All our physiotherapists are Acupuncture Association of Chartered Physiotherapist-qualified and use Western Medical Acupuncture as another treatment option to help with musculoskeletal conditions.
Acupuncture in its traditional form, focussed on energy and meridians, but using Western Medical principles is it focused more on pain inhibition, modulating nerve signals and calming down your overactive nervous system. The initial application of the needle triggers a very immediate local effect. There is an immediate increase in blood flow to the area the needle is applied, which you can sometimes see as redness surrounding the needle. Alongside this increased blood flow, chemicals are released which attach onto surrounding nerves and decrease the sensitivity of the nerve to pain signals. But don’t worry about the complexity of this, your physiotherapist can help to explain this in greater detail in-session.
Some patients report a delayed effect from acupuncture where can relief is felt approximately 2-3 days post-treatment, which is attributed to the release of another chemical (endorphins) as part of the inflammatory (healing) process.
