Acupuncture Donegal

22/02/2025

Just after treating a patient with massive upper body tension and pain in the scapula area, the red blotches are a great sign that heat friction is being released. I should be able to completely resolve this issue with a few more treatments.

30/01/2025

The scarring on this patients lower leg came from a car accident 30 years ago.
"Surround Needle" technique is where we would surround an area of scarring or discolouration with many needles, this focuses massive amounts of blood and healing endorphins to target the area and to heal the skin.
I once used surround needling on a large brown mole on a female patients leg and after a series of acupuncture treatments it dried up, reduced in size and fell off.
"SURROUND NEEDLING" can also be used on scarring from eczema and psoriasis, it works really well.

13/01/2025

I had a client in the other day for Acupuncture treatment on the worst form of back pain called sciatica, this is where the pain radiates down the leg usually to the calf area. I find electro stimulation of the most active points in the hip and in the lower back area, as well as the calf area to be very effective. PLEASE SHARE THIS, thanks!
The amount of treatment needed depends on the severity and on how long the problem has been there. In my experience sciatica responds very well especially when combined with the electro stimulation of the points. https://www.naturalhealthireland.ie/

13/01/2025

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been used for thousands of years to treat a wide range of health issues, from digestive problems to emotional well-being. Whether you're dealing with stress, digestive discomfort, or hormonal imbalances, our personalized treatment plans can help restore balance and improve your overall health.

✨ Benefits of TCM:
✅ Treats digestive issues like bloating, constipation, & indigestion
✅ Reduces anxiety, depression, & stress
✅ Improves hormonal balance and fertility
✅ Strengthens the immune system
✅ Enhances mental clarity and focus

Let us help you achieve optimal health using the wisdom of ancient healing. Book a consultation and start your wellness journey today!

09/10/2024

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/nn7LvM8xny2tt8Fy/?mibextid=WC7FNe

Clients come to me all the time and say: "their Doctor said there is no cure for sciatica", what the doctor is really saying is that: "THEY" do not have a cure for sciatica" they are not saying that a cure does not exist.
"Acupuncture works"

09/10/2024

Clients come to me all the time and say: "their Doctor said there is no cure for sciatica", what the doctor is really saying is that: "THEY" do not have a cure for sciatica" they are not saying that a cure does not exist.
"Acupuncture works"

06/10/2024

Acupuncture is one of the most widely used alternative treatments it is used to treat a wide range of health conditions, including:

Musculoskeletal issues (e.g., back pain, arthritis, sciatica)
Respiratory problems (e.g., allergic rhinitis, bronchitis)
Digestive issues (e.g., gastritis, irritable bowel syndrome)
Emotional and mental health concerns (e.g., anxiety, depression, insomnia)
Gynecological issues (e.g., menstrual pain, infertility)
Eye, ear, and throat problems
And more
Acupuncture is often used in conjunction with other traditional Chinese medicine practices, such as herbal medicine. While its mechanisms are not fully understood, research suggests that acupuncture may produce various effects in the body and brain, including:

Stimulating nerve fibers and transmitting signals to the spinal cord and brain
Activating the body’s central nervous system
Releasing neurotransmitters and hormones
Modulating pain perception and inflammation.

Acupuncture is considered a safe and relatively painless procedure, it has no side effects with most people feeling only a slight sensation when the needle is inserted.

03/10/2024

ACUPUNCTURE WORKS!
At some point in life, everyone experiences pain: headache, joint pain, low back pain, neck pain, TMJ, etc. Pain is the most common complaint physician’s see in their practices. Besides experiencing pain, most people have also taken a wide range of pain medications, from over-the-counter medicine like aspirin to stronger prescription drugs; and we are aware (as our doctors are) that these medications can have unpleasant and unwanted side effects. Would so many of us continue to take these Western drugs if we knew about other options that are time-tested, safe, natural and effective? I don’t think so! Acupuncture is a natural effective healing modality for many ailments. For a safe natural form of treatment choose acupuncture, its been tried and tested for centuries.

Having established the Natural Health Centre in Buncrana in 1997 with his wife Maria who is also an established practitioner and will be offering her unique bodywork treatments at the practice.

