Tag: Stress

When You’ve Hit Rock Bottom… Recovering With Acupuncture

by  on  in Case Studies

Leigh came to acupuncture at rock bottom (her words). She was in physical and emotional pain and had lost faith in herself and her body and felt completely overwhelmed. She tried her GP but her health issues were varied and complex and although there were medical options, she didn’t feel this would address her needs.

I treated Leigh with a combination of acupuncture, electro-acupuncture, tuina and cupping.

Read Leigh’s Story…

When I came to Peachy, I was a mess.  I was constantly “too hot” and never able to feel comfortable temperature wise.  I could hardly stand up straight without feeling like I was carrying another person around. I would go to bed at night with back pain and wake up unable to get out of bed without help and additional pain.  My arms would regularly fall asleep at night and fingers felt stiff and numb throughout the day, I had been dealing with tennis elbow for about 6 months that was no longer responded to pain relievers and was hardly able to lift a glass of water.  I was experiencing painful menstrual cycles for the past 9 months, and dealing with PCOS/infertility for a decade.  Headaches and the feeling of “something in my ear” was a daily battle.  Beyond the physical issues, on the inside I was so emotionally and mentally constipated that I overwhelmingly upset & angry all the time, frequently forgetful, inattentive and unmotivated.

I regularly “just didn’t feel well”, nothing seemed to make a difference.

Treatments with Peachy Acupuncture has changed my life.  After the first session of acupuncture and Tuina, my posture improved, I was able to and preferred to sit up straight and by the 3rd session, my lower back wasn’t an everyday issue and now it’s very rarely even after standing or walking around all day.  With the back relief, I wasn’t waking up in pain and my days began to improve. I am able to walk comfortably again. I went from barely able to achieve 350 steps a day to easily and comfortably doing 6-8,000 steps daily.

For my ear issues, one session of acupuncture and the uncomfortable feeling was gone and I don’t seem to have as much ear wax and water in my ears anymore.  Sinus issues and headaches seemed to become less frequent after the ear annoyance was resolved.

Rita has worked on my tennis elbow with acupuncture, she’s also focused on my shoulder/neck area with Tuina and cupping.  After 6 sessions, I feel it’s close to normal.  My finger stiffness is gone, and I don’t have issues with my limbs falling asleep frequently anymore. She’s been able to reduce my menstrual cycle pain to a very manageable inconvenience that no longer keeps me from being able to go about my day.

After each session, I’m overall a happier and more relaxed person.  I feel like I am able to process my feelings and emotions better.

I felt comfortable the moment I met Rita. Unlike traditional medicine, Rita really made me feel like my concerns were heard and my feelings/experiences were valid and important. Her space was calm, comfortable, and relaxing. I continue to look forward to my appointments as a place where I regain control of myself.  She’s given me the life I had over a year ago back and motivated to take better care of myself.

Managing chronic pain with acupuncture – Kara’s story

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Kara contacted me 10 days before she was about to start a new job, after 8 months of not working due to some serious and complex health conditions. Neurological pain is particularly difficult to treat and utterly debilitating.  In Kara’s case, her pain levels were pretty much off the charts and despite heavy medication, life was a real struggle. This inevitably affected her emotional health as well.

Kara has a chronic condition that needs regular management so that she can lead a fulfilling life; work, socialise, travel and have fun. So Kara comes every week, without fail, and is treated with acupuncture, TuiNa massage and cupping. Treatments significantly reduce her pain, keep her feeling balanced and support her general wellbeing. It is an investment in both time and money but she is committed to staying well. So much so that she hasn’t taken one day off work for illness.

 

Kara’s story:

I had a fully herniated disc (between C6 and C7) that caused paralysis of my right arm for 4 months when the disc crushed the nerve; this had to be surgically replaced with a disc implant.  6 weeks after recovering from that major spinal surgery, I developed an extremely rare form of shingles called Ramsay Hunt syndrome, which then took a turn for the worse when it spread to my spinal cord, entire central nervous system, and brain (this is typically fatal).  As my inner ear was affected by the shingles, in addition to excruciating pain I also experienced severe vertigo. In addition to this, I was offered my dream job, and was suffering from stress and anxiety about trying to start work when my body was going through so much and my pain levels were so high.

