A Healing Journey: From Patient to Acupuncturist
Background and Experience
Can you share your journey into acupuncture and what inspired you to become an acupuncturist?
I first tried acupuncture to deal with the side effects of chemotherapy. I was suffering pretty severe hot flushes, night sweats, brain fog and some peripheral neuropathy.
My acupuncture sessions helped me manage these symptoms — they felt genuinely transformative for my wellbeing.
Through weekly sessions I was able to get control over my life again and ended up feeling better than I had done for years.
That experience sparked a deep curiosity about how this gentle yet powerful approach could support others.
What kind of training and certifications do you have in acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine?
I undertook a three year licentiate at the City College of Acupuncture. It's a level 6/degree level course and is the only BAAB accredited course in London currently. It's estimated we study 3600 hours, 400 of those hours being hands-on clinic hours treating patients while under the supervision of the amazing tutors at CCA. I've also done first aid level 2 training and I'm registered with the BAcC (British Acupuncture Association), which ensures we work to the highest possible standard.
How long have you been practicing, and what types of conditions do you most commonly treat?
I officially began practicing in September 2024. Prior to this I had worked for one year at the student clinic at CCA. We see all sorts of conditions coming in the door, the most common things I see are stress and musculoskeletal issues — often these two things are linked. However digestive problems and menstrual issues are also very common.
While acupuncture isn’t a guaranteed solution for every concern, many people find its holistic approach helpful in supporting general wellbeing across a wide range of concerns. That's the beauty of Chinese medicine — with its holistic approach, we can consider all aspects of health, and there is really no separation of the mind, body, spirit.
Acupuncture Practice
What can a patient expect during their first acupuncture session?
The initial appointment comprises a thorough medical history. These questions might seem odd but they're basically like jigsaw pieces that help me put together the picture of your constitution and your current health status so that I can come up with a very personalised treatment plan for each client. Once the treatment plan is decided, the patient will lie down and very fine needles will be inserted at specific acupuncture points relevant to their condition. These will stay in place for 20–25 minutes. We encourage people to wear loose clothing so we can access their feet, arms and legs, where many of the acupuncture points are located. If clothing needs to be loosened or removed, we will ensure you're covered and comfortable. The whole appointment should take 1 hour, that includes the consultation, needling and any other modalities which may be used. These include moxibustion, cupping, electro-acupuncture and guasha. At the end of the appointment, we will either have a chat or I'll follow up with an email with things we've spoken about. I want to ensure each patient leaves the appointment with the information on diet and lifestyle relevant to them which will help their condition improve. These are usually small, manageable changes which can often have a big impact.
Can you explain how acupuncture works and its benefits?
Acupuncture works by stimulating specific points on the body. These points are located on meridians — these meridians are connected to the organs. This stimulation encourages blood and qi to flow to specific areas. Often when problems arise in the body it's due to a stagnation or a disruption of the free flow of blood and qi. By eliminating stagnation we're often eliminating pain/discomfort and reminding the body of what it is meant to be doing but may have slacked off on. What acupuncture is essentially doing is bringing the bodily systems back to a place of homeostasis, regulating the nervous system and reducing inflammation. All of this while you relax on the treatment couch.
Are there specific conditions or symptoms that acupuncture is particularly effective for?
People come with all sorts of conditions and everything is welcomed without judgment.
According to NICE, acupuncture is recommended for chronic pain, chronic tension headaches, migraines, prostatitis symptoms and hiccups (randomly). The NHS also acknowledges its use for joint and muscle pain, jaw pain, cancer-related symptoms such as pain, side effects of cancer treatment, and recovery from surgery.
What's important to remember is every person reacts differently to acupuncture. There is no protocol or one-size-fits-all approach. We treat what we see on the day that we see it, so with that in mind acupuncture should be approached with an open mind.
Some people experience notable benefits, while for others, results may be more subtle or take time. I do regular check-ins with each person to confirm they're feeling benefits from the treatment to ensure that I'm delivering the best treatment I can.
Patient Experience
How do you tailor treatments to individual patients?
I listen intently to what the patient tells me. Very small details which may seem irrelevant can often inform me as to what is causing the disharmony within their body. Two patients might come with the exact same presenting problem but might have completely different treatment plans due to the root cause of the issue being different. It's in the putting together of all these little jigsaw pieces of information in the consultation that enables us to tailor everyone’s treatment plan.
What are some common misconceptions about acupuncture that you encounter?
