Susan Donald Acupuncture
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Treatments Offered
You may consider wearing loose and comfortable clothing to your appointment. The most important aspect of your treatment is that you feel safe, at ease and as comfortable as possible.
During the consultation and treatment you can ask me any questions at any time, are free to abstain from answering any routine question I may ask and all information given will be treated with the utmost respect and in the strictest confidence.
Acupuncture
A safe and minimally invasive therapy derived from ancient and traditional Chinese medicine. Very fine, single-use sterile needles are inserted at a specific therapeutic acupuncture point causing little to no discomfort, but sending enough of a signal to let the body know it needs to respond.
The response stimulates the body’s nervous system, promoting circulation, healing and pain modulation. Depending on effective treatment requirements, a minimum of 1 needle to a maximum of 12 needles will be used and traditionally are retained for about 20 minutes.
Moxa (Moxibustion)
A warming, safe and relaxing treatment method used alone or in conjunction with acupuncture. Moxibustion technique involves the burning of Mugwart herb on the tip of an acupuncture needle, in a cone shape stacked on freshly sliced ginger, or by rolled stick.
The therapeutic properties of Moxa are indicated to treat a wide variety of acute and chronic conditions which may include; physical pain, repair of musculoskeletal or soft tissue injury, arthritic conditions, menstrual disturbance, foetal malposition, digestive and urinary issues to name but a few.
Historically, moxibustion therapy is older than acupuncture and has been a treatment method used by chinese medicine practitioners for more than 2500 years, helping to prevent disease and nourish life.
Cupping
Therapy
Cupping is a therapeutic medium is a simple non-invasive, safe and effective treatment used in clinical practice for several thousand years throughout the middle and far eastern civilisations. Sterilized glass cups are applied to the skin using a gentle vacuum technique.
The transparency of the glass enables the practitioner to observe and monitor the strength of suction and treatment time. The smooth surface of the cup mouth allows for a moving technique when applied to skin softened by massage oils. When the cups are released, the skin and physical tissue return to their original state.
The efficacy of cupping therapy is indicated to increase circulation, stimulate the lymphatic system, ease musculoskeletal rigidity, tension, pain and swelling, relieve headaches, help respiratory disorders and alleviate skin conditions such as acne.
Pain Clinic
Acute or chronic pain is rooted in many causes, such as arthritis, long-term musculoskeletal problems or recent injury, nerve damage, post-surgical recovery, chronic post-viral syndromes and acquired or hereditary disease.
For each patient, the level of pain suffered is a unique and debilitating experience, having a profound effect on their mobility and health-related quality of life.
The 2020 guidelines by National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommend the use of acupuncture as a medically viable and effective way of managing chronic pain, while reducing the need for certain pain management medications.
The NHS, many GP surgeries and physiotherapists recognise acupuncture as a safe treatment option and offer pain clinic appointments to their patients.
If you are suffering from the long-term symptoms of recurring or constant pain, ask your Doctor or Consultant if they are confident you would benefit from a course of acupuncture and request a referral for treatment.
Acupressure
A specific massage technique similar to acupuncture, but is performed by using fingers to gradually apply pressure on a key acupuncture or trigger point within a muscle. The therapy may aid healing within the muscles and soft tissues, aiming to decrease pain, clear muscle tension, increase blood circulation and promote a deep state of relaxation.
This treatment method is often used in conjunction with acupuncture and due to its non-invasive nature, is the technique most commonly applied when treating children and infants, or cases where acupuncture needles are not used.
Moxa Stick
A Moxa technique used without inserting an acupuncture needle. Moxa is rolled up inside paper to make a large stick that resembles a cigar shape. Invented during the Ming dynasty, originally moxa sticks were called ‘needles’ because their effects penetrate deeply like a needle.
Depending on the therapeutic need, the stick is lit and held by the practitioner, suspended near the skin at the site of a specific acupuncture point or in a circling, wandering motion. A warm and nourishing treatment, this method may relieve; acute and chronic pain caused by injury or soft tissue damage, eliminate cold and dampness, reduce digestive issues, increase blood circulation, alleviate Gynaecological syndromes and is especially indicated in turning a breech baby.
Obstetricians and Midwives recognise that Moxa is a safe and non-invasive treatment and often successful in correcting a breech position, therefore reducing the need for an External Cephalic Version (ECV) or elective Caesarean birth.
Far-Infared Lamp Therapy (FIR)
FAR-Infrared are waves of warming energy, invisible to the naked eye, which penetrate the surface of the skin where they gently elevate the body surface temperature promoting circulation, healing and pain modulation.
Used in conjunction with acupuncture, the needles are inserted first and the FIR lamp is positioned above the area for 15 minutes, providing nourishment and warmth.
Clinical practitioners and therapists recognise this technology as an effective, safe, hygienic and efficient approach to thermal treatment.
The therapeutic benefits have been shown to increase blood circulation to a musculoskeletal injury, ease tension and pain, alleviate muscle spasm, reduced swelling and inflammation, promote healing and improved skin complexion.
Dermatology Clinic
As a practitioner, Dermatology and skin disease is my area of special interest, including how to treat and alleviate the symptoms of; Acne, Rosacea, Eczema, Psoriasis, allergy reactive Urticaria, inflammatory Perioral and Periorbital Dermatitis.
The emotional burden of skin disease has a profound effect on a patient’s health-related quality of life, impacting self-esteem and body image due to sufferers being unable to hide their visible condition from attentional bias and public scrutiny.
Several unique factors may contribute to the progression or relapse of skin lesions. My treatments incorporate both Western medicine and Chinese medicine evidence-based approaches, specifically targeting the presenting complaint and type of skin disease.
Chinese medicine characterises skin disease as a symptomatic response to a physical imbalance by addressing the underlying cause or triggers. Acupuncture aims to therapeutically rebalance and promote healing, thereby helping the body recover and maintain its natural epidermal skin quality.