Acupuncture

 

Acupuncture is a part of the long established tradition of Chinese Medicine (CM). As such a practitioner is able to diagnose and treat any individual according to the holistic principals of CM. Acupuncture aims to promote balance within the body in a gentle and safe way that most people find both relaxing and enjoyable. Every treatment is individually tailored to your needs with the intention of meeting your health goals quickly and effectively.

 

Infertility Treatments

Daniel has a special interest in use of acupuncture to treat a wide range of fertility problems as well as using acupuncture during pregnancy to help and support expectant mothers.

 

Daniel also works at London’s pioneering Hammersmith Hospital in the Reproductive Medicine Department,treating both male and female patients in the run up to Assisted Reproduction Treatment (ART) such as IUI and IVF. With this valuable experience Daniel has a thorough understanding of all that is involved in ART from both the Western medical perspective and the CM perspective. Acupuncture can be used as a stand alone therapy for those who wish to try to conceive naturally as well as complementing ART.

 

There is a growing base of evidence that Acupuncture is effective in the fertility field.
A recent German trial concluded that “Clinical pregnancies were documented in 34 of 80 patients (42.5%) in the Acupuncture group, whereas pregnancy rates were only 21 out 80 patients (26.3%) in a control group.”

 

Tui Na

Tui Na (pronounced 'twee-nah') is a system of Chinese bodywork and massage which has been used for centuries in the Far East. Tui and Na literally mean Push and Grasp and this reflects the use of these techniques in a typical session. It combines massage, acupressure, stretching and some gentle manipulation techniques. It works on acupuncture points and meridians combining pressure and movement to alleviate areas of tension and pain. In China many hospitals have a Tui Na Department in the same way as we have Physiotherapy Departments in the West.

 

Tui Na centres on the use of the practitioner’s hands to diagnose through palpation and treat. Tui Na is unlike other types of massage as it uses CM theory as a basis for treatment. Concepts of qi, blood, yin & yang, and essence play pivotal roles.

 

Tui Na is especially useful in the young and old who may not be suited to Acupuncture and needling. It has most of the benefits of Acupuncture and can offer a different treatment solution. Tui Na is applied to the clothed body generally, the practitioner will place a towel over a patient to perform most techniques. Almost always people feel better after having some Tui Na.

Training and Qualifications

Daniel trained at the London College of Traditional Acupuncture (LCTA) and the Asanté Academy of Chinese Medicine. He has qualifications in Acupuncture, Tui Na and Reflexology. He is a member of the British Acupuncture Council.

 

Daniel has been practising for 6 years and as well as working at Vidatherapy practices in Harley Street and at the Hammersmith Hospital. He also works in the teaching clinic of the LCTA supervising final year students going through their clinical practice.

Case Study Ms G

Ms G, a 32 year old woman, had suffered with painful periods and PMT since coming off the pill. It was not until she had been trying to conceive for a year that she decided to speak to her doctor. Ms G was diagnosed with raised FSH levels. Looking at
her case in terms of CM I was able to see that Ms G’s problems stemmed from leading a stressful lifestyle over a number of years, inhibiting her body’s ability to nourish itself and therefore produce good quality eggs.

Our treatment plan was to first of all regulate her cycle (to make it regular and pain free). Once this was achieved we could use specific techniques to enhance and nourish her energy with the aim of allowing conception to occur.

 

We also used dietary recommendations and lifestyle changes alongside the acupuncture treatments to sustain the effects of treatment and counteract those factors, which had led her to this point.

 

Ms G progressed very well and after the first month of treatment (4 sessions, once weekly) her period was much less painful than usual and her mood was, reasonably balanced. We decided to carry on for another month with the same routine. At her next period Ms G was happy to report that she felt very calm and was pain free for the first time in a long while. This reflected her body’s move to a much more balanced state and from here we were able to proceed with the next stage of the treatment plan. It was with great joy that at the end of the next cycle Ms G was able to tell me... she was now pregnant. This was a very good result indeed.

 

Most cases take longer to change or progress. A prognosis will reflect the underlying constitution of a patient and their ability to make effective lifestyle changes.