FAQs:

​The goal of Acupuncture is to restore the body's capacity to regulate itself. 

​How does it do this?

When a needle pierces the skin, it mechanically stimulates the mast cells which lie close to the surface causing a number of reactions, one being an increase in blood flow to the area. As the needle is inserted, sensory nerves fire messages up to the mid-brain, activating key regulatory centres which respond by releasing endorphins, adenosine (a natural pain killer), tissue repair cells and anti-inflammatories. The effect of an individual needle is determined by where it is placed in the body and which nerves are stimulated.

 

What are "meridians"?

Meridians follow the body's natural lines of communication - fascial planes and neurovascular bundles (nerves, arteries, veins) - along which acupuncture points arise as places where the body is most receptive to change. The ancient Chinese were observing where life already flows most efficiently within the body.

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Is there medicine in the needle?

No! The medicine is in your body, the needles help direct the flow.

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Isn't the body always trying to be in a state of health?  

Yes, but sometimes it needs a little nudge. Health, in the Daoist view, is not a fixed state. The body is always trying to find its equilibrium, but it is also being shaped by habit, trauma, exhaustion, loss. Acupuncture doesn't oppose the body's intelligence, it creates conditions in which the body can resume what it was already trying to do.

"We do not change the river, we remove the stone."

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What is Qi?

It's a Chinese cheese! Jokes!

Qi is not a thing, but a movement. It moves everything but can't be held.

It's not energy in the electrical sense, nor breath in the anatomical sense, or spirit in the religious sense - yet it appears as all of these things.

With harmony Qi becomes health, clarity and ease, and with obstruction Qi becomes pain, illness, grief.

Qi is invisible yet everything depends on it. If it were visible, it would no longer be Qi - it would be form. Basically, it exists where it can't be pinned down because life does not behave like an object. 

Qi is a classic Daoist paradox.

 

What is the Dao?

The Dao is not a God, nor a rulebook or even a belief, but is the way things are when nothing is being forced. The Dao is an underlying order of life itself - you see it in the curves of a river, the patterns of clouds, how emotions like grief can soften and how love grows, how seasons turn and how the body heals when the conditions are right. It's the source and movement of all things.

The bit I love most about the Dao is that no one owns it.

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How many sessions will I need?

To begin with, up to 6 treatments. No two patients are the same, some feel an immediate difference, others take longer. Once the improvements start, they will continue with each treatment. Ideally you then come seasonally for a tune up!

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How long will each treatment take? 

The first session is 60mins long. Liv takes your medical history to understand the full picture of your health from sleep patterns, to diet, to poo! 

Thereafter, 45mins - 1hr. 

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How much?

£75 per 1hr treatment. 

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What can acupuncture help with?

Most things to some degree!

According to the British Acupuncture Council, specific benefits include relief from:

Anxiety, chronic fatigue, depression, endometriosis, erratic menstrual cycles, female and male infertility, fibromyalgia, headaches, insomnia, IBS, long covid, ME, migraines, muscular-skeletal pain, osteoarthritis, PCOS, sciatica, stress.

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Do you treat kids?

Yes! Liv obtained her diploma in paediatric acupuncture in 2019. Acupuncture is a safe, effective and gentle treatment for babies and children of all ages. The care she has for children's health is informed by both her experience as a mother and a practitioner. By addressing imbalances early on, she tries to ensure children grow up healthy and happy, reducing strain on the family and creating a strong foundation for a lifetime of wellness. 

Needles are not left in and other modalities are often used instead of the needles such as Guasha or Tuina (massage).

After the initial treatment which lasts 45 mins and costs £45, sessions last around 20 mins and cost £35.

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How do I book?

Fill out the form on the Contact Liv page (the "Book me in" button below takes you straight there) with your relevant information and she will get back to you within 24hrs.

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