Belfast Community Acupuncture

21/12/2025

Wishing everyone a happy winter solstice and Christmas holidays! I'm closed until the New Year! So as a chionophile (admittedly I like all the seasons) I'll be woolly hatted and out in whatever the winter weather can offer until then.🤸‍♂️⛄🎄☔⛅ My thoughts are with those who have recently lost someone, you are not alone, and for those who are no longer with us.🫂 Reflecting on the last year and my own journey with surgery, once again the therapeutic relationship trumps techniques and protocols as the most important foundation of navigating pain or ill health! I'm grateful to everyone I met along the way who gave the best of themselves. So I'm finishing this year by reflecting on treating the person in front of me, rather than the diagnosis and looking forward to some training courses I have lined up. Feliz navidad and see you in 2026!

29/07/2025

I'm back! And I'm truly grateful to my 'regulars', regular or ad hoc clients I have seen in the recent past, or even the past, who are helping me phase back in over the next few months🙏. I'm definitely running a marathon, and not a sprint. This week I'm mostly treating headaches, anxiety, neck pain, low back pain, knee pain, sinus pain and more... Hoping to open up to some new clients in early September! ☺️🙏 🤕💪

08/07/2025

A "Yin" reflection on recovery....

B Oakman - " Body expectations judgement. I want to cascade endlessly, I want gravity to walk me home."

I think I've learned something recently! It's about the interface between responsibility and blame, between fear and recklessness, between striving and letting things be....

I'm 7 weeks into my rehabilitation from dominant arm cuff surgery, and I expected to be back at work by now. I'm in more pain than than I thought I would be, although I know now this is fairly normal., and my consultant thinks my progress is in the top 10%! However, I went with the prescribed process and ignored my intuition, which told me to listen to my quiet inner voice (my yin self?), the one that tells me to be mindful and take each step with curiosity, humility, self respect and openness. My Yang self said ""go for it" , "follow the instructions", "you may be wrong", "try harder" and "don't quit". My pain got worse, and then it got worse again....🏋️ 🚴 🛌

Sometimes when I'm out cycling and fatigued there's a way of "letting the bike do the work". It doesn't make sense immediately but with the right cadence and power you can spin the legs and recover while still eating up the kilometres. I am entering a period where I need to "let the bike do the work", or to "let gravity take me home". My body needs to recover from the surgery and hard rehab protocols, and now I need to "spin my legs" for a little while and as my physio puts it, "let my biology catch up." There will be a time for Yang energy again, as metaphorically yin and Yang are in a state of constant flux. So we don't always expect things to be perfectly balanced, but sooner or later, we must allow this to happen ☯️

All being well, I'll be taking my tentative first steps back into clinic from the 21st of July, taking returning clients only for several weeks, as there are limited slots while I phase in intentionally with my yin self initially calling the shots...

18/05/2025

Every pain journey is different, made up of different events, different setbacks and achievements, different encounters, different collaborations... This one took me from acupuncture in February 2024 with Mary and self guided exercise, to more therapies with Willow Massage Centre and over six months of diligent physio, and eventually to a fortunate encounter with a consultant who listened patiently to my whole story and future goals. Here I must stop for a while, and begin again on the road to recovery. Don't worry, I will be back! But in the meantime clinic will now close for the next number of weeks while I rehab. Keep your eye on the website for updates late June/ early July! Thanks to my current clients for their patience, understanding and well wishes. See you soon! 💪
Emma
www.belfastcommunityacupuncture.com

24/12/2024

Thank you to all my clients, for those who attended recently or indeed those who attended in the past but who continue to send me referrals. There's no higher praise than a quiet and personal recommendation! Thank you!
This year Mary has officially retired from Belfast Community Acupuncture and from all private appointments, but she will continue to offer high level acupuncture care at Action Cancer.
I will continue to offer 1-2-1 appointments at Belfast Community Acupuncture East Belfast, and will strive to learn a little more each day, with curiosity and humility, so that I can offer you the very best help that I can.
With best wishes for 2025!
Emma

27/11/2024

The best reward is knowing that you helped!

06/08/2024

Belfast Community Acupuncture welcomes individuals regardless of ethnicity, religion or place of birth. It is a safe and non judgemental space.

22/06/2024

It's hayfever season and the potential for acupuncture to help manage symptoms of this debilitating seasonal allergy is currently an FAQ. Although everyone is different, and we can never guarantee how successful acupuncture will be, some of our clients have recently found acupuncture successful, and this is supported by the latest research (linked).

According to the most up todate evidence, acupunctureis an effective treatment for allergic rhinitis. Studies also suggest that acupuncture is safer than current commonly-used medications and may be more cost-effective.

16/05/2024

https://www.facebook.com/100089540408908/posts/419155997745744/?mibextid=rS40aB7S9Ucbxw6v

08/05/2024

It can be hard to know where to turn and grief is not an uncommon theme in clinic. Please share the website with anyone you know who might benefit.
https://bereaved.hscni.net/

Earlier this year the Department of Health launched a new bereavement support website, Bereaved NI.

Bereaved NI provides a range of accessible resources for people who are experiencing bereavement and ensure that they have the required information and support for each stage of their bereavement journey.

www.bereaved.hscni.net

14/04/2024

https://www.facebook.com/100064414820500/posts/826776616146158/?mibextid=rS40aB7S9Ucbxw6v

https://acupuncturetoday.com/article/39209-new-guideline-on-chronic-lbp-global-impact

The WHO has released a 244-page document that “provides evidence-based recommendations on nonsurgical interventions for chronic primary LBP in adults” that will improve outcomes.
✅Acupuncture is among the interventions the guideline recommends for all adults.
✅NSAIDs continue to be the only recommended pharmacotherapy.
✅Exercise, massage and spinal manipulation are also recommended.

Source: acupuncturetoday.com

02/03/2024

The reputable International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP), the global leader in the study and dissemination of research and practice recommendations for understanding and treating pain has a new series of video shorts on integrative medicine. Last year in response to the opioid crisis they explored some traditional medicines and their role in pain management. They have a lot of interesting articles on their website, but If you are just curious about whether acupuncture 'works' or is just 'placebo', whether it's for chronic pain or acute pain, or perhaps you have heard someone say that there's no scientific basis for it, here is a nice little summary of research that should clear this up for you. Note that Dr Arya Nielson also lists several American organisations that recommend acupuncture in their treatment guidelines, but here in the UK you will also find acupuncture for chronic primary pain, tension headaches and migraines in our national health guidelines.

Dr Nielsen is an expert in acupuncture therapies and in her two videos, she discusses two aspects of this practice. She is a very well-respected researcher, ...