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.