Common Questions

Do I need to do anything before coming?

One of the wonderful things about Acupuncture is that you can treat multiple things at once so before coming it can be helpful to think about your health and general well-being and where you would like things to be different, this includes your emotional life as well as your health. One of the very common things people report after treatment is that multiple things are better, they often feel much better in themselves and are feeling more relaxed and happy, or find they are sleeping better or their headaches have gone etc. If I know everything you would like help with this often allows me to tailor treatment to address other things as well as the main issue you want help with.

If you have already had treatment, try to think about how you have been since your last treatment, providing feedback is an important part of how we assess your progress.

If you have any diagnosed illnesses or conditions it is useful to let me know about these in advance.

It is helpful to bring a list of any drugs you are taking so that I can take account of the actions of these drugs. NB: Acupuncture does not interfere with the action of drugs.

It is best to make sure that you have eaten adequately before coming so try to avoid skipping any meals.

Please don’t drink alcohol or take drugs (except prescribed medications) before attending treatment as I may not be able to treat you.

Do I need to do anything after treatment?

It is good to make sure you get adequate rest, drink plenty (but not excessive amounts) of water and eat well. This is simply to allow treatment to have the best effect.

It is best to avoid drinking alcohol or taking recreational drugs after treatment, these things unbalance your system and so will stop you getting the full benefit of treatment. They will also reduce your awareness of how treatment is affecting you, this will stop you giving accurate feedback as to how treatment affected you and this makes it harder for you to get the best from treatment.

Between treatments, notice how you feel and notice any changes in your health and well being, these may not appear to be connected to treatment but please still report them as sometimes they are connected. Treatment often builds up in effectiveness so small pieces of information or small changes can provide important indications that a particular line of treatment is starting to take effect and that a given line of treatment should be pursued further.

Where do the treatments take place?

Treatments take place in a private room in the Gaia Clinic in Cottrell rd, Roath and Severn Road, Pontcanna, these are spacious professional clinics in Pontcanna and Roath in Cardiff.

You can find the clinic addresses and directions here.

Do you do home visits?

IN exceptional circumstances this is sometimes possible, but this is by arrangement as not all homes are suitable and it often isn’t possible due to my existing clinical commitments. Costs depend on the travel time involved, I simply charge travel time in addition to the usual treatment time.

How many treatments will I need?

This is a natural and very common question. It depends on the condition you have, the person, and to some degree, how long you have had your issues. Some people respond to Acupuncture very quickly indeed and feel they have had an almost ‘miraculous’ cure, other people take a few treatments to respond and a minority of people don’t respond much at all. Different conditions also respond differently. When I know something about you and what you need help with I can offer more guidance as to how much treatment it is likely to take so please get in touch and we can speak about this.

Will treatment restrict what I can do afterwards?

No, but it is advisable to take it easy after treatment to allow treatment to have the best affect.

I’m on medication, Is it OK to have acupuncture?

Yes, Acupuncture is a complimentary form of medicine. This means it works with existing treatments and does not need you to change your use of medication. Medication can however alter things like your pulse and have side effects so I do need to know what medications you are taking so that I can take account of these effects when formulating the Chinese medical diagnosis that forms the foundation of your treatment plan.

Will I need to change my medication?

No, medication is a matter between you and your doctor, if you wish to change your medication, Acupuncture treatment can sometimes help support you in that process but Patients who have treatment for a while can find that they no longer need their medication or can reduce their dose, again, in this situation you need to seek the advice of your doctor to check if it is safe to come off your medication and how to do it safely.

I’m pregnant, is it safe to have acupuncture?

Yes, having acupuncture is very safe for you and your baby and can help with many of the challenges around pregnancy such as nausea and pain aswell as keeping you feeling well. Properly trained Traditional Acupuncturists know that there are specific Acupuncture points that are used to induce labor so these points and points directly over the abdomen are never used during pregnancy. Apart from these restrictions treatment can happen as normal and is very beneficial for many women.

Are there any conditions for which Acupuncture treatment is not advised or is dangerous?

Acupuncture is not contraindicated for any specific conditions.

Some conditions like lymphoma mean that certain Acupuncture points cannot be used because of where those points are in relation to swellings etc, a properly trained Traditional Acupuncturist will be able to treat you safely in this situation.

How big are the needles?

Naturally quite a few people ask about the needles. They are very very fine, just a little thicker than a human hair and I have never had anyone stop coming for treatment because of the needles.

Most peoples’ experience of needles is having an injection or blood test but this is very different to having Acupuncture, the hypodermic needles required for an injection need to have a big hollow down the centre to allow the fluid to be injected to pass into the body, this makes them very wide and it is this width, aswell as the skill of the practitioner that affects the level of discomfort. Acupuncture needles do not put anything into the body and so do not need a hollow and are far thinner, this is why the sensation is nothing like an injection or a blood test.

Is it painful?

The sensation of being needled with an Acupuncture needle is very variable, sometimes people feel nothing at all, other times they feel a tingling, other times they feel a dull sensation like a very mild dull localised sensation, there are as many sensations as there are people and the sensation varies depending on where you are being needled

Normally the main concern is that it will be painful like having an injection, I don’t like injections either so I know what being concerned about needles feels like.Acupuncture is nothing like an injection and any sensations people do feel pass away very quickly, usually in a few seconds.

If you are worried about it hurting there are a few options – firstly, I may be able to treat using techniques other than needles, secondly, for all of my patients who have had this concern it is the thought of the needle that is worse than the reality of it and once they have experienced it they are fine. Some people find it helpful if they see me needle myself, that way they see that it is nothing to be worried about so I can do this if you think it will be helpful, I treat myself regularly so it is no problem.

If this bothers you then he best bet is to give me a ring , let me know your concern and we can have a chat about what we can do to help you feel relaxed, I have never had a patient leave treatment because of the sensation of needling and once patients have had treatment and felt the benefit, even those who feel stronger sensations aren’t worried about them.