Victoria Lewis Acupuncture

14/05/2025

This week is Mental Health Awareness Week and we want to talk about how much BAcC practitioners can help those in our communities struggling with mental health issues.

Traditional acupuncture and Chinese Medicine is a holistic discipline, and treats the whole person rather than the ‘disease’. The aetiology for depression, anxiety, and stress can be complex and varied from person to person.

In this fascinating members-only article from the recent edition of Acu Magazine, Peter Mole, Dean Emeritus of the College of Integrated Chinese Medicine, explains his integrated approach to treating anxiety combining the wisdom of Five Element theory and TCM protocols.

Follow the link to sign in and read more. https://acupuncture.org.uk/acu/articles/anxiety-why-are-we-seeing-more-how-can-we-approach-it/

12/05/2025

26/03/2025

According to an article published in the Guardian, Independent, BBC Radio 4 and BBC News today.
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has issued a warning to those undergoing IVF about “unproven extras” to increase their chances of having a baby. Acupuncture is highlighted as one of these “unproven extras”. However, recent systematic reviews indicate that acupuncture may increase the likelihood of having a baby.
It is very important that people are given the information they need to help them make an informed decision. There are a number of issues that the articles do not fully explore.
Ian Appleyard Research and Policy Manager has detailed these in his response.

https://acupuncture.org.uk/news/three-quarters-of-uk-fertility-patients-using-unproven-add-on-treatments-baccs-response/

Alex Jacobs CEO has released the following statement to the media outlets, we hope they choose to publish our statement to make their articles a more holistic view of the evidence.

Recent systematic reviews indicate that acupuncture may well be beneficial for those undergoing IVF. For example, Smith et al. (2019) suggests that 'acupuncture may be effective when compared with no adjunctive treatment.' In addition, there are significant methodological factors which may lead the research to underestimate the true effect of acupuncture. Clinical trials often only use a fixed protocol of acupuncture points, one or two treatments and do not factor in that placebo acupuncture is still an active treatment. BAcC members have a minimum 3 year degree-level training and can tailor the treatment according to the specific needs of the individual patient.

06/12/2024

Warwick acupuncturist Rachel Genner is urging people to check a practitioner's qualifications before agreeing to treatment after a painful experience. | ITV News Central

17/11/2024

Unfortunately there is no regulation and anyone can call themselves an acupuncturist. Traditional Chinese Medicine is a wonderful, complex form of medicine and one which cannot be learned over a weekend. if You are considering having acupuncture treatment then please use a member of the British Acupuncture Council, members must complete degree level training from an approved university or college. There are more and more so called “acupuncture courses” popping up all over the place offering acupuncture training over a number of weekends, if you would like to train then please be willing to spend the requisite amount of time (3 years) training at an approved university or college.

𝗢𝗻 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗔𝗰𝘂𝗽𝘂𝗻𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗗𝗮𝘆 - 𝗗𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗰𝘂𝗽𝘂𝗻𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝗱?
The real professional standard for Acupuncture training in the UK is a degree level training accredited by the British Acupuncture Accreditation Board (BAAB). 3500 hours of training.
𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗔𝗰𝘂𝗽𝘂𝗻𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲:
https://acupuncture.org.uk/find-an-acupuncturist/
Some providers of Acupuncture in the UK have had less than 2 weeks of Acupuncture specific training. There are now many providers of 'short courses' in Acupuncture.

17/11/2024

𝗢𝗻 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗔𝗰𝘂𝗽𝘂𝗻𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗗𝗮𝘆 - 𝗗𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗰𝘂𝗽𝘂𝗻𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝗱?
The real professional standard for Acupuncture training in the UK is a degree level training accredited by the British Acupuncture Accreditation Board (BAAB). 3500 hours of training.
𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗔𝗰𝘂𝗽𝘂𝗻𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲:
https://acupuncture.org.uk/find-an-acupuncturist/
Some providers of Acupuncture in the UK have had less than 2 weeks of Acupuncture specific training. There are now many providers of 'short courses' in Acupuncture.

16/11/2024

𝗧𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗔𝗰𝘂𝗽𝘂𝗻𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗗𝗮𝘆.
Acupuncture is a 5000 year old system of medicine that is backed by strong scientific evidence. It may be able to help you but...

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗔𝗰𝘂𝗽𝘂𝗻𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲, 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹-𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱, 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗔𝗰𝘂𝗽𝘂𝗻𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁?

You can check the British Acupuncture Council Practitioner Directory.
https://acupuncture.org.uk/find-an-acupuncturist/

The British Acupuncture Council is the 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 UK membership organisation for Acupuncturists that has standards independently checked by the government backed Professional Standards Authority (PSA).

This standard guarantees that you will find an acupuncturist who is
a) degree level trained and
b) subject to independently verified standards of good governance

This means that when you choose a BAcC member you know they are independently assessed to be well trained, safe and subject to ongoing professional standards.

23/10/2024

The BAcC was delighted to attend the Chinese Medicine & Human Health Conference 2024 held at the Royal Society of Medicine. BAcC CEO Alex Jacobs was joined by teachers and students from the six BAAB accredited acupuncture colleges and Research and Policy Manager, Ian Appleyard. Leading academics from the UK joined top researchers from the Shanghai University of TCM and Taichung China Medical University to share the latest research showing the clear efficacy of acupuncture and herbal medicine in the treatment of health conditions.

20/10/2024

BAcC CEO Alex Jacobs with Sung Chol Kim, Head of World Health Organization (WHO) Department of Traditional Complementary and Integrative Medicine and Yair Mamon, President of the European Traditional Chinese Medicine Association (ETCMA)
Sung Chol Kim spoke on the WHO’s strategic objectives & plans to improve and implement worldwide healthcare strategies including the role of Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine in global health.

British Acupuncture Council were pleased to be invited to conference with Register of Chinese Herbal Medicine and The Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture UK

14/05/2024

Back pain was one of the conditions included in a large systematic review, along with osteoarthritis of the knee, neck pain, migraine, tension headache, and shoulder pain.

As far as we are aware, this is the largest high-quality systematic review that evaluates acupuncture for any condition. In summary, the Acupuncture for Chronic Pain: Update of an Individual Patient Data Meta-Analysis is the most reliable assessment of acupuncture to date.

For the above chronic pain conditions the review found:
• acupuncture is superior to ‘no acupuncture controls’
• acupuncture is superior to placebo
• the clinically relevant effects of acupuncture on chronic pain persist overtime
• referral for acupuncture treatment is a reasonable option for chronic pain patients

The British Acupuncture Council is accredited by the Professional Standards Authority, therefore GPs are permitted to refer patients to BAcC registered practitioners.

We have research fact sheets for back pain, neck pain, osteoarthritis, facial pain, headache, fibromyalgia plus more on our website.

*A reduction in pain of 50% or more.
**Other treatments: medication or physio therapy or exercise and advice.

[1] Vickers AJ, Vertosick EA, Lewith G, et al. Acupuncture for Chronic Pain: Update of an Individual Patient Data Meta-Analysis. J Pain 2018;19(5):455-74. doi:10.1016/j.jpain.2017.11.005 / https://www.jpain.org/article/S1526-5900(17)30780-0/fulltext

13/05/2024

Mental Health Awareness Week 2024 will take place from 13 to 19 May, on the theme of “Movement: Moving more for our mental health”. Movement is important for our mental health. As Chinese medicine practitioners we know how impactful movement can be for our patients and ourselves. So, why not tak...