses, both physical and emotional. The main things I see in clinic are:
I don’t like needles will it hurt? One of the most common myths about acupuncture is the size of the needle. Many think an acupuncturist's needle is the same size as one used in an injection. In reality, the needle is as fine as a human hair. Acupuncture shouldn’t hurt, some might feel a tingling sensation on certain points, but no pain. Are Acupuncturists qualified? Contrary to popular belief, most acupuncturists have degree-level qualifications. In addition, all members of the British Acupuncture Council adhere to strict codes of safe practice and professional conduct, and are fully insured. You can search the council’s website to check if the practitioner is a full member. Is it the same as dry needling? No, dry needling also known as medical acupuncture is not the same. It is often used by Physiotherapists, Osteopaths and Chiropractors who have done around 80 hours training. Compared to over 3,500 hours of training required by British Acupuncture Council members. Is it safe? Claims that acupuncture is unsafe are much discussed in the media, yet there is a growing body of research which underlines acupuncture’s safety record. Two separate surveys published in the British Medical Journal in 2001 reported that the risk of a serious adverse reaction with Acupuncture is less than 1 in 10,000. Making acupuncture one of the safest treatments available. I hope this answered some of your queries but if you have anything else you would like to know, then get in touch. Thanks for reading! What are those painful and annoying “knots” in our muscles and how can we manage them? Although it is common for us to experience the uncomfortable sensation of tight muscles, it doesn’t make it normal. Bands of hardened muscle usually hold within them extremely tender spots, which can bring about local pain and referred pain (a pain that is felt in a part of the body which if different that its origin). These spots are known as “myofascial trigger points” or TrPs A TrP is made up of many so-called contraction “knots”. It can become quite complicated as to why these knots occur, and there has been confusion over their cause, but it appears that researchers have come to a general consensus. The knots are thought to be caused when individual muscle fibres are shortened and become permanently contracted, hence, contraction knots. Although these individual knots are relatively small, they can be painful and problematic. When the small contractions knots pull on the surrounding muscle fibres, this generates small taut bands of muscle. Some are “active” TrP and are always tender and when pressed refer pain elsewhere. TrPs in the neck or shoulder can cause:
A Trp can also be “inactive” or latent, these are only tender when palpated, this can be why patients don’t realise it’s there until we find them. What Causes TrPs? There are a variety of factors that can cause these painful TrPs to occur such as:
Care advice and prevention: If left untreated the pain can persist and could become more of a chronic condition, which in the long run will take longer to heal. In essence what we need to do is to increase lymphatic drainage, circulation & blood flow to the area, which will bring in fresh oxygen and take away waste products. If you act early, you may be able to treat yourself at home with techniques such as:
If the pain persists or you feel it is getting worse then there are other options for you:
Something called “muscle memory” means that when muscles have become tight for whatever reason, they learn to stay tight. As with any treatment, be it self-care or with a professional, the key is consistency. TrPs will eventually release if you keep going. Tips to keep TrPs at bay:
If you have any questions about this blog or anything else let me know, thanks for reading! 07906 306228 [email protected] {Image courtesy of http://www.southcountyhealth.org/ ] For thousands of years, doctors in China have been practicing acupuncture to heal and restore health. Here in the West it seems like researchers have been arguing against the practice for just as long. Despite numerous clinical trials, many scientists remain convinced that although patients report many benefits from acupuncture, it is all down to an extremely convincing placebo. In recent years however, neuroscience studies using brain imaging, suggest that acupuncture causes important changes in the brain. Previous studies that purely relied on patient feedback and pain ratings, may have been hiding this important information. Up to now, scientists believe that acupuncture is no more than placebo. This is because in trials comparing pain relief from true acupuncture and sham-acupuncture (sham-acupuncture, the placebo control, is where the closest alternative to “real” acupuncture is used, such as placing the needles in non-acupuncture points or using needles that retract and don’t penetrate the skin) reported only a small effect above placebo, or the same. Thus satisfying the theory that acupuncture is the same as placebo. However, these studies only report subjective results from patients. Neuroscientists have begun to increasingly look in to how inserting needles into the body influences brain activity, seemingly by stimulating nerves close to the acupuncture point. It is believed that acupuncture reduces activity in the area of the brain associated with pain. These findings have not yet been able to explain the difference between the placebo effect and real acupuncture, but a new generation of brain imaging studies could be about to change this. Dubbed as one of the pioneers in this field, neuroscientist Richard Harris and his colleagues could have demonstrated how the physical effects in our brain differ, when comparing acupuncture to placebo groups. In patients with fibromyalgia (a chronic pain condition), they noticed a change in expression of pain receptors in the brain. In basic terms this breakthrough evidence indicates that while placebo acupuncture alleviates short term pain, the real thing could help to reverse the underlying cause of a disease. This is increasingly relevant in a world where many conditions, such as fibromyalgia, have little or no treatment. While some groups argue that we do not need to satisfy evidence-base scientists in order to justify our medicine, if we want our medicine to be used, understood and integrated into conventional health care, then we need to be able to prove that acupuncture causes physical changes going on in the body. If you have any questions on this blog or any others, please get in touch. Thanks for reading! This week is national sleep awareness week, so it seemed appropriate to look into a problem that many people are faced with when it comes to trying to get good night’s sleep. Insomnia is one of the most common sleep disorders that is prevalent in around 40% of adults. People who suffer with insomnia can have difficulty falling asleep, or staying asleep long enough that they feel refreshed the next morning. Individual cases of insomnia can range from mild to extreme, with some struggling to sleep at all. Patients with insomnia see it affecting their daily life and may feel tired, lethargic, be distracted or find it hard to concentrate. Most suffer with occasional episodes that come and go, however for some it can become more chronic. Persistent insomnia can have more serious health implications and impact on your quality of life. Sometimes is it not clear what triggers insomnia, but it's usually associated with:
There are a number of things you can do to try to prevent insomnia, from changing your sleep routine to avoiding screen time up to an hour before bed. But the key is to try and get the mind and body to relax enough that you can fall asleep. Acupuncture, an ancient Chinese practice, has been linked to improved sleep and has also been shown to help treat insomnia. The Evidence for Acupuncture and Insomnia: A preliminary report found that in patients with anxiety, acupuncture increased the production of nighttime melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep, and total sleep time. Those patients who were receiving acupuncture treatment were also able to fall asleep faster, were less aroused at night, and reported less stressed. The researchers concluded that, “Acupuncture treatment may be of value for some categories of anxious patients with insomnia.” Another study found that acupuncture improve the quality of sleep in patients with HIV, for whom sleep disturbance and disorders are a common problem. The researchers found that, “Sleep activity and sleep quality significantly improved following 5 weeks of individualised acupuncture…” Acupuncture is also used to relieve chronic pain, which is a common contributor to sleeplessness, the theory behind this is explained in full here. Whatever the reason for patients seeking acupuncture, due to the relaxing nature of the treatment, many find that it noticeably improves their sleep quality as well. If you’re having trouble sleeping, acupuncture may be helpful for you. If you have any questions please get in touch or share with anyone you think might find this helpful. Thanks for reading! |
AuthorRachel Hemblade Archives
February 2024
Categories |
|