Pain Clinic
About the Pain Clinic
Please join us for a free talk about acupuncture for painful conditions. Presented by Avicenna practitioners: Dr Peter Helps; Andrew Flower, PhD; and Liz Evans. Topics to be discussed include how acupuncture works, what conditions it treats well, case studies, and recent research. Practitioners will be available afterwards for questions.
The talk will be held at Avicenna on Tuesday, the 23rd of March at 7:30PM - 8:30PM.
Spaces are limited so please book in advance by 01273 776 499.
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The Pain Clinic has been running successfully for many years at Avicenna, but recently we have added a new multi bed space as a way to provide effective and affordable treatment to patients who prefer this option or need more than one treatment per week. Modelled after a traditional Chinese medical facility with multiple treatment beds, we treat several people in the same room at the same time, and provide a drop in service at certain times. Treatments are individualised and modesty is respected at all times. Multiple treatments per week to increase the effectiveness of treatment at an affordable cost, and are highly recommended for the successful treatment of some conditions. If you would prefer a private one to one treatment, this option of course remains available.
The Pain Clinic specialises in the treatment of pain and discomfort utilising mainly acupuncture. Chinese medicine has utilised acupuncture for pain relief for thousands of years and its success is confirmed through modern research. The World Health Organisation has recognised acupuncture’s effectiveness since its Beijing symposium in June 1979 and again as recently as 2003. In September 2009, researchers from the University of Michigan will be publishing in the Journal of NeuroImage evidence of acupuncture’s effectiveness on the brain’s long-term ability to regulate pain (Zubieta, Scott, Napadow, Gracely, & Clauw). The study showed treatment with acupuncture increased the binding availability of mu-opoid receptors (MOR) in regions of the brain that process and dampen pain signals.
This study, on the heels of recent guidelines set up by the NHS’s National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) advising acupuncture for chronic lower back pain, confirms what we see at Avicenna every day—acupuncture is an effective treatment for pain and discomfort.
About Multi-bed Treatment
In China, a course of acupuncture treatment may be given daily or every other day in a single room with several treatment beds. It has only been on its migration to the West that the emergence of weekly one-to-one acupuncture treatments has evolved. At Avicenna we recognise that many painful conditions which respond extremely well to acupuncture respond even more effectively with frequent treatments. The multi-bed model allows patients to be seen more than once a week if required and at a reduced cost to make subsequent treatments more affordable.
Additionally, some painful conditions need immediate treatment. A multi-bed space allows for more available treatment times so patients in pain do not have to wait unnecessarily for relief.
It is easy to see why the multi-bed treatment model is growing in popularity in the West. Currently, there are 28 multi-bed clinics in the U.K. and over 100 in America.
Treatment at the Pain Clinic — What to Expect
Initial Consultation:
Patient confidentiality and privacy are paramount at Avicenna. For this reason, all Pain Clinic initial consultations are conducted in a separate, private room.
The initial consultation takes approximately 30 minutes. Your condition will be discussed at length with a practitioner. Background information is also taken to confirm the diagnosis. Tongue and pulse diagnosis are also taken.
Treatment:
After the initial consultation and any subsequent acupuncture treatment is conducted in a large, calm room with four treatment beds. Each treatment bed has its own curtain for privacy.
As in all acupuncture treatments, patients are encouraged to wear loose fitting clothes. If removal of an item of clothing is required, additional screens and blankets may be utilised.
Once needles are inserted and the patient is comfortable, the patient is allowed to relax for 20 minutes. During this time the practitioner may work with another patient. At Avicenna two practitioners work side by side in the multi-bed room. Both patients and practitioners benefit from collaborative work and patients can be assured of always having a practitioner nearby if assistance is required.
Subsequent treatments are also conducted entirely in the multi-bed room with the private consultation room available if required.
Pain Clinic Treatment Days, Times and Cost
Starting the week of the 28th of September, we will be running the Pain Clinic on the following days by appointment or on drop in first come first serve basis:
Monday and Wednesday
8:30a.m. to 1 p.m.
Additional times are available upon request.
Initial consultations are £35 which includes a private discussion with a practitioner as well as treatment in the multi-bed room.
Subsequent treatments are only £25 which includes a brief follow-discussion and treatment in the multi-bed room.
If you would like treatment or know of someone who could benefit from treatment at Avicenna, feel free to take a Pain Clinic brochure or contact our receptionist to make an appointment.
