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FAQ's

  • What can acupuncture do for me?
    Some people turn to acupuncture for help with a specific symptom or condition, take a look at the research for specific conditions. Others choose to have treatment to help maintain good health, as a preventive measure, or to improve their general sense of wellbeing. Because traditional acupuncture aims to treat the whole person rather than specific symptoms in isolation, it can be effective for a range of conditions. This approach also means that each patient’s treatment plan will be different. However, you can always ask Eleanor about other patients’ experiences, to give you an idea of what to expect. Many people return to acupuncture again & again because they find it so beneficial & relaxing. Acupuncture is considered suitable for all ages including during pregnancy, in babies & children. It can be used effectively alongside conventional medicine.
  • What does it feel like?
    Acupuncture needles are much finer than needles used for injections & blood tests. When the needle is inserted you may feel a tingling sensation or dull ache.
  • What happens when I go for treatment?
    The acupuncturist will use a number of different diagnostic methods to get a complete picture of your health & lifestyle, including taking a full medical history, reading your pulses, & looking at your tongue. Based on this information, the acupuncturist makes a diagnosis & puts together your personal treatment plan. Acupuncture involves insertion of fine needles at acupuncture points. There are hundreds of acupuncture points all over the body. The most commonly used are on the arms, below the elbow, & on the legs, below the knee.  It is best to wear loose fitting clothing but on occasions it may be necessary to remove items of clothing. Acupuncture points are selected according to your symptoms. The single-use sterile needles come in sealed packs: they should be opened in front of you & are safely disposed of after each treatment.
  • Is it safe?
    There have been a number of scientific papers published on the safety of acupuncture. These have concluded that acupuncture is safe so long as it is delivered by a properly trained individual. Therefore, we recommend that you ensure your acupuncturist belongs to a professional organisation such as the British Acupuncture Council.   As acupuncture involves the insertion of needles there will sometimes be a small bruise or bleeding. Approximately 6% of people who have ten acupuncture sessions will report a bruise or minor bleeding.   Occasionally, people can feel dizzy or nauseous after treatment. Approximately 0.4% of people who have ten acupuncture sessions will experience these symptoms. Sometimes people feel tired after a treatment. This occurs approximately in 0.2% of people over a course of ten acupuncture sessions. Sometimes people experience headache, local muscle pain or strong pain during needling. These side-effects are classed as ‘uncommon’: affecting 1 to 10 of every 1000 people treated.   The above effects are to some extent an unavoidable part of acupuncture. However, the risks can still be minimised. Please let your acupuncturist know if you feel hot, or the room is stuffy, or you are hungry/thirsty, or you are especially nervous. This should help reduce the chances of dizziness and nausea. Please also let them know any medications that you are taking, such as anti-coagulants.   As the acupuncture involves piercing the skin there is a risk of infection at the needle site. The estimated risk is 1 to 10 of every 10,000 people treated. BAcC acupuncturists are trained, and bound by our Professional Codes, to provide acupuncture hygienically. Serious adverse events such as pneumothorax (piercing the lung/perforation of the lung lining) and nerve injury can occur. However, these are very rare, and the risk is reduced by seeing a well-trained acupuncturist. In 2.2 million treatments pneumothorax occurred twice and nerve injury 31 times. One of the people who had a pneumothorax needed hospital treatment, the other required observation only. The longest duration of any side-effect was 180 days (nerve injury). No permanent injuries or deaths were associated with the acupuncture treatments.   Both cupping and guasha can lead to dark/purple patches on the skin. This is often an expected part of treatment. You may have seen dark rings from cupping on elite athletes such as swimmers. These marks disappear after a few days.   Cupping and moxibustion both carry a risk of accidental burns. Burns from moxibustion are estimated to occur once in 1000 to 5000 treatments.
  • Can I have acupuncture if I'm pregnant?
    Absolutely! If you are pregnant or trying to get pregnant, please make sure that the acupuncturist knows, as some acupuncture points are contra-indicated in pregnancy.
  • Can children have acupuncture?
    Children’s energy is very volatile & they can respond very quickly to treatment. As a rule, it is best not to use acupuncture on children under seven years of age, however acupressure may be used. Young adults up to the age of 16 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
  • Do I need to do anything before acupuncture?
    Not really, but please do not arrive really hungry or after a glass or two of wine! If it is your first visit, please be sure to bring a list of the medication you are taking, & remember to wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing.
  • What is Moxibustion / Moxa?
    Moxibustion involves the burning of the herb Chinese mugwort (Artemisia argyi), commonly known as moxa, to warm acupuncture points & areas of the body. There are different techniques such as placing the moxa on the handle of a needle, a moxa stick, or placing moxa directly on the skin.
  • What is Cupping or Gua Sha?
    Cupping: A partial vacuum is created within cups which are placed on the skin. This produces a suction effect. The vacuum is produced either by fire (traditional method) or by a pump.   Guasha: The use of a smooth edge tool to repeated scrape the skin. Both techniques may leave a temporary red marking to the skin for a few days. This is perfectly normal & part of the process.
  • Will I need to do anything after acupuncture?
    Try to keep the needle, cupping, moxa & guasha sites clean immediately after treatment. It is generally best to avoid strenuous activity after treatment. You may feel that you want to rest after treatment. Sometimes people feel a dull ache at the needle sites after treatment. This is normal and nothing to worry about. Please note that it is advisable not to drink any alcohol on the same day that you have treatment. Acupuncture is a very subtle treatment, & the effect of alcohol may negate the efficacy of the treatment. This applies just to the day of treatment – taking alcohol on the day before or after is completely OK. Please do not book an appointment on a day when you are intending to drink alcohol afterwards. If you experience any effects after treatment that you are concerned about, please contact your practitioner and/or seek medical attention. For example, if a needle site becomes red or inflamed. If you received acupuncture on the upper back or shoulder and then experience any severe, gradual or sudden onset of pain over the chest, potentially combined with difficulty in breathing please seek immediate medical attention. These are the signs of pneumothorax. Although a pneumothorax from acupuncture is extremely rare, it is a serious condition. Prompt medical treatment can ensure a full recovery and prevent any long-term consequences.
  • Should my doctor know?
    If you have been prescribed medication we recommend you tell your doctor that you are planning to have acupuncture. Do not stop taking your medication. You should always tell your acupuncturist about any medication & supplements you are taking as this may affect your response to the acupuncture treatment. BAcC acupuncturists are trained to recognise potentially serious underlying health conditions & may refer you to your GP if they consider it appropriate.
  • How many sessions will I need?
    Frequency & number of sessions depend on your individual condition. Some change is usually felt within five or six treatments, although occasionally just one or two treatments are sufficient. Some people choose to have regular acupuncture to maintain good health. My general rule of thumb is that if you're not experiencing any improvements by six sessions then I don't think it's worth continuing with acupuncture.
  • Is the cost of treatment covered by my private health insurance?
    Possibly. Please check with your health provider, as individual schemes have different terms & conditions. This is a list of providers that I know recognise the BAcC or myself individually. AXA Aviva Birmingham Hospital Saturday Fund CS Healthcare Engage Mutual Assurance Exeter Family Friendly General & Medical Healthcare Healthshield HSF Medicash National Friendly Vitality Saga (cash policy) Sovereign Health (healthcare cash plan) Simply Health Westfield WHA WHCA Orchard WPA
  • What is Functional Medicine & what does a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner do?
    Functional medicine is the promising future of health care. It uses a systems-oriented approach, engaging both patient & practitioner to help understand the prevention, management & root causes of complex chronic disease, not to simply treat the symptoms. The ultimate goal is to heal disease & promote a healthy life. It allows us to understand the biochemistry of the body & therefore the reasoning for potential malfunctions/imbalances that may occur in the hormone, immune, digestion, detoxification, energy & nervous systems by using home lab testing, such as urine, blood or stool samples. Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioners (FDN’s) are trained health coaches who come from both medical or non-medical backgrounds & are trained to be health detectives as part of their health coach training. FDN practitioners (FDNs) use functional lab work to do the detective work to identify hormonal, immune, detoxification, digestion, energy & nervous system stressors & dysfunctions that contribute to symptoms & Metabolic Chaos™. We test, don’t guess. Then, we look for correlation to the individual’s assessments & symptoms to see where healing opportunities exist. However, we are not using these tests to diagnose. You MUST consult your GP for any diagnosis. By educating clients with the how & why, we can then use this comprehensive approach to not just restore health, but also prevent disease in the first place by implementing appropriate, personalised lifestyle recommendations & realistic health goals.
  • Why use Functional Diagnostic Nutrition?
    Conventional medicine has its strengths, particularly in the areas of emergency medicine & surgery. However, it falls short in treating chronic illnesses, particularly complex chronic conditions. Despite notable advances in treating & preventing infectious disease & trauma, the acute-care model that dominated 20th-century medicine has not been so effective in treating & preventing chronic disease. Conventional medicine predominantly focuses on diagnosing a disease, followed by prescribing a drug to either cure the disease or manage the associated symptoms. This is brilliantly effective in acute situations, but for developing & chronic health problems or areas where there is no diagnosis, an evolution of this approach is very much needed. Functional Medicine is an enormous paradigm shift, that suggests diseases don’t exist in the way we thought they existed. Within its framework, diseases are actually considered as downstream effects from upstream mechanisms. Conditions arise from within the body, where they are often concealed from a practitioner's external view. Laboratory testing offers practitioners a quantitative report of the patient's physiology. The functional medicine approach has been shown to lead to profound & longer-lasting results for patients. The benefits of functional medicine model compared with conventional medicine: Functional Medicine Health-oriented Collaborative, patient-centred model Biochemical individuality Address the cause Preventative approach Conventional Medicine Disease-oriented Expert, doctor-centred model Everyone treated the same way Suppresses symptoms with drugs Early detection of disease
  • What to expect from doing Functional testing?
    We provide cutting edge services in Functional Medicine with the most up to date biochemical labs which can measure hormonal, immune, detoxification, digestion, energy & nervous system imbalances that may be creating internal stress on your body. Once lab results have been analysed we will provide a personalised plan which includes advice on diet, rest, exercise, internal/external stress reduction & potential supplementation to allow the body to heal.
  • Is Functional Medicine covered by my private insurance?
    It could be. It is recommended that you check first with your health insurers to ensure they can reimburse you for the cost of the therapy. It will all depend on the type of cover you are currently on & the treatment you are receiving.
  • About Nordic Laboritories
    Nordic Laboratories is the European distributor for the most comprehensively developed laboratory evaluations. As an independent, unaffiliated distributor, they assess the testing laboratories to ensure the highest degree of quality control, & that their tests are always the most reliable & clinically relevant. Nordic Laboratories is the number one functional medicine test supplier in Scandinavia. Yet, their reach extends globally, as we maintain approximately 75% export sales with clients from the US to Hong Kong.
  • How to get started...
    These programs offer the latest & greatest in Functional Health tests that, when used alongside your health assessment forms, will give us the clues we need to know where to start in optimising your health journey. How to get started: Schedule your 30-45 minute FREE Discovery Call to see how I can help Choose your program & pay online Fill out intake forms I will send your lab kit(s) Schedule your first Results & Recommendations session once I notify you that your results are in (Follow-up sessions are scheduled by the client, as desired.)
  • About BioCare supplements
    We offer a 15% discount on BioCare supplements to all of our clients - acupuncture or FDN.
  • Are my treatments confidential?
    Absolutely. Your notes & all information about you will always remain confidential except in exceptional situations.  This is usually where the practitioner’s duty to society overrides their duty of confidentiality.  For example, if criminal or safeguarding issues arise, disclosure may be necessary.  Every effort will be made to discuss this with you. Your employer, the police or your GP have no right to this information without a warrant. If you move elsewhere in the country & wish to visit another Traditional Chinese Medical (TCM) practitioner, then your file may be transferred, but only with your permission.
  • What we need
    Eleanor Henderson will be what is known as the ‘Controller’ of the personal data you provide to us. We collect basic personal data about you including name, address & contact details. We also collect personal data only connected with your treatment. This does not include any special types of information or location based information.
  • Why we need it
    We need to know your basic personal data in order to provide you with notice if an appointment has to be re-arranged in writing & analysis of services in line with this overall contract. We will not collect any personal data from you we do not need in order to provide & oversee this service to you.
  • What we do with it
    All the personal data we process, is processed by Eleanor Henderson. No 3rd parties have access to your personal data unless the law allows them to do so. We have a Data Protection regime in place to oversee the effective & secure processing of your personal data.
  • How long we keep it
    We are required under UK tax law to keep your basic personal data (name, address, contact details) for a minimum of 6 years after which time it will be securely destroyed. Your information we use for marketing purposes will be kept with us until you notify us that you no longer wish to receive this information.
  • What we would also like to do with it
    We would however like to use your name & email address to request feedback about your treatment as well as to inform you of our future offers & similar products. This information is not shared with third parties & you can unsubscribe at any time via phone, email or our website.
  • Services
    All clients will be required to sign a disclaimer consenting to the terms & conditions outlined by Acupuncture South East. Eleanor Henderson of Acupuncture South East agrees that every effort will be made to provide high quality services & that she will at all times behave in a manner that is applicable to the occasion. We believe that the information provided, including that on our websites, videos, postings, brochures, emails, flyers, & information packets, is accurate, but we cannot guarantee such accuracy. You have the right, as the patient, to be informed about your condition as diagnosed in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) terms by your practitioner. This includes their assessment of the likelihood of success & the number of treatments that may be required. You also have a right to understand the nature of an acupuncture treatment & any adjunctive techniques that will be used: such as moxibustion, cupping, guasha & massage. In addition to the potential benefits, you should be aware of the risks of having treatment. Please ask your acupuncturist further questions if necessary. You should also feel free to seek advice from other healthcare professionals, such as your GP. It is important that you understand what is involved in treatment, the risks, & benefits, prior to making the decision whether to have acupuncture.   Please note, consent is an ongoing process, and you have the right to withdraw your consent to treatment at any point. Eleanor Henderson is not medically qualified & does not provide any medical diagnosis or advice regarding any specific health condition. Eleanor Henderson does not guarantee any positive results as she has no control over those results. Each person is different, and the way someone reacts to a product or therapy may be significantly different from another. We cannot predict how you may respond to any particular product or therapy. Eleanor Henderson makes no warranty as to the accuracy of the laboratory test results received from Nordic Labs. You should consult your doctor: · for any medical interpretation of your lab test results · on any matter relating to your health & well-being · before making any changes to your exercise routine or diet · before taking any nutritional, herbal, homeopathic, or hormonal supplementation · before beginning any therapy or modality What We Do & Do Not Do We obtain a set of laboratory test results on your behalf from a Nordic Labs & provide you with a holistic interpretation of those test results that you can use exclusively as an educational tool for personal health purposes. Your doctor may use the same test reports to diagnose & treat diseases or specific conditions, but we do not do this. The information we provide is not intended to, cannot, & should not be a substitute for a personal consultation with your qualified doctor. We do not accept any liability for any failure to identify any medical condition or disease, as this is not the purpose of our services. We may provide you with information about products that we believe might benefit you, but such information is not to be taken as an endorsement or recommendation. The information provided is intended for educational purposes only & should not be taken as professional medical advice or used as a substitute for medical care. We are not responsible for any adverse effects or consequences that may result, either directly or indirectly, from that information. Acupuncture South East may at any time without notification make any changes to the Services which are necessary to comply with any applicable safety or other legal requirements, or which do not materially affect the nature or quality of the Services.
  • Booking Policy
    When you book an appointment we ask for a 50% non refundable deposit to secure the booking. This deposit will be used as part payment towards your service & is fully refundable should you cancel within 24 hours of your appointment. Payment is required in the form of Online, Card, Cash, Cheque or BACs.
  • Cancellation Policy
    Please be aware that we operate a strict 24 hour cancellation policy on all treatments. Failure to give 24 hours notice on cancelling or changing your appointment you will be charged 50% (this includes illness). The full amount will be charged if you miss your appointment without cancellation. Here at Acupuncture South East we value your appointment, we are a very busy clinic and have clients waiting for appointments so we ask that you kindly adhere to our cancellation policy as it becomes difficult to fill appointments at short notice & room rental still needs to be paid. We completely understand that things can happen at the last minute and can assure you that we will be understanding.
  • Inclusion Policy
    We value, respect & welcome all our clients, whatever their gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, age, sexual orientation or identity, education or disability, & committed to a non-discriminatory approach.
  • Block Bookings & Gift Vouchers
    All purchased block bookings must be paid in full at time of booking & non-refundable. Block bookings need to be completed within 12 months; failing to do so will result in expiration of the purchased treatments. Missed appointments may result in treatments deducted from your course. Vouchers expire 12 months from the date of purchase, vouchers presented after this date are void & cannot be exchanged or refunded. Vouchers/Block appointments cannot be redeemed for cash, sold or transferred. Vouchers cannot be used against or in conjunction with any other offer. Vouchers can only be redeemed against treatments. Vouchers/Block appointments cannot be refunded or exchanged for cash. Vouchers must be redeemed in full on day of use, or in part payment if the treatment exceeds the voucher value payment by cash or card is accepted, any monies left cannot be held on account or used against another treatment on a different day or transferred to another person. Vouchers cannot be replaced if lost, damaged or stolen. Acupuncture South East reserves the right to amend these terms & conditions from time to time if they consider it is reasonable & necessary in all the circumstances to do so. (e.g to change the scope of the gift card, service, notify of the services withdrawal or in the event of circumstances beyond the control of Acupuncture South East.) Any such change & action to be taken as a result will be notified to customers in advance and online. Acupuncture South East reserves the right to refuse to accept a voucher which deems to have been tampered with, duplicated or damaged or which otherwise is suspected to be affected from fraud. You must bring along your voucher to your appointment. Late cancellation & “failure to show” terms as laid out above also apply to gift vouchers.
  • Appointment times
    Appointments will begin promptly. If you are late for your appointment the session will conclude at the designated time - no time will be added on at the end. Should you be more than 15 minutes late, the therapist has the right to end the session & the session will be forfeited. Should the therapist be late for a scheduled appointment the appointment will continue for the appropriate duration.
  • Therapist Holidays / Illness
    We will notify our clients at least 7 days in advance of any planned holidays & scheduled breaks. We will also endeavour to give clients as much notice as possible should appointments need to be rescheduled due to therapist illness.
  • Mask Wearing
    Mask wearing is not required but please feel free to do so if you feel more comfortable. Please let your practitioner aware if you would prefer them to wear a mask for your appointment.
  • Risk Assessment
    Practitioners have always been subject to the requirement to conduct a ‘risk assessment’ of their premises & put in place sufficient control measures to manage the risks identified. This is a legal requirement under health & safety law & applied just as much before the pandemic as it does now. Acupuncture South East is still choosing to continue to cover COVID-19 in its risk assessments & has decided to retain many of its current practices around infection protection control such as waiting room space, ventilation, cleaning, hand hygiene, mask wearing etc.
  • Self-Isolation
    Self-isolation law in England with COVID-19 to self-isolate has now been lifted. However in England, people who test positive are still advised to stay at home & avoid contact with others for at least five full days. This is not a legal requirement, but it is official advice. Acupuncture South East will adhere to this official advice & cancel appointments if needed. Unfortunately, a late cancellation fee will still apply within 24 hours of your appointment if you are unable to attend your appointment if you’re ill or test positive.
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