Acupuncture
Dr. Ian Chait- Medical Acupuncture MB.Ch.B. MRCP MRCGP Dip.Med.Ac.
Ian has recently retired as a GP but remains on the GMC register and a member of BMAS, and is continuing to work as a specialist in medical acupuncture.
Acupuncture has been used for thousands of years but it is only recently that its scientific basis is being worked out. As a member of the British Medical Acupuncture Society (BMAS) Ian is trained in the Western usage and keeps up to date with the latest research.
There are many disorders where it can be of help, many of which are not generally thought of as being helped by acupuncture by both patients and health professionals. Below is a list of situations where it is worth considering. The list is not exclusive but contains the most common conditions treated - there are many other situations where it might be of help.
PAIN:
Back pain and neck pain with associated sciatica or arm pain where conventional treatment has not worked and surgery isn’t appropriate. These are amongst the commonest. Musculo-skeletal pain of all types, including shoulder pain and knee pain which can respond very well even when there is arthritis present. Tennis elbow usually responds very well too.Headache - including stress, migraine and facial pain which includes neuralgia and TMJ pain.Scar pain after surgery can be distressing if it becomes chronic-Long lasting. Nerve pain — for instance after Shingles (Post Herpetic Neuralgia or PHN) can often be helped.
DEPRESSION and ANXIETY
It can be very effective and can avoid or supplement the use of medication. This is very helpful for those people who really don’t want to take, or have adverse responses to medication.
HAY FEVER and other allergies
Many patients have been given annual steroid injection to prevent hay fever but this is now not considered good medical practice because of potential side effects. Acupuncture can be used to treat acute symptoms not responsive to conventional medical treatment and importantly as a preventive treatment but as with all medical approaches needs to be started ideally before your hay fever season begins. In the case of tree pollen allergy that usually starts in February or March then the acupuncture needs to be considered in early February. For grass pollen it can be later say April. There are other medical ways of treating grass pollen allergy, when symptomatic treatment with antihistamines and sprays have failed, for instance with Grazax immune therapy but this only works for Timothy grass and is expensive.
NAUSEA AND VOMITING
This occurs frequently in pregnancy where it can be severe and acupuncture can help in many cases.
It can also occur as a result of chemotherapy treatment for cancer which can be controlled with medication but sometimes isn’t and can be very distressing.
Other situations in oncology may also be helped. Examples are nerve damage following chemotherapy, dry mouth after radiotherapy and abnormal sensation in the axilla (armpit) after breast surgery.
HOT FLUSHES and MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS
It’s very useful especially where hormones are (HRT) cannot be used. Also helps in hot flushes caused by chemotherapy in breast and prostate cancer treatment,
For an appointment please call Centennial Medical Care 020 3327
