What attracted you to the field of acupuncture?
When I was younger, I had a wryneck problem that I had sought help for several years with no success (wryneck is a condition that causes one to hold their head or neck in a twisted or otherwise abnormal position). I then saw an acupuncturist and it was resolved in one treatment. In addition, I had adult asthma that I was taking regular ventolin for and acupuncture resolved this. I now have no need to take my medication. As a consequence, I was fascinated by its efficacy and subsequently decided to study and qualify as an acupuncturist.

What are the fundamentals of acupuncture and in what circumstances is it a good treatment?
When the body is under stress our adrenal system comes into play to protect us from whatever
the stressor is. This stressor may be something as simple as a physical repetitive motion or it could also evolve from an emotional trauma, such as the death of a loved one or even work deadline stress. The adrenal system initially protects us and gives us our “drive” but the problem then is the muscles triggered by the adrenal glands do not subsequently relax. The muscles remain tense and hard long after the stress factor has passed. The connective tissues in these muscles support and protect the visceral components of the body as well as provide a pathway for the nerves and the lymph vessels to the brain. When these muscles are ‘blocked’ this then causes an impasse to the brain. The longer the pathway has been hindered the deeper the manifestation of illness. Acupuncture serves to unblock this, liberating the blood and lymph flow, unhindering the nerve vessels and activating the brain to prompt the central nervous system to heal itself.

Acupuncture is a great treatment for whatever circumstance and because we are working with the individual’s central nervous system, everyone is a candidate. It is a healing profession that has been in use in Eastern cultures for over 2000 years, so you would think that something that has been around that long would have to work.

Does acupuncture hurt?
The needles are about an eighth of the size of the smallest hypodermic needle. They are hair like, so generally the patient doesn’t feel anything. Acupuncture is regularly used on small babies who do not react adversely to the needles.

Tell me more about your experiences using acupuncture to treat HIV patients.
It works very well as a complement to HIV treatment protocols. It helps to balance the immune system, as well as combat the aggravating symptoms of the medication and the disease. I have had patients report back to me that the acupuncture helped with issues they would have ordinarily taken antibiotics, painkillers or other traditional prescribed medication for.

Research shows acupuncture is an effective aid for fertility – what has been your experience in this aspect of the field?
The body is like a car. Occasionally it requires a ‘tune up’ to get it running to its best ability. This is the same for women trying to conceive. With all the pressures on today’s woman, the body can fall out of balance and not run to its full capacity. With a little realigning of hormones, working with the central nervous system we can definitely give fertility a boost. In fact a recent article in British Medical Journal published a trial involving the use of acupuncture in conjunction with IVF. The results showed the use of acupuncture with IVF increased the chances of conception by a substantial margin.

The link to the BMJ article can be found online at http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/
bmj.39471.430451.BEv1.

Stress is a medically recognised condition now, how does acupuncture help to treat it?
Stress has been recognised as a contributor to disease states in Eastern medicine for years. What manifests in the mind will then manifest in the body. Acupuncture is excellent for calming and relaxing the body and mind. You will find muscles will relax that haven’t relaxed in years, improving your health and well being.