Acupuncture is a system of healing which has been practiced in China and other Eastern countries for thousands of years. It’s focus is to improve the overall well being of the patient.
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According to the philosophy of Oriental Medicine, energy (Qi) flows around the body through a series of channels known as meridians. When this flow is smooth and balanced the body is healthy. If the flow of Qi is disturbed, then illness can take hold. This can manifest in physical, emotional, spiritual or psychological problems. By inserting very fine needles into specific points along these meridians, an acupuncturist can restore the smooth flow, allowing the body to heal itself and the symptoms to clear up.
Due to acupuncture’s holistic approach it’s suitable for all ages and can improve many conditions.
Phao Preece BSc (Hons) MBAcC graduated from the International College of Oriental Medicine in 2004 with an Honours degree in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine and is an experienced Classical Five Elements Acupuncturist.
She is fully insured and a member of the British Acupuncture Council (BAcC), and therefore adheres to the BAcC’s strict Code of Practice. The procedures outlined in this Code have been approved by the Department of Health and provide protection against the transmission of infectious diseases.
Payment can be made by cash or credit card.
All visits by appointment only. Longer sessions or home visits can be arranged in special circumstances.
If you have Health Insurance, you may be able to claim back the cost of your treatment. Please check with your Health Insurance provider to see if they cover Acupuncture. Phao is happy to provide a receipt for claim purposes.
Contact Phao to book an appointment or to discuss your symptoms in detail. Visit by appointment only.
Phao graduated from the International College of Oriental Medicine, in East Grinstead, with an Honours Degree in Chinese Medicine (Acupuncture). She is a Member of the British Acupuncture Council, to which all members must be fully qualified, licensed, insured and adhere to the strict Code of Safe Practice.
Most people’s experience of needles is when having an injection or blood test, and so the thought of being a human ‘pin cushion’ is not too appealing.
Acupuncture needles are very fine, almost as fine as a strand of hair, and so they displace the skin rather than cut through it like a hypodermic needle. The sensation experienced when the acupuncture needle is inserted is not painful, but more often described as tingling or dull ache.
The first acupuncture visit will last 1½ hours. During this appointment, a thorough case history will be taken, followed by body and pulse diagnosis. Finally, once a diagnosis has been made, the acupuncture needles will be inserted for 20 minutes. Phao is trained in the Classical Five Elements style of acupuncture, and so very few needles are used, sometimes only 1 or 2, rarely more than 8. During this time, most people experience a pleasant feeling of relaxation, and often fall asleep! For those patients where needling is not suitable, such as very young children, acupressure (massaging the point) can be applied.
Phao often includes some Reiki Healing during the session for added relaxation.
All acupuncture needles used by Phao are sterile, individually sealed, and only opened in front of you. They are only ever inserted once, then immediately upon removal disposed of into a sharps box, before being incinerated.
Each patient is unique, and therefore it is very difficult to predict how many acupuncture sessions each person will need. Sometimes the effect of the treatment is dramatic and only one or two further sessions are needed. Other patients, especially if they have had a long-term illness, may need treatment over several months. In these cases, the patient should still start to feel some improvement within three or four sessions.
At the beginning of treatment, sessions may be one or two weeks apart. As the energies become more balanced, sessions will become more spaced out, for example four to six weeks apart.
Acupuncture is also a great preventative against illness. Therefore, a treatment two or three times a year can keep people healthy!
In most cases, yes. There are cautions with some drugs, such as anti-coagulants, as there are with some conditions such as diabetes, lymphoedema, cancer, post-surgery and pregnancy. However, if someone is taking an anticoagulant and has a stable INR, there is no reason not to treat carefully. Phao will take detailed notes about medications and your health history during the initial session before making a diagnosis and treatment plan. If acupuncture is not an appropriate treatment, she can offer alternative therapies. Please do contact Phao if you would like to discuss your medications, or anything else, prior to booking an appointment.
Acupuncture as a system of healing was developed thousands of years ago, long before modern scientific methods of diagnosis and understanding of the human body. The ancient Chinese instead observed patterns within nature, developing the concept of The Five Elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water) to diagnose and treat ill-health within a person’s body, mind or spirit.
The physical human body, with all its structures, systems and processes, together with emotional and psychological aspects, are divided in to these Five Elements, with each Element having its own distinct quality.
As in nature, there must be a balance between the Five Elements to have a healthy environment. It is difficult to be balanced in this modern world – stressful jobs and busy lives leave little time to find peaceful moments or exercise, and our diets are often not as healthy as they could be. In addition, there are often outside factors beyond our control that affect us. Any of these can influence our energetic balance.
Too much or too little of one element will change its interaction with the others and create imbalance. For example, too little Water could lead to Wood being dry and unnourished and result in Fire flaring up. In nature, this could be seen in wild fires following a drought. Within the body, this pattern could lead to such varied symptoms as poor sleep, anxiety, or hot flushes, to name just a few.
By restoring the balance between the Elements, the symptoms improve.
Wood: Muscular pain, stress, headaches, eye disorders, anger/irritability
Fire: Cardio-vascular issues, palpitations, heat, anxiety
Earth: Digestive issues, nausea, fatigue, worry/lack of self-confidence
Metal: Respiratory issues, skin problems, grief
Water: Back pain, arthritis, fertility issues, urinary disorders, sleep problems, ear disorders, fear/depression
Contact Phao to book an appointment or to discuss your symptoms in detail. Visit by appointment only.