Choosing Peachy Acupuncture was the luckiest piece of fate I have ever been dealt by the Gods of Google; I rang Rita to see if there was any chance she could fit me in the following day for an emergency appointment, and was supremely impressed by her medical knowledge and very clear expertise during our conversation. Despite having multiple conditions that needed treatment, she knew so much about each and everything I brought up, it made it clear that she is exceptionally skilled.  I have seen other acupuncturists in the past, but have never felt as comfortable and confident in the person I was seeing as when I spoke with Rita.  And the first treatment did not disappoint – with wanting to sound like I am embellishing or exaggerating the effects of my treatment, it was genuinely life-changing.

I am genuinely at a loss as to how to express the life changing difference that Rita has made.  Before my first session with her, I was barely able to walk due to severe vertigo, and pain had crippled me.  I rarely left my bed, and was not able to work or socialise at all.  Tasks as simple as washing a dish or bathing were things that I truly struggled with every day due to my high pain levels, and I was sceptical that she would be able to help but thought ‘What have I got to lose?’  I had been to countless specialists on the NHS as well as privately, and had been on every form of medication to try and help with nerve pain, but nothing was working. I sat up at the end of the first session and my vertigo was gone; I have no idea how one session was able to do that, but I went home and genuinely cried tears of joy.

When cupping and tuina are combined with Rita’s acupuncture, I feel like I leave as a new person.  My pain is gone, my neck and back are free, I can move easily, and I cannot stress how much relief I feel from having my chronic, daily pain evaporate in just one short hour.  I have been put on every form of medication under the sun to try and help me with acute nerve pain and various medical complications, but this is the only thing that truly works.

Since then, I see Rita once a week for additional treatments and it is the only thing that keeps me going.  Despite starting a new job with so many physical ailments, she has made me feel a level of serene peace that I have never previously experienced; after a treatment, I feel connected to the world and like I can manage my life.  But the biggest improvement has been my pain levels.  Although I still experience pain, she has given me my life back.  I can leave my house, work, socialise, and actually enjoy being alive – I no longer live in blinding pain.

Rita’s clinic is such a wonderfully soothing place, I feel like I am visiting a spa run by a member of my family every time I stop by.

The best thing about Rita is that she does not believe in treating a condition, she treats the person.  She will meet with you, talk to you about your body, your life, your mental health, and then decide on the appropriate treatment(s) for you.  She really works against the idea that there is a ‘one-size-cures-all’ approach.  I appreciate this so much because it means that she truly listens to me and my body, and does what is in my best interest.

 

Kara Webster, Crouch End

Anxiety and overthinking: when you worry about everything…

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Are you the kind of person who always anticipates a worst-case scenario, overthinks an event or conversation, or can’t sleep because your mind won’t switch off? Anxiety comes in many forms.; sometimes fleetingly, and at other times picking away at your emotional and physical health.

 

A certain amount of anxiety or apprehension is quite normal; before an exam, moving house or starting a new job. But usually, those feelings will disappear once the event has passed.  More worrying is when those feelings escalate, and you’re unable to sleep, everything seems out of control and you may even experience panic attacks. The fight or flight response is literally on overdrive.

 

It is estimated there were 8.2m cases of anxiety in the UK in 2013.*

 

Women are nearly twice as likely to experience anxiety as men, and people of both sexes under 35 are more likely to be affected than older people, according research that combined evidence from 48 previous reviews of studies into the condition. Research also found that those suffering from chronic diseases including cancer, stroke and multiple sclerosis have a higher chance of experiencing symptoms of anxiety than healthy individuals.*

 

Sufferers could experience any of the following:

 

  • Physical symptoms, such as palpitations and sweating
  • Cognitive symptoms, causing negative thoughts
  • Behavioural symptoms, which may include uncharacteristic aggression or avoiding social interaction
  • Emotional symptoms, such as fear and dread

 

Living with anxiety can be very distressing and whether your anxiety is mild and short-lived or more entrenched, acupuncture can really help. Acupuncture is able to jump-start your body’s own natural healing processes, and stimulate the part of the brain that controls emotions. It can also slow the body’s production of stress hormones, calming the mind and supporting better sleep. The calming effects may be felt after just one treatment.

 

There is still a stigma around experiencing any kind of mental health issue, but it’s no different from other health problems. With an empathetic practitioner you trust,  acupuncture can complement any conventional medication or therapy you may be undergoing, or work as a standalone treatment.

 

Ask for the help you need and enjoy a good night’s sleep again.

