Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a method of treating many conditions by inserting needles in to the body.

Today, there exist two schools of acupuncture: the Traditional Chinese Method (TCM) and the Modern Western. TCM uses rules laid down in the past, based on prescientific ideas and has a element of mysticism.

Here at FPP, we practice the modern approach - Western Acupuncture. Treatment is based on the modern understanding of anatomy, physiology and pathology. The ideas of Yin and Yang, meridians and acupuncture points, stimulation and sedation do not apply to Western Acupuncture. WA or Dry Needling is a simplified version used to alleviate pain.

How does it relieve pain?
It has been postulated that there are ‘gates' in the spinal cord. When these gates are open pain impulses can be transmitted to the brain; when they are closed transmission is blocked. In simple terms , the gates are opened by small diameter fibres and closed by large diameter fibres. This is the basis of TENS - Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation.

Acupuncture is a means of blocking the nerve stimulation by activating smaller excitatory neurons by local stimulation at the site of needling. The details of this action are too complex to explain here.

Acupuncture also concerns the retention of opioids, such as endorphins, which are naturally occurring substances that reduce pain.

Acupuncture/Dry Needling and Trigger Points
Trigger Points (T.P.s) may be found in muscles, tendons, ligaments and joint capsules. There are active or latent T.P.s. Active T.P.s are painful areas to touch. Latent T.P.s may become active. They may be caused or activated by infection, trauma, injury, or overuse in people who are naturally tense or inflexible.

There is some debate as to what T.P.s actually are. In muscle they ae areas of increased electrical activity and muscle localised muscle contraction. Muscles with T.P.s are less flexible and weaker than they would otherwise be. It is possible that any trauma/injury may lead to the T.P.s being maintained by the central nervous system.

T.P.s can, by an unknown mechanism, refer pain to another area and may persist for a long time - years in many cases.

T.P.s may be deactivated using acupuncture/dry needling and sometimes by applying pressure to them. The use of stretches and spraying is a technique used here at FPP to augment dry needling if necessary.

Conditions of the lower limbs that may be resolved using these techniques are: