Acupuncture for pain relief, tissue healing and balance.
Acupuncture is a powerful healing modality. In the hands of an experienced physiotherapist Cathy Larkin you are assured of the highest standards of clinical knowledge, patient care and safe practice.
How would Acupuncture help me?
Acupuncture has become an increasingly established and evidence-based treatment within modern physiotherapy practice, particularly for the management of pain, muscle tension, and a wide range of musculoskeletal conditions.
Alongside improving movement and function, it can also support overall wellbeing by helping regulate stress and nervous system responses. During times of tissue injury and pain, the central nervous system can become ‘sensitised’. This means that we can have a heightened sensitivity to pain, and the injured tissue and surrounding areas can be very painful, or indeed sometimes too painful to touch.
Acupuncture can help to reduce tissue hypersensitivity and thereby allow a patient to move better with less pain, and for conditions such as whiplash or nerve pain, it allows us to begin gentle manual therapy and progress with exercise and rehabilitation.
From a modern scientific perspective, acupuncture influences the nervous system, immune system, and local tissue health through changes in cell regulation. It can reduce pain sensitivity, trigger natural pain-relieving chemicals, improve circulation, and activate the body’s rest-and-recover response.
Read more below to learn if Acupuncture is suitable for you.
Would Acupuncture help my problem?
You might benefit from acupuncture if you:
have ongoing pain that hasn’t fully settled
feel tense, guarded, or stiff much of the time
notice stress, poor sleep, or fatigue makes your pain worse
find pain limits your ability to exercise or stay active
have underlying health conditions which may affect your general wellness and your body’s energy for healing.
you find hands-on therapies too painful to comfortably tolerate, or you don’t like treatments such as massage or touch.
Whiplash associated disorder is a condition that is well suited to Acupuncture therapy and can be a very beneficial modality as part of a comprehensive physiotherapy management strategy.
What should I expect on my first visit?
What to expect at an acupuncture appointment
Cathy will welcome you and your session will begin with a comprehensive physiotherapy assessment, including discussion of symptoms, medical history, and movement.
Fine sterile needles are gently inserted into targeted areas with the highest standards of hand hygiene in place, and the needles are left in place for around 20 minutes while you rest. Most people find treatment comfortable and relaxing. Where you are already undergoing treatment eg physiotherapy/other for your condition, Cathy will advise you on any aspects for consideration eg continuing your exercises later that day.
How many sessions are usually needed?
A course of treatment is commonly recommended, typically four to six sessions, usually spaced weekly, with progress reviewed as treatment continues.
