Acupuncture for peptic ulcer (stomach ulcer)

Patient

45 year old female. Digestion deteriorated after taking antibiotics. Patient was researching on the Internet everyday for 'miracle diet' that will help with her digestion.

Presenting symptoms

She often experience strong reaction to certain type of food and made frequent trips to the A&E. She described a burning sensation at night that stops her from sleeping. She also thought she had entered menopause early and experienced hot flushes.

Outcome

Acupuncture for peptic ulcer (stomach pain), image source

Improved digestion. Patient no longer needed to take Gaviscon every night. Bloatedness after meal was much better. Sleep had improved too. Reduced frequency and intensity of hot flushes.

Dietary & lifestyle advice

Suggest patient seek a dietary review from a licensed dietitian and ditch 'miracle diets'. Advised patient to start gentle exercise when her energy was restored.

If you would like further information on this blog or to discuss any conditions you would like to be treated, please do not hesitate to contact me via email ivyxxu@xuclinic.co.uk.

Acupuncture for back pain

Patient

Acupuncture for back pain, image source

50 year old roofer. 

Presenting symptoms

Acute lower back pain for 8 weeks. It started on the left side and gradually moved to the lower back, upper back and right shoulder. Movements made pain worse. Patient had a history of back problems which he used to settle with osteopathic treatments. No finding from recent ultra sound check up.

Outcome

Patient started feeling pain relieve after just one session of acupuncture. By second treatment, the left side stabbing pain had completely disappeared. After third treatment, patient the shoulder pain also improved.

Advice

Suggested patient wrap up warm and tuck his shirt in when working outdoors to protect his back from cold weather. Daily stretch after work.

If you would like further information on this blog or to discuss any conditions you would like to be treated, please do not hesitate to contact me via email ivyxxu@xuclinic.co.uk.

Acupuncture for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

The patient

Retail manager in her mid 20s. Patient fell ill after an overseas holiday trip and was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome after returning to the UK. No prior medical

Acupuncture for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, image source

history.

Presenting symptoms

Tiredness, muscle weakness, join & muscle pain, headache. Patient was signed off on sickness leave from work for over a year due to her illness. Poor appetite and constipation. Patient had undergo physiotherapy until being signed off due to lack of progression. 

Outcome

Improved energy and muscle strength. Patient was able to start a gentle exercise programme. She was able to have normal portions of food. Daily bowel movement. 

Treatments started on a weekly basis before phasing out to every other week and then monthly maintenance treatments. 

The improved mobility and energy meant she could spent more time doing what she loved most, baking. She even managed to secure a part time position at a trendy cafe selling her own cakes.

Advice

Encouraged patient to start her physiotherapy exercise programme as soon as she could manage. Warm, well cooked meals that are easy to digest were also suggested. 

Ivy's thoughts

Patients who suffer from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome often require a lot of encouragement and family support during treatment as they are on a long road of recovery that are full of relapses and plateau points. This patient worked very hard to motivate herself to keep up with the treatment and exercise programme. We were both pleased when all her hard work finally paid off.

If you would like further information on this blog or to discuss any conditions you would like to be treated, please do not hesitate to contact me via email ivyxxu@xuclinic.co.uk.

Acupuncture for pregnancy back pain

Patient: 

Acupuncture for pregnancy back pain, image source

Busy child minder in her 40s. The nature of her job required her to be on the go all the time with lots of heavy lifting in awkward positions.

Presenting symptoms:

Patient developed localised back pain during pregnancy. Pain level rated 7/10 (10 being the worst). Patient had tried physiotherapy and osteopathy before acupuncture. 

Outcome: 

3 sessions of acupuncture was able to stop the pain and allowed her to get back to normal activities.

Advice

See a physiotherapist after child birth for back strengthening exercises.