21/08/2024

Treating Hip Pain with Acupuncture

Pain or discomfort around the hip region is a common problem among both genders and all ages. There are many conditions that cause hip pain such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, tendonitis of iliotibial (IT) band, hamstring/groin strains, dislocation, fracture, infection, or just muscle tension. Hip bursitis is one of the most common causes of hip pain.

Bursitis means inflamed bursa. A bursa is a small sac of fluid-filled cushion that prevents friction between bones and tendons. Bursitis is sometimes viewed as a condition among middle-aged or elderly persons. However, because bursitis can develop either by a direct trauma to the area, prolonged pressure, or by repetitive friction of the iliotibial band on the bursa from overuse through sports and other activities, the condition is common among young individuals and athletes. Hip bursitis causes pain, aching, and stiffness. The pain may be dull, burning, or throbbing and it can be very severe.

Symptoms
Hip bursitis typically causes pain over the outside of the hip and thigh.
The pain is often aggravated by excessive walking, running or stair climbing.
The pain is often intensified at night, especially when one lies on the painful side.
Practitioners can often detect a tender spot or an area that is painful to touch or pressure on the greater trochanter region (the bony lump at the top of the outside of the thigh bone). A manoeuvre involving external rotation of the hip often elicits the pain.

Getting up from a chair or getting out of a car can be difficult due to the pain and stiffness in the hip.
Hip bursitis may cause radiating pain down the leg towards the knee. However, if pain radiates below the knee towards the foot, another cause or injury other than the hip needs to be investigated (such as sciatica). Another type of hip bursitis called ischial bursitis can cause pain in your buttock around the sitting bone and upper part of the hamstring muscles. In these cases pain is often aggravated after prolonged sitting on a hard surface.

Referral Pain
Pain or discomfort around the hip region is not always related to the hip itself. Because some nerves, which originate from the low back spine, pass through the buttocks and hips, hip pain can be a referral pain due to low back injury. If you are experiencing pain, numbness, or tingling sensation below your knee, you may be suffering from sciatica associated with a lumbar related injury.
However, it should be noted that the opposite case occurs as well and based on my clinical experience it is often overlooked by health professionals.


Many cases of chronic recurring low back pain and spasms are actually triggered by underlying hip problems (pain or instability in hip joint causing recurring spasms in muscles in the low back). In such cases, patients receiving treatment and examination focusing only on their low back are unlikely to heal completely unless the underlying hip issue is properly addressed.

In my own clinics I nearly always treat the back and hip together, so that I cover all the bases, whether the pain originates in the back or in the hip is then not an issue, my experience tells me that the best success is achieved when both back and hip are treated as one, this method leaves no stone unturned as to the origin of the pain itself. I find heat combined with acupuncture to be the best treatment of choice when it comes to hip problems. Electro acupuncture treatment is also very effective in some cases

Prevention
I have over the years prevented many people from having to go through hip replacement operations, when it gets to the stage of severe long term degeneration/neglect in the hip joint it is then much harder to treat but not impossible. Many people with advanced hip pain could have saved themselves going through excruciating replacement surgery, if only they had researched or where properly informed by their doctor of other treatment options and modalities that actually work.


Most times people suffering with chronic hip pain have been attending medical doctors for many years with the only treatment offered by these practitioners being anti-inflammatory medication. This is disastrous! This neglect only serves to cause further and further degeneration in the hip. These patients should have been referred by their doctors to an acupuncturist at an early stage so as to prevent further degeneration of the hip joint thus preventing surgery. Forget anti-inflammatory pills; as soon as you develop any kind of hip pain get yourself off to an acupuncturist ASAP! And save your hip!