 

*Source: The Guardian

 

Read J’s experience of acupuncture for anxiety:

http://peachyacupuncture.com/2016/05/29/js-story-acute-case-anxiety/

 

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Tok Sen – Tapping The Body to Health

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Tok Sen is a 5000 year old Northern Thai body therapy developed by monks. It is a rhythmic  method of tapping using a special wooden hammer and wedge (called a ‘Limb’ and ‘Khone’) combined with Thai acu-points that creates a healing vibration working deeply through the fascia and muscles of the body. It’s totally pain free and incredibly effective in relaxing body and mind, and reducing musculoskeletal pain and tension.

I discovered it during a recent trip to Asia. I travel regularly to continue my professional training but this particular journey to Thailand was a holiday. I came across it by chance, had a treatment and was immediately hooked. I was travelling to Chiang Mai where it originated and so immediately booked myself on a course to learn it.

Because it is also a form of energy therapy, it perfectly complements TCM: acupuncture and tuina massage. What’s particularly interesting and sets it apart from any other therapy I’ve come across is that it appears to work very deeply, much more so than any body therapy I’ve come across. Clients say that they feel it’s continuing to work after the treatment is finished and ‘opens’ the body in a way they’ve not experienced before.

It’s certainly a lovely experience to receive a treatment, the rhythm of the tapping is meditative, even soporific. Muscle tension is reduced without resorting to deep tissue work, yet you feel the muscles almost melt away and it’s altogether a very relaxing experience.

There are only a handful of people in the UK offering this treatment, indeed it isn’t widely available even in Thailand where it comes from. But it’s now here in Crouch End.

Here’s what people have to say about it:

“What a beautiful treatment! Relaxing, soothing and relieving. Made my day!” Nicolette
“Very relaxing – shoulders feel better than they have even after a massage!” Pippa
“a 10 minute blast of bliss!!” Eva
“Absolutely fabulous. I think I’ll have to go back for more!” Claudia
“What a treat, energising and invigorating. Perfect for a new mama with a heavy baby!” Nicky
“just had the most amazing treatment I didn’t even know existed – Tok Sen! I am still vibrating from the wonderful energy it has connected with” Lizzie
“Loved the vibration and the sound as well. I feel like it worked so well on so many levels” Danielle
“warming and relaxing – I feel lighter after just 10 minutes, feels very good.” Paul
Try it for yourself. Alone or with acupuncture and tuina. You won’t regret it.

Dan’s Story – Running On Empty

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I met Dan while I was doing a taster day at the Haelan Centre in Crouch End where I am an endorsed acupuncturist and TuiNa practitioner. He initially enquired about whether acupuncture could help him with his hands that were so cold he would regularly need to put them under a hot tap to warm them up. He was also going through a particularly stressful time, his work and home life were difficult and he often found that his brain was ‘on’ 24/7 – he literally never stopped. He was tired, stressed out and his mood was low at that time.

Dan’s first appointment was very significant in that he said that it was the first time in two years that he experienced that his mind stopped racing. It actually made him more aware of where he was in his life and that he needed to address his health. So he continued to come for treatment, weekly initially, and then monthly to keep him feeling well.

His initial health issues have all but disappeared and his improved wellbeing, energy and outlook have allowed him to step back and make decisions about what he wants to do in the future.

And… his hands are no longer cold!

Read about Dan’s experience:

Rita’s treatment worked symbiotically, addressing both my emotional and physical needs in tandem. The impact of my first treatment was immediate: I felt calmer, more balanced, and incredibly energised when I rose from the treatment table and I felt like an old piano that had finally been tuned. As I attended further sessions I found that Rita’s treatments became more specific focusing on local issues while balancing out the overall whole (for example there was one occasion when I had a severe respiratory issue which was alleviated miraculously quickly but not in isolation or at the expense of the causal factors which were also addressed.)

Having resolved many of the initial problems I presented with, I chose to continue having sessions with Rita that promoted a better sense of well being, balance, perspective and calm in my day-to-day life.

Practitioners like Rita are a rare and treasured find. Not only does she show great skill and knowledge within her fields of practice she combines it with a fantastic energy, a great sense of humour and a very personalised approach. It is so unusual to meet someone who can balance such an effortless lightness of touch with such a seriousness of intent. She is generous with her advice and clearly has a passion for her practice; you really get the sense that she is on the journey with you and that she will be as supportive and educative as the need requires.  To top it all off she has a lovely bedside manner, full of wisdom, kindness and consideration.

Dan, Crouch End