Testimonial:

"Thank you so much for helping with my back pain while I was pregnant! Just to let you know that I gave birth to a baby girl and we named her Ivy L G Farrell weighing 6lb 15oz. "

Ivy's thoughts:

A lot of women develop back pain and sciatica during pregnancy. Acupuncture can be a very safe and effective method of treatment for pregnancy related conditions  such as back pain, sciatica, morning sickness, breeched position and labour induction.

If you would like further information on this blog or to discuss any conditions you would like to be treated, please do not hesitate to contact me via email ivyxxu@xuclinic.co.uk.

Acupuncture for sports injury- ankle

Patient: 

Acupuncture for sports injury, image source

Screen play writer in his 40s. Plays in a Sunday football league.

Testimonial:

"I was a skeptic but now I’m an acupuncture convert. 

I suffered knee ligament injury as a result of a car accident. I’m a keen sportsman (I play football and compete in triathlons), the resulting ligament pain meant I could only do light training. I tried everything - I had physio, I took pain killers, I wore a knee brace; but the persistent irritation remained. After 6 years, a friend recommended I try acupuncture. I had three sessions and miraculously I’ve never had pain in that knee again. I can’t explain it. I have no idea how it worked, but it did. 

Ten years on, I rolled my ankle playing football and, despite doing endless physio, a burning pain defied everything. The reason seemed inexplicable, even an MRI failed to identify the cause. However, I finally went to see Ivy and guess what? Now, having treated it with acupuncture in conjunction with rehabilitative physio, I hope to return to playing this month. My only wish is I’d done it earlier 

I don’t know if somewhere deep inside me a skepticism remains, but I won’t make the same mistake next time. Thank you, Ivy."

If you would like further information on this blog or to discuss any conditions you would like to be treated, please do not hesitate to contact me via email ivyxxu@xuclinic.co.uk.

Acupuncture for headache

Patient: 

Psychology student in his 20s, regular gym goer. 

Acupuncture for headache, image source

Presenting symptoms:

Daily episodes of intense headache. Improved quality of sleep. No physical finding from MRI.

Outcome: 

Reduction in the frequency and intensity

Dietary & lifestyle change:

Diary products were identified as one of the contributing factor of his headache. 

Testimonial:

"Prior to acupuncture I was suffering on a daily basis with intense headaches around the crown of my head. After thee first treatment I experienced immediate changes, with the pressures decreasing rapidly and on some occasions becoming non-existent. Also, I believe Ivy's dietary recommendation has contributed to my progression as well. I still suffer with headaches but they are milder and occur less frequently as before. "

If you would like further information on this blog or to discuss any conditions you would like to be treated, please do not hesitate to contact me via email ivyxxu@xuclinic.co.uk.

Acupuncture for Bell's Palsy

Patient: 

Retired maternity nurse who seldom set foot outside of home for the last ten years due to fear of falling over. Both ankles are swollen. Patient sleeps on a recline chair at night.

Acupuncture for Bell's Palsy, image source

Presenting symptoms:

One sided facial paralysis with stabbing pain. Skin looked red, angry and flaky. Constipation, lost of appetite. 

Outcome: 

Home visit was offered due to the mobility of patient. The effect from just one session of acupuncture was enough to provide immediate pain relieve. On the following visit, patient's facial symptoms had cleared. Second session was aimed at consolidating the treatment effect and improve digestion and bowel movement.

Dietary & lifestyle change:

Advised patient to increase fluids intake and take up light housework when possible. A referral was also made to the local 'falls group' to help with her psychological issues of going outside.

Ivy's thoughts:

In China, bell's palsy is considered a 'mini stroke' and Acupuncture is the choice treatment. The sooner it is administered the better treatment outcome can be expected. In this case, the treatment result was remarkable good. 

If you would like further information on this blog or to discuss any conditions you would like to be treated, please do not hesitate to contact me via email ivyxxu@xuclinic.co.uk.

Acupuncture for arthritis

Patient: 

Retired office worker in her 80s. Breast cancer sufferer. Poor appetite, often has tea and biscuits at meal times. 