Kim- Dip.Ac. Lic.Ac. C.Ac. China MQP is a registered licensed practitioner of Chinese Medicine. Treatments are VHi, LAYA healthcare, Irish Life, St Pauls Garda Medical Aid Society, and HSF Healthplan approved.
E mail contact@naturalhealthireland.ie or write to the Natural Health Centre, Millfield, Buncrana, Tel. 074/9362606, From North 00353749362606 or to the The Traditional Chinese Medical Practice, 5 Academy Court, Oliver Plunkett Rd., Letterkenny, Tel. 0863981882, from North 00353863981882. Visit the Website https://www.naturalhealthireland.ie/

02/08/2024

Acupuncture for Angina

In the West, diseases of the circulatory system are not commonly treated with acupuncture, but in China it is a common and acceptable form of treatment for these problems. A variety of animal experiments carried out in the West give clear support to the idea that acupuncture and herbs do have an effect on the circulatory system.
What is Angina?
Angina is a type of 'cramp' in the heart muscles, precipitated by a poor blood supply to the heart, and it usually exhibits itself as chest pain on exercise. Using sophisticated measuring equipment the Chinese have completed a variety of trials to assess the effects of acupuncture on the heart, and they have shown a marked increase in the functional ability and efficiency of the heart muscles after acupuncture. The acupuncture point Neiguan on the wrist is a commonly used and empirical point in the treatment of angina. In my own clinics I treat this problem quite often, but people are just not used to coming to an acupuncture clinic for these types of problems, but seeing as heart problems can be life threatening they should maybe first have as many medical tests from their doctor in order to give a clear picture and then use acupuncture as a form of treatment even along with heart medication. In China Western medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine are used together to treat many conditions.
A Positive Outcome
After a proper diagnosis from their doctor people should then consider acupuncture and herbal treatment. Just taking drugs continuously over a long period without addressing the underlying cause of the angina will not cure it but will only control it, with the result that the doctor may have to continuously up the dosage or change the medication and because of this the long term damage from the side effects could start to emerge resulting in other diseases or disorders manifesting themselves in the person. But because of the seriousness of this condition people should consult their doctors regarding making any changes to the taking of their medication. Western doctors and Chinese doctors should also educate their patients to the benefits that exercise and correct diet has on all heart conditions, something like Tai Chi, Yoga or some form of light aerobic exercise would be ideal.
Studies supported by clinical work, have shown that some 80 per cent of patients with angina have improved after acupuncture. When acupuncture is used to treat angina a course of treatment for 6 months or more is given, and then followed by booster treatments every month. The Chinese herb Dan Shen is very useful in helping to treat angina and also in treating acquired arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats) Dan Shen invigorates the blood, removes stagnant blood, opens up the blood vessels which improves the circulation and stops pain. Dan Shen is a very powerful herb, Heart diseases can frequently cause an abnormal rhythm to the heart beat; this may manifest itself as palpitations, an irregular heartbeat, or dropped beats. Acupuncture can correct these arrhythmias. In recently acquired arrhythmias, acupuncture can be effective in up to 70 per cent of cases
I once gave Dan Shen to a patient of mine for a few weeks along with acupuncture and it corrected an abnormal heart beat (a long pause betweeen the beats), Dan Shen has no side effects.
Prevention
Eat a varied and healthy diet; leafy vegetables, fruits, unprocessed cereals, low-fat, high-fibre products. Avoid saturated fats and junk sugars Stop smoking. Lose weight, if you are overweight.
Exercise more (a half-hour each day on a treadmill or exercise bike) is much better than nothing at all; you don’t need to join a gym.
Studies
In one study at the Human College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Changsha, forty patients with stable type of angina pectoris were assessed during and after acupuncture treatments and compared to a control group. After only one acupuncture treatment, 15 (37.5%) of the patients were already noticing a marked improvement in degree and area of pain, but after 7 treatments 25 (63%) of the patients recorded significant reductions both in extent and area of pain, and they also experienced a reduction in the number and the duration of attacks. Furthermore the patients in the acupuncture group who did get angina attacks recovered much faster than the patients in the control group.
Kim- Dip.Ac. Lic.Ac. C.Ac. China MQP is a registered licensed practitioner of Chinese Medicine. Treatments are VHi, LAYA healthcare, Irish Life, St Pauls Garda Medical Aid Society, and HSF Healthplan approved.
E mail contact@naturalhealthireland.ie or write to the Natural Health Centre, Millfield, Buncrana, F93 FX59 Tel. 074/9362606, From North 00353749362606 Visit the Website: https://www.naturalhealthireland.ie/

15/06/2024

Acupuncture Treatment of Conjunctivitis (Heaven Red Eyes)

Conjunctivitis is an inflammation of the conjunctiva (thin, transparent mucous membrane that covers the eyeball as well as the inner surface of the eyelids). This may be caused by an infection, an allergy or a chemical reaction. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), conjunctivitis is called "heaven red eyes". It usually occurs in the spring or the autumn and has a much higher infection tendency.

