Acupuncture is one of the skills offered by Physiotherapists to reduce joint and muscle pain, as well as relieve migraines and headaches. We are members of the AACP

Grange Physiotherapy are members of the Acupuncture Association of Chartered Physiotherapists (AACP) which is the governing body that ensures training and standards of practise. Acupuncture is a very useful skill offered by physiotherapists and is used mainly to reduce joint/ muscle pain and spasm, as well as migraine and headache. Scientific evidence demonstrating of the release of endorphs has allowed acupuncture to be integrated with conventional medicine. Clinical trials provide evidence that it has a powerful and sustained effect on muscular skeletal pain. It is now commonly used in GP surgeries, Physiotherapy Departments and Pain Clinics as a complement to conventional medicine.

What does it involve?

Acupuncture involves piercing the skin with pre-sterilised disposable needles of varying of various widths and lengths for around 1 minute. Patients treated with Acupuncture will generally require at least three treatments before the physiotherapist can be certain there is a reaction. ‘Strong reactors’ will show changes immediately after the first treatment. The majority of patients experience a gradual change in symptoms.

Research demonstrates around 80% of people will get some form of pain relief with acupuncture lasting up to 3 months, which considering that is has few side effects compared to drugs is excellent.

What is modern acupuncture?

Acupuncture can be traced through written scripts as far back as 1000BC but there are several different techniques in its application. These can be divided into Modern Acupuncture, Chinese Medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). At Grange Physiotherapy we practice modern acupuncture which is an increasingly research based approach to acupuncture based on current medical understanding of human physiology as compared to the Eastern Philosophical approach. Most research has focussed on pain relief, and reducing nausea, but Acupuncture is suggested to help many other conditions: (taken from AACP):

Has acupuncture got side effects?

There are no serious side effects in the research but sensations of tiredness or even mild nausea are occasionally experienced. Compared to the strong side effect analgesic drugs such as Ibuprofen can produce, acupuncture is a very useful option.