Combined techniques

Alongside the use of sterile needles in my treatment, I may also use electroacupuncture, cupping, gua sha or moxa.  All treatment fees are inclusive of the below techniques and are fully discussed and agreed with you prior to their use.

Electroacupuncture (EA)

Electroacupuncture involves pulsed electrical stimulation through acupuncture needles inserted into specific points or along specific channels.

According to the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), illness is caused when qi (“chee”) does not flow properly throughout the body. Acupuncturists determine whether qi is weak, stagnant or otherwise out of balance, which indicates the points to be stimulated. Electroacupuncture is considered to be especially useful for conditions in which there is an accumulation of qi, such as in chronic pain syndromes, or in cases where the qi is difficult to stimulate.

The use of EA is relatively new in terms of acupuncture’s history but its use is becoming more commonplace, with an increasing body of evidence to support it.

A meta analysis of 10 randomised controlled trials (rct’s) involving over 700 patients, concluded that Electroacupuncture demonstrated the highest efficacy for Rheumatoid Arthritis pain relief followed by traditional acupuncture. The study highlights that additional techniques alongside acupuncture can improve pain levels (i)

A small group study random of patients suffering with knee osteoarthritis (KOA) found that both manual acupuncture and electroacupuncture were effective at reducing pain, response rates were higher in the electroacupuncture group, but not clinicially significant. Subject to confirming you are suitable for trying electro acupuncture, this is a safe adjunct treatment, which may enable further benefits to be relenquished in pain, stiffness and movement (ii).

Cupping

During a cupping treatment, a vacuum is created inside glass cups which are then placed on specific points, normally on the back. The suction created stimulates the flow of qi and blood in the area, effective for muscular aches and pains as well as lymphatic drainage. Enhanced blood flow may alleviate pain intensity, and therefore improve physical function. The negative pressure created during suction of cups, may increase oxygen and metabolism to local tissues, which may reduce inflammation and promote elimination of toxins, this is known as “clearing” in Chinese medicine. A recent systematic review of ten high quality rct’s found that cupping therapy had statistically significant effects on pain scales, and pain was well managed during the interventions of up to 8 weeks of treatment. Alongside this, the analysis found that cupping was more effective than medication for managing back pain (iiii) Further studies are recommended in this field, the style and approach of cupping will vary by practitioner. If you are interested in trying cupping, I am able to offer this using sterile plastic cups using a vacuum pump, this tends to be more practical than the ancient approach of glass and fire cupping!.

Gua Sha

Gua Sha is another ancient technique which involves using a tool (traditionally a Chinese ceramic soup spoon) to externally press and stroke the skin. A traditional indication of Gua sha is neck pain. The pressure of the tool and the stroking of the skin stimulates movement and blood flow along the channel meridians . This is a very effective treatment for releasing stubborn knots in the muscles, as well as more general stiffness and pain. The press-stroking treatment intentionally transient petechiae and ecchymosis which generally fade within 3-5 days. Braun et al (iii) conducted a randomised control trial of patients with chronic neck pain, and found after one treatment severity of pain was significantly reduced after having gua sha. Whilst only one treatment was researched, including gua sha with acupuncture sessions may be effective to support neck pain, and other aches and pains associated with postural discomfort, and tension we often hold in our necks.

References

(i) Wang S, Xue YH, Liang LB, Li KP, Wu CQ. Comparative effectiveness of electroacupuncture and conventional acupuncture for rheumatoid arthritis pain: A network meta-analysis with emphasis on placebo control validity. J Integr Med. 2026; 24(1):57–64.electroacupuncture (EA) relative to manual acupuncture (MA) for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis (KOA). doi: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41102052/

(ii) Wang T-Q, Li Y-T, Wang L-Q, et al. Electroacupuncture versus manual acupuncture for knee osteoarthritis: a randomized controlled pilot trial. Acupuncture in Medicine. 2020;38(5):291-300. doi:10.1177/0964528419900781

(iii) Braun M, Schwickert M, Nielsen A, Brunnhuber S, Dobos G, Musial F, Lüdtke R, Michalsen A. Effectiveness of traditional Chinese "gua sha" therapy in patients with chronic neck pain: a randomized controlled trial. Pain Med. 2011 Mar;12(3):362-9. doi: 10.1111/j.1526-4637.2011.01053.x. Epub 2011 Jan 28. PMID: 21276190.

(iiii) Zhang, Z., Pasapula, M., Wang, Z., Edwards, K., & Norrish, A. (2024). The effectiveness of cupping therapy on low back pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized control trials. Complementary therapies in medicine, 80, 103013.