Conjunctivitis causes inflammation of the outer layers of the eye as well as the inner layer of the eye lid. It is most commonly caused by an infection which is generally viral in origin but can also be caused by bacterial infections. Conjunctivits is usually accompanied by an upper respiratory tract infection with cough, sore throat and possible fever and chills. Bacteria conditions generally have more pus and fluid discharge from the effected eye which is commonly yellow and thick in consistency. This discharge is often called "eye goop" leaving a crust around the eye which commonly "sticks" closed.

Acupuncture and herbal medication are highly effective in treating acute conjunctivitis. It is very fast and has no side effects. Usually a treatment 3-7 times is effective in controlling and curing any clinical syndromes.

This ailment, according to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), has many different patterns. In Chinese Medicine a collection of symptoms and signs are diagnosed together. TCM attributes acute conjunctivitis to pathogenic factors Wind and Heat, which are the basic factors to cause inflammation. If these pathogenic factors are not cleansed from the body and become excessive, an acute condition can quickly become chronic. Common causations include overindulgence in alcoholic beverage, deep-fried, or spicy food, and overuse of the eyes, exposure to wind, cold/flu virus, poor lighting, inadequate sleep, and poor sanitation.
Labels
The Chinese doctor would never put a label on or call an illness a “syndrome” that has a complicated name and becomes a thing that the patient is suffering from. Instead the TCM practitioner would always be mindful that the illness is a dynamic process, seeing it as a pattern of disharmony in the whole person and not just in one organ or system. By treating the root cause and all the symptoms and signs and not just one, a more balanced natural healing effect is allowed to take place without any nasty side effects.

Liver
TCM treatment is directed toward dispersing and draining the Wind and Heat pathogenic factors from the body to reduce inflammation and stop itching. Circulation within the meridians traveling to the affected areas will be soothed with acupuncture treatment and herbal medicine to promote healing. Apart from the common Wind Heat pattern that causes conjunctivitis there can be many other patterns that make one susceptible to this condition one in particular would be the pattern of toxic liver heat.

Each sensory organ relates to an organ in the body, the liver relates to the eyes, this can be seen in the consumption of too much alcohol, which overloads the liver and makes the eyes go red. To give an example, red painful eyes that feel hot would indicate too much Liver Heat. This Heat will often manifest in different ways, not just affecting the eyes. The tongue may be particularly red or purple or the complexion may be red, or perhaps there will be a general feeling of heat in the body. If the urine was consistently dark yellow and strong smell then this can also indicate heat. There are many possible symptoms of heat, too many to list here.


Herbal Formulas
The herbal formula Jia Wei Xiao Yao Wan is a very useful remedy for soothing liver heat and eye problems and herbs that heal infections such as Ban Lan Gen would also be very useful in heat and red eye conditions.

In my own clinics the combination and power of acupuncture combined with the fantastic healing properties of Chinese herbal medicine are second to none. In my experience Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine gives the most profound healing results ever, and to such an extent as to stop the re-occurrence of any and all diseases especially in the case of all and any eye conditions.

Kim- Dip.Ac. Lic.Ac. C.Ac. China MQP is a registered licensed practitioner of Chinese Medicine. Treatments are VHi, LAYA healthcare, Irish Life, St Pauls Garda Medical Aid Society, and HSF Healthplan approved.
E mail kimmcmenamin@gmail.com or write to the Natural Health Centre, Millfield, Buncrana, Tel. 074/9362606, From North 00353749362606 or Tel. 0863981882, from North 00353863981882. Visit the Website https://www.naturalhealthireland.ie/