Gua Sha research looking at this traditional treatment method that involves pressured strokes being applied to lubricated skin to produce petechiae

Gua sha research took off with one of the first western scientific studies of gua sha at the University of Duisburg-Essen in Essen. A small sample (eleven) of “healthy but stressed” doctors and nurses… Continue reading →

SCENT OF AN APPLE

A study in Chicago found that people with migraines who sniffed the scent of a green apple reported a drop in pain levels. The theory is that the smell might reduce muscle contractions in the head and neck.

WRITING NUMBERS WITH YOUR NOSE

This is a simple pilates exercise that aims… Continue reading →

PHONE POSTURE

An average head weighs 10-12lbs, but poor postrure that is common when sending and reading text messages and emails on a phone means that the force exerted on the neck and spine can reach 60lbs. This can lead to Cervicogenic headaches and even to a condition called Occipital Neuralgia, which involves inflammation of… Continue reading →

TIGHT PONYTAILS

A study at the City of London Migraine Clinic has found that a high percentage of women can suffer headaches as a result of pulling their hair tight in a ponytail. The hypothesis is that this can strain and irritate connective tissue in the scalp.

So maybe reconsider how you wear your hair… Continue reading →

We are approaching the Chinese New Year. This takes place on Monday 8 February, and so will begin the year of the Monkey.

The organised celebrations here in London are the largest outside of China itself, and they are taking place on the following Sunday. They commence with the annual parade at 10.00 in the… Continue reading →

Actress Alice Bird (‘Notes on a Scandal’, ‘Footballer’s Wives: Extra Time’, ‘I’m in the Corner with the Bluebells’) first came to see me for acupuncture four years ago at the end of a particularly arduous shoot. While having no specific problem at the time, she was eager to look after herself and to fortify her… Continue reading →

“We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.”

Epictetus

(first century Stoicist philosopher)

I was sad to learn of the death of Kevin Baker, who co-authored with Peter Deadman the seminal textbook of acupuncture in the west, ‘A Manual of Acupuncture’.

Born in 1953, Kevin qualified in medicine from Cambridge University and St George’s Hospital Medical School in 1979 and went on to specialise in accident and emergency… Continue reading →

An American study published in 2015 has found that electroacupuncture has a significant and long-lasting effect in chronic hypertensive patients. Sixty-five patients with mild to moderate high blood pressure and who were not receiving medication were assigned randomly into two groups. They were then treated once a week for eight weeks with electroacupuncture.

One group… Continue reading →