People often think that it's only about needles and are often scared that it will hurt. This is not true. The needles are super fine and the treatment is often very relaxing. Chinese medicine also incorporates several other modalities: moxa, guasha, cupping, diet and lifestyle (from a TCM perspective). All these treatments are relaxing.
How do you address patient concerns about needles and the sensation of acupuncture?
I check in regularly during the treatment as to how they're feeling. Everybody experiences acupuncture differently. Personally, I don't feel much or any sensation during the actual treatment but in the days that follow I can very much feel the effects of the treatment. If a patient is very nervous I'll often needle the point 'shen men' in the ear first. This point is excellent for calming the nervous system almost instantly. Other than this we can do things like getting the patient to breathe out on insertion, which distracts them so they don't feel the needle penetrating the epidermis.
Integrative Approach
Do you incorporate other therapies or modalities in your practice, and how do they complement acupuncture?
Everything I offer comes under the umbrella of TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine). For me this is moxibustion, cupping, guasha, diet and lifestyle advice tailored to your very specific treatment plan and lastly electro-acupuncture. Each modality has its time and place. In some treatments we may incorporate one or more, or sometimes a treatment might just involve some good old needles. It really all depends on the person I'm treating as there is no one protocol. A lot of what we're doing during an acupuncture session is moving stagnation and tonifying the organs so they're working to their optimal state. Each of these modalities plays their role in that.
How do you work with other healthcare providers to ensure comprehensive patient care?
It's important to know when a patient needs referring to their GP or another health care provider. If in doubt, the British Acupuncture Council have an extensive list of scenarios which I keep up to date with. This enables me to treat with confidence and to know when something is outside of my training.
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Patient Education and Advice
What advice do you have for patients considering acupuncture for the first time?
Just do it. You're not going to regret it. Equally feel free to reach out to an acupuncturist in your area. What I've found is we're all so passionate about what we do that we're going to be happy to have a chat and answer any questions you may have regarding what to expect.
How can patients prepare for an acupuncture session to maximize its effectiveness?
We encourage people not to come on an empty stomach. We recommend wearing loose clothing as many of the points are on the lower end of the legs and arms, so ease of access is great for both the practitioner and the patient. Other than that, no preparation is needed. Shaving/waxing is completely unnecessary, and we literally don't care if your body has hair on it. All that matters is your comfort and getting the best treatment we can give you.
Personal Insights
What do you find most rewarding about being an acupuncturist?
Seeing a patient leave the treatment room feeling so much better than when they arrived will never not be rewarding.
It honestly makes me so happy to help support people reducing pain and stress, and improving their overall well-being.
Can you share a memorable success story from your practice?
Patient confidentiality is paramount, so I’ll share a story about my father (shared with his full consent). I was treating him for an issue with his leg, and after around four sessions, he mentioned that his long-standing sinus symptoms — which he'd experienced since his teenage years — seemed to have improved. While acupuncture sessions are usually focused on a specific concern, it’s not uncommon for patients to notice changes in other aspects of their health. In this case, the treatment involved points related to the spleen, which in traditional Chinese medicine is associated with fluid transformation in the body. Whether or not this contributed to the shift in his sinus symptoms, it’s moments like this that remind me how interconnected our systems can be — and what I find so fascinating about acupuncture.
Future of Acupuncture
How do you see the role of acupuncture evolving in modern healthcare?
My own personal journey with acupuncture has very much shaped how I view the body and its ability to heal. I would love to see acupuncture more readily prescribed on the NHS for conditions such as chronic pain, headaches, menopause symptoms — where appropriate — as an alternative or complement to medication. It is happening, but I'd love to see more of it.
Personal Insights
What do you find most rewarding about being an acupuncturist?
Seeing a patient leave the treatment room feeling so much better than when they arrived will never not be rewarding. It honestly makes me so happy to help people live a pain and stress free life.
Can you share a memorable success story from your practice?
Patient confidentiality is paramount so I'll share a story about my father (who has given consent). I was treating him for a problem he was having with his leg. After around 4 treatments he asked if it was possible his sinus issues which he has had since he was a teenager could have improved as a result of the treatment. As I was treating his spleen which deals with the transformation of fluids in the body it is indeed very possible that his sinus issue also benefited from the treatment. This is one of the things I love about acupuncture is it really highlights how our whole being is so intertwined.
Closing Thoughts
What message would you like to convey to potential patients who are hesitant about trying acupuncture?
Acupuncture literally changed my life. It helped me gain control over my health in a way I didn't think was possible. Don't hesitate or live in pain or discomfort, speak to an acupuncturist about how it can help you.
