Treatments and Therapies
The College Clinic
Traditional Acupuncture treatment assists the body, mind and spirit to heal itself as far as Nature will allow.
In Chinese medicine any illness or symptom, either physical, mental or of the spirit, is associated with an imbalance of the person’s vital life energy, or Qi.
When the body sends out distress signals in the form of any symptom it is a sign that there is an imbalance of Qi, which must be rebalanced to restore health.
This principle of traditional acupuncture is important because it means the underlying cause of the disease is being dealt with rather than the symptom merely being swept under the carpet, only to reappear in the future.
As well as dealing with the patient’s condition by restoring the overall balance of energy, traditional acupuncture treatment may help the person feel better in a general way, promoting an improved quality of life.
"After a few treatments and to my relief, I noticed that my emotional state was transformed and I began to feel physically stronger. In fact this dramatic change inspired me to enrol at CTA and train as an acupuncturist..."
The clinic at the College is open to patients seven days a week including some evenings and our receptionists are here to deal with your enquiries or appointments from 8.45 am to 5.00 pm Monday to Friday and 9.00 am to 5.00 pm at weekends. A telephone answering machine will receive your messages at other times.
You have the choice of seeing a fully qualified and experienced practitioner, or primarily at weekends being seen by a third year student, who will examine and treat you under the supervision of one of our very experienced faculty members, who are themselves fully qualified practicing practitioners. Treatment by students is provided at reduced rates.
Who Comes for Treatment?
A wide variety of people come for treatment, ranging from children to the elderly. Many people come for acupuncture as their first choice of treatment whilst others find it extremely beneficial where other forms of treatment have been unsuccessful.
Increasingly, people are becoming aware of the need to take responsibility for their own health and to take measures to maintain their well being prior to the onset of symptoms. Since deterioration in the balance of energy always precedes the appearance of a symptom, traditional acupuncture can also be used as a preventive treatment, aimed at maintaining health on all levels.
As well as seeking help for physical problems, many people come with stress-related disorders and the effects of mental and emotional conflict in their lives. Traditional acupuncture affects the whole person – body, mind and spirit – and may therefore help a very wide range of different health problems.
A Natural Healing Art
With some conditions, conventional medical treatment should be the first choice, or should be used in conjunction with other treatments. Your health practitioner will be able to advise you.
Diagnosis and Treatment
The initial consultation – which may take up to two hours – is very important, and takes into account your medical and family history, your lifestyle, how your various systems function (e.g. sleep, appetite) and your present condition. This information is essential in determining the cause of the problem and the individual treatment that is required for you.
The vital Qi energy of the body/mind/spirit is distributed through twelve main energy pathways, called meridians, each of which is associated with an organ or function. There is a pulse, located near the wrist, which relates to each of these twelve functions and this gives the acupuncturist information about the state of the energy in each of the meridians or organs.
Pulse reading is just one of the many ways that the traditional acupuncturist can detect energy imbalance. As well as looking at the nature of the symptoms, other ways of assessing balance include observing facial colour, odour, sound quality of the voice, emotional condition and various preferences such as taste and climate.
Acupuncture treatment re-establishes the balance of energy within the individual. Very fine, disposable stainless steel needles are inserted into acupuncture points, which lie on the meridians, to achieve this.
Moxibustion, the application of warmth by burning a herb — called moxa — over the acupuncture point, may also be used on its own or in combination with acupuncture needles.
Your practitioner may make specific recommendations regarding your lifestyle in order to help treatment to progress. Suggested changes such as improvements to diet or taking exercise are made individually, depending on your circumstances and response to treatment (see below).
We suggest that you eat only a light meal during the two hours before and after treatment and that no alcohol is consumed on the day of treatment, in order to maximise the effectiveness of treatment. Try to arrive for treatment relaxed and allow yourself to take things as easy as possible for at least two hours afterwards.
Number and Frequency of Acupuncture Treatments
Most people need treatment once or twice during the first week and then once a week thereafter until some improvement has been maintained. Then the treatments are gradually spaced further apart until there is only a need for a check-up at the change of each season. Some people need extensive treatment whereas others need only a few treatments.
The duration and frequency of treatment depends on the severity of the imbalance, how long the person has had it and whether there is anything in the person’s lifestyle that is interfering with the progress of healing.
Acupuncture to Help Stop Smoking/Lose Weight
As mentioned previously, traditional acupuncture is concerned with treating people as a whole. Treatment merely to stop someone from smoking or to lose weight quickly without taking their overall health into account would only be a temporary measure.
The goal of traditional acupuncture is to determine the cause of the symptom and treat it at its source. Therefore, these conditions are regarded as symptoms of an overall health problem and would be treated accordingly. For such treatment to be successful over the long term, the patient should be committed to the goal of improving their overall health.
Responses to Acupuncture Treatment
Every individual is unique, so the response to treatment varies from person to person. Often the initial improvements are in the overall state of health and then improvement in the main complaint will follow. Other people may notice a marked improvement in their main complaint straight away.
Some people will feel revitalised mentally or physically, whilst with others the changes are more subtle and are noticed in retrospect. The length of time a condition has been present is important in assessing how quickly the patient is likely to improve.
Clinic Practitioners
All our Clinic acupuncture practitioners are members of the British Acupuncture Council, and comply with the Council’s Codes of Safe Practice and Professional Conduct. The Code of Safe Practice, compiled in consultation with the Department of Health, provides guidelines on clinic facilities and hygiene; the Code of Professional Conduct is concerned with issues of ethics. All practitioners carry full professional indemnity and public liability insurance.
Currently the following practitioners hold regular clinics at the College and appointments to see them can be made through our reception.
- Celia Tudor-Evans
- Jo Radley
- Barry Williams
- Linda Winstanley
- Sarah Bradshaw
- Michael Barker
- Gill Green (Essential Massage)
- Cathy Atkins (Counselling)
- Chris Boot (Reflexology)
Appointments and Fees
For an appointment with a practitioner:
Please allow two hours for the initial consultation and thirty minutes to one hour for treatment.
A normal treatment session costs £35.
Please give adequate notice if you need to change an appointment. Appointments cancelled with less than twenty-four hours notice will normally be charged the full fee.
For an appointment with a clinical student:
Initial consultation plus 4 further appointments: £65
Additional appointment: £15
Clinic Reception
Receptionists:
- Monday to Friday, 8.45 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.
- Saturday and Sunday, 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.
Please leave a message with our answering machine at all other times.
Contact Details
The College of Traditional Acupuncture
Haseley Manor
Hatton
Warwick
Warwickshire
CV35 7LU
Telephone: 01926 484 158
Fax: 01926 485 444