Just A Little Needlework
November 2002: The Sunday Business Post
by Elizabeth McGuaneWhat it is: Acupuncture
What it promises: Everything from general health to relief from sports injuries, back pain and arthritis, migraines, insomnia, depression, addiction, infertility, and so on.
How it works: The basic tenet behind the therapy is that energy, or Qi, passes through a series of channels beneath the skin that connect the interior and exterior of the body and the internal systems to each other. The aim is to bring these systems into balance, by inserting needles (the width of a human hair) into points along the channels connected to organs seen to be sources of imbalance.
Pain rating: 0 out of 5 – if done properly.
What it costs: At Dan-Tien clinic on Dublin’s Bride Street, the first diagnostic session is €65, and each subsequnt session €50-55. The number of sessions recommended will vary depending on the individual.
What it delivers: It’s possible to get results immediately, while some patients will see improvement after several weeks. It’s important to make sure you see an acupuncturist registered with The acupuncture foundation of Ireland or similar.
Suggest acupuncture to most people and you might be met with a pupil-dilating expression of terror, as if you’d mentioned a nice relaxing trip to the dentist. But, while misconceptions about the therapy are rife, the actual experience can be one of deep relaxation and surprisingly immediate and effective results.
Arriving at the Dan-Tien clinic on a wet and manic Friday afternoon, my session began with a very thorough interview about my physical and emotional wellbeing. This made me a bit too aware of my own digestive processes and it was a bit odd having someone inspect my tongue four or five times. But it is the most important part of acupuncture treatment as, much like a western medical diagnosis, it pinpoints the source of health problems.
After a question and answer session lasting 45 minutes, the treatment began. With peaceful music playing, I removed shoes and socks and lay back with more than a little apprehension, despite my best efforts to seem nonchalant. As each needle was inserted, I was told what the benefits of each point being treated were, and found I felt very much in control (it helps not to look at the needles).
Once they had all been inserted – one in each arm, two in each leg, and one between the eyebrows (this gave a wonderfully warm radiating glow all across the forehead and wiped out the headache I’d had al day), I was left to relax under a heat lamp for about half an hour, and nearly drifted off to sleep.
Afterwards, I felt light, headache-free and almost giddy. That night I had the first good night’s sleep I’d had in weeks, and feel the benefits were enough to make me want to brave the needles a second time.
- Feb 2008:The Sunday Business Post: Nothing Twee about these Treatments
- March 2004: GCN: Alternative Options
- February 2004: Garda Review: Speaking In Tongues
- November 2003: The Sunday Business Post: Getting the Point
- August 2003: Irish Tatler: Mother And Baby: Aches & Pains
- June 2003: Ireland on Sunday: Body & Soul: In at the sharp end
- November 2002: The Sunday Business Post: Just A Little Needlework