Dr Jeremy Nathan

BSc (Hons) MBBS DRCOG MRCGP DipMedAc FHEA

General Practitioner, Clinical Teaching Fellow, Royal Free and University College Medical School, UCL and BMAS Accredited Medical Acupuncturist

 

 

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What is Acupuncture?

Acupuncture is a treatment which can relieve symptoms of many physical/psychological conditions and may encourage the patient's body to heal and repair itself, if it is able to do so.

Acupuncture stimulates the nerves in skin and muscle, and can produce a variety of effects. It is known to increase the body's release of natural painkillers - endorphin and serotonin - in the pain pathways of both the spinal cord and the brain. This modifies the way pain signals are received.

Additionally, it can also have a general beneficial effect on health and patients often notice an improved sense of well-being after treatment.

Modern research shows that acupuncture can affect most of the body's systems - the nervous system, muscle tone, hormone outputs, circulation, antibody production and allergic responses, as well as the respiratory, digestive, urinary, and reproductive systems.

 

Uses for Acupuncture

These are some of the conditions for  which acupuncture may be effective:

bullet Pain relief 
bullet It is commonly used to treat musculoskeletal pain, for example - back, shoulder, neck and leg pain.
bullet It has been used successfully to treat headaches, migraines, trapped nerves, chronic muscle strains, sports injuries and various kinds of arthritic and rheumatic pain.
bullet Functional bowel or bladder problems such as IBS or even mild forms of incontinence.
bullet Menstrual and menopausal symptoms, e.g. period pains and hot flushes.
bullet Allergies such as hay fever, perennial allergic rhinitis, and some types of allergic rashes such as urticaria and prickly heat.
bullet Some other skin problems such as rashes and ulcers, itching, some forms of dermatitis and some cases of excessive sweating.
bullet Sinus problems and chronic catarrh. Dry mouth and eyes.
bullet Help with stopping smoking.

 

What does the treatment involve?

Typically, fine needles are inserted through the skin and left in position briefly, sometimes with manual or electrical stimulation. The number of needles varies but may be only two or three. Treatment might be once a week to begin with, then at longer intervals as the condition responds. A typical course of treatment lasts 5 to 8 sessions.

Dr Nathan uses a combination of micro, trigger-point and electro-acupuncture as practised at the Royal Homeopathic Hospital in London and taught by the BMAS.   More general information about medical acupuncture can be found on the British Medical Acupuncture Society website .

British Medical Acupuncture Society members are all experienced doctors;  general practitioners and hospital specialists who practice acupuncture alongside conventional medicine.   At the moment, anyone in the UK may call themselves an acupuncturist, regardless of qualifications or experience.   British Medical Acupuncture Society members, however, are all registered medical practitioners with long experience of medicine and are all subject to the BMAS Code of Practice and Complaints Procedure in addition to regulation by the General Medical Council.


Contact Information

To make an appointment, or for further information please contact Dr Nathan by one of the following methods:

Telephone 07734 246 315
 
Postal address 15 Meadow Drive, Hendon, NW4 1SD
 
Electronic mail General Information: drjnathan@live.com
 

 

 

Last modified: 29 August 2008