Presenting symptoms:

Chronic arthritic back pain stopped patient from sleeping at night, often falls asleep on chair. Constipation from taking pain killers.

Outcome: 

Patient was able to sleep in bed and reduce the dose of pain killers. Daily bowel movement returned.

Dietary & lifestyle change:

Advised patient to have warm cooked meals and increase fluids intake.

Testimonial:

"The acupuncture treatment I have received from Ivy Xu has been very beneficial in alleviating painful symptoms from arthritis in my spine. Ivy's gentle, calm and competent manner is extremely reassuring, and I have no hesitation in recommending her therapy. "

Ivy's thoughts:

Due to the chronic nature of this patient's condition, acupuncture was only used to relieve side effect of her medication and make her life easier by reducing pain and allowing her to rest. When administered correctly, acupuncture can be an incredibly gentle treatment for the frail. 

If you would like further information on this blog or to discuss any conditions you would like to be treated, please do not hesitate to contact me via email ivyxxu@xuclinic.co.uk.

Acupuncture for hot flushes and night sweats

Patient: 

Office manager in her later 40s.

Presenting symptoms:

Menopausal hot flushes and night sweats.

Outcome: 

Reduced frequency and intensity of hot flushes and night sweats.

Dietary & lifestyle change:

Cut down on alcohol consumption, sweet and greasy foods. Visualisation was suggested to self manage episode of hot flushes at work. 

Testimonial:

Acupuncture for hot flushes & night sweats, image source

"I first decided to try acupuncture to see if it could help with my menopausal symptoms. I was having very strong, hot flushes during the day (sometimes as many as 1 per hour) and was waking during the night at least 4-5 times with very severe night sweats. My GP had declined to prescribe HRT as I had a family history of breast cancer and I had tried several natural remedies which had helped at first, but then became ineffective. The constant symptoms and lack of sleep were significantly

affecting my lifestyle .

I have received 5 sessions of acupuncture with Ivy Xu. I noticed an improvement in the night sweats almost immediately, with the number of times woken in the night reducing to 2-3 times and the severity of the symptoms considerably less.

The daytime flushes have also decreased, both in occurrence and severity. On average the symptoms occur between 5-7 times over a 16 hour period, but are more manageable because they are less severe.

Ivy has also given me advice on diet and has shown me some breathing exercises to help control the symptoms. "

Ivy's thoughts:

Hot flushes and night sweats are classic menopausal symptoms caused by a sudden drop in hormone level in the body during menopause, a reduction in Yin in traditional Chinese medicine terms. Acupuncture combined with dietary change can be very useful to make this period more manageable for women, especially those who can not receive hormone replacement therapy for health reasons. 

If you would like further information on this blog or to discuss any conditions you would like to be treated, please do not hesitate to contact me via email ivyxxu@xuclinic.co.uk.

Acupuncture for IVF assistance

Acupuncture for IVF assistance, image source

Patient: 

37 year old receptionist working in the city. 

Presenting symptoms:

Patient had trouble conceiving naturally for over two years. She came for acupuncture assistance to support her first IVF cycle.

Outcome: 

Patient had been incredibly calm throughout her IVF cycle, her ovulation went according to plan. High quality eggs were harvested followed by successful implantation. She was pregnant with twins!

Dietary & lifestyle change:

Warm, home cooked meals and lots of fresh fruits were suggested. 

Testimonial:

"Thank you Ivy! 

I will recommend you to any of my friends looking for acupuncture."

Ivy's thoughts:

The steroids used during IVF cycle can cause imbalance of internal hormones and induce stress related symptoms such as mood swing, sleeplessness. Acupuncture is a good natural treatment to support women through this process, optimising the treatment outcome. I recommend women start acupuncture a couple of menstrual cycles before commencing IVF treatments to make sure their body is in optimal condition and ensure success of such high cost treatment.

If you would like further information on this blog or to discuss any conditions you would like to be treated, please do not hesitate to contact me via email ivyxxu@xuclinic.co.uk.