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Acupuncture for Chronic Conditions

BAcC Licensed Acupuncturist in Clapham, London SW4

Acupuncture for Chronic Conditions

Acupuncture for Chronic Conditions

Acupuncture is a very versatile healthcare treatment widely practised across the UK and the world to help alleviate symptoms associated with both acute and chronic conditions. However, many people use acupuncture for symptomatic relief from chronic illness because there are limited conventional medical options, or the options that are available haven’t helped or have unwanted side effects.

 How can acupuncture for chronic conditions help?

Acupuncture uses the Chinese medicine framework to diagnose, understand and mitigate symptoms and conditions. Acupuncture for chronic conditions seeks to address the root cause as well as the presenting symptoms through tapping into the body’s innate ability to heal and self-regulate. Western medicine often looks at the mind and body in isolation of each other leading to missed opportunities for integrated care. Acupuncture for chronic conditions looks at how matters of the mind can influence the body and vice versa. This integrated approach can be useful for addressing mental health issues in tandem with pain and other physical symptoms associated with a chronic illness.

Acupuncture for Chronic Conditions

 Acupuncture for asthma and allergies

In the UK, 5.4 million people are receiving treatment for asthma and around 200,000 have severe asthma that does not respond to traditional treatments. There are many published studies showing how acupuncture may help relieve asthma by:

  • Having regulatory effects on mucosal and cellular immunity in patients with allergic asthma, as shown, for example, by changes in levels of immunoglobulins, eosinophils, T-lymphocytes and cytokines 
  • Reducing bronchial immune-mediated inflammation, particularly through the balance between T helper 1 and 2 cells and their associated cytokines 
  • Reducing inflammation in general by promoting release of vascular and immunomodulatory factors

Acupuncture for hypertension

At least 25% of UK adults have high blood pressure (hypertension). Research has shown that acupuncture treatment may specifically help to lower blood pressure by:

  • Regulating endothelium-derived vasoconstrictors (endothelin-1) and vasodilators (calcitonin gene-related peptide, nitric oxide and nitric oxide synthase)
  • Increasing the release of adenosine, which inhibits the sensation of pain
Acupuncture for Chronic Conditions

 Acupuncture for insomnia

Insomnia affects about a third of people in the UK. Acupuncture has been used to treat insomnia for centuries and recent research shows it works by:

  • Increasing melatonin secretion, the hormone that regulates sleep cycles
  • Increasing nitric oxide content, helping promote normal function of the brain, which helps relax the mind and improve sleep
  • Increasing blood flow, which can relax the body and mind, improving sleep quality
  • Reducing sympathetic nervous system activity, the fight or flight response. Calming the body and increasing relaxation

Interested in treating anxiety and chronic pain issues? See our acupuncture for anxiety and acupuncture for pain sections. 

“Alchemy of Acupuncture strongly feels it is our responsibility to encourage
and educate our patients to take care of their own health.”

For further enquiries please get in touch