|
|
Acupuncture for skin conditions
Facing the world clear and bright
Acupuncture for skin problems can be a big help Problems with your skin can seem very unfair in that there's often no hiding them! Your skin may worsen with certain foods, when you're run down, or if you're pre-menstrual. Jessica will ask lots of questions to reach a fully individualised diagnosis of your problem.
Acne, dry skin, eczema, psoriasis and rashes all have different diagnoses in Chinese medicine, and can respond well to treatment. Acupuncture helps restore harmony across your body, helping re-establish natural processes and rhythms, giving your skin the balance it needs.
|
Case study |
"On hitting 30 I started to suffer from acne vulgaris and spent the last 3 years on and off antibiotics, which did not seem to work effectively. I was also suffering from stress at work, so decided to try alternative medicine. After a few sessions with Jessica, my skin had improved and I felt like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders with regard to my work stresses. I now see Jessica once every 6 weeks, just to keep myself in-check. She has a friendly and informative approach, so I feel very relaxed during the sessions. I would certainly recommend her to my family, friends and colleagues." An administrator in her 30s
|
|
Research |
A 2003 report by the World Health Organisation (WHO)(1) found that acne vulgaris, pruritus (itchiness), neurodermatitis, and herpes zoster (shingles) are among the conditions "for which the therapeutic effect of acupuncture has been shown but for which further proof is needed."
Meanwhile a review(2) by the British Medical Journal described acupuncture as "very safe" when practiced by an appropriately-qualified practitioner.
The modern evidence base for acupuncture is incomplete, and this is true for a great many areas of conventional medicine too. The Clinical Evidence website of the British Medical Journal tells us that of the 2,500 conventional medical treatments their databases cover, 46% are of unknown effectiveness (as at October 2009)(3).
Jessica continues to witness the benefits of acupuncture for many people in her work, utilising the knowledge and practice of Chinese medicine built up over thousands of years. She's happy that more and more modern scientific research is being done into acupuncture, helping to bring it to a wider audience.
|
Contact Jessica
Each of us responds differently to
acupuncture. Do
get in touch to discuss whether
acupuncture is likely to be right for you, or to make an appointment.
Other conditions
Acupuncture can help with a wide range of health problems, click below to find out more:
Detailed references
(1) http://www.acupuncture-schools.us/national-institute-health-nih-acupuncture.cfm, referring to World Health Organisation (2002). Acupuncture: Review and Analysis of Reports on Controlled Clinical Trial, see http://apps.who.int/bookorders/anglais/detart1.jsp?sesslan=1&codlan=1&codcol=93&codcch=196
(2) Rampes (2001). The safety of acupuncture. British Medical Journal 2001;323(7311):467 (1 September), doi:10.1136/bmj.323.7311.467, see http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/extract/323/7311/467
(3) From the 'About Us' area of the Clinical Evidence BMJ website, page titled 'How much do we know', http://clinicalevidence.bmj.com/ceweb/about/knowledge.jsp. Extract at Oct 2009: "So what can Clinical Evidence tell us about the state of our current knowledge? What proportion of commonly used treatments are supported by good evidence, what proportion should not be used or used only with caution, and how big are the gaps in our knowledge? Of around 2500 treatments covered 13% are rated as beneficial, 23% likely to be beneficial, 8% as trade off between benefits and harms, 6% unlikely to be beneficial, 4% likely to be ineffective or harmful, and 46%, the largest proportion, as unknown effectiveness"
© Jessica Kennedy 2005-09, all rights reserved