Indika Health Clinic

25/07/2022

02/06/2022

15/04/2022

An Easter tree in Germany with 10,000 eggs...wow 🐣

23/03/2022

Acupuncture for Cancer Support

See how Acupuncture is used in Ireland to support those undergoing cancer treatment.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9UeuT0pK7U&t=4s
Clinical research suggests that acupuncture can provide clinical benefit for cancer patients with treatment related side effects such as nausea and vomiting, pain, post chemotherapy fatigue, dry mouth, stress and anxiety. Our acupuncturists and many cancer support centres use acupuncture to treat these and other symptoms.

01/02/2022

Now is a brilliant time to start your garden!

Exactly!

13/09/2021

12/09/2021

27/03/2021

Part 3 Depression and Anxiety - Evidence supporting the use of Acupuncture for women experiencing menopause.

There are many reasons for people to experience anxiety and depression at different times in their life. Menopause involves many physiological changes for women, which inevitably will result in a mental emotional response. Of course these changes signify a different stage of life, where menopause occurs naturally. Knowing this or feeling ready for this is not always the case. For some it is not an easy transition. Where it happens earlier than anticipated, due to surgery as an example, the physical changes will still have mental emotional effects.

Family life nowadays comes in lots of different varieties and many women have babies or young children in later years. Some women have high ranking professional full time jobs. Some women do gruling shift work. Some women are very educated about the right type of nutrition and have the means to afford that. Other women don't necessarily have any of those things. We are all unique, with our own life experiences.

It is never too late to make changes that will have a positive impact for you. If you experience depression or anxiety acupuncture can help. Adding in lifestyle changes, such as walking 30 minutes daily at a brisk pace, is shown to be as effective as anti depressant for mild to moderate depression.

Because of the physiological changes pre menopause and post menopause sleep can be impacted. Women with chronic pain can experience pain more intensely. Weight gain can become an issue which can create other health problems. This I appreciate is not painting a pretty picture! Of course there are things you can do, acupuncture being one of them. It is the best drug free option for pain with only positive side effects.

Some of you won't be the interested in the research, but it is important to know that there is plenty of evidence for acupuncture as a therapy. It is also a very safe option.

A couple of pieces of evidence to mention about acupuncture for depression and anxiety:
A review by Sniezek & Siddiqui 2013 cited one study involved menopausal women with depression and vasomotor symptoms (hot flushes) concluded that 'it is reasonable to use acupuncture as an adjunctive therapy, for treating depression in post menopausal women who have vasomotor symptoms'.
An earlier 2007 review Pilkington et al. focused on acupuncture for anxiety. It included 12 control trials 10 of which were randomised controlled trials. These are the quality pieces of research. All of the trials reported positive outcomes for the use of acupuncture for anxiety.

Written by Sineéad Dee
Acupuncturist and Herbalist

12/03/2021

Menopause is associated with multiple physical and/or psychological symptoms that women can experience. These range from none from mild to severe. Although, it is considered a perfectly normal process, and defined as 12 consecutive months without a period, the life quality impact can prove challenging.

The average duration of symptoms is 7 years. (Hillard T, Abernathy K, Hamoda H, et al. British Menopause Society Management of the Menopause Sixth Edition 2017.)

There are differing options for women, the option of going to your doctor for Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT). Secondly, attending your GP and your acupuncturist, or thirdly, avoiding hormonal therapy of any kind and choosing just your acupuncturist to manage symptoms.

MHT otherwise know as hormone replacement (HRT) became controversial as there was evidence that suggested it's use can increase the risk or breast cancer, stroke and pulmonary embolism (a clot in the lung). It is now generally accepted the benefits generally outweigh the risks for women under 60 or within 10 years of menopause. Of course that is something you would discuss with your doctor. There are many mitigating factors.

The is plenty of evidence that supports the usefulness of acupuncture as an add on or as a first choice. Over the next 6 weeks, I will provide you with that information. You can make a more informed best choice for you. Each week I will post about one symptom and some of the evidence that supports the use of acupuncture.

I would like to acknowledge and thank Natalie Chandra Saunders and Katherine Berry for their excellently referenced academic article summarising the evidence that is published.
Written by Sinéad Dee TCM Acupuncturist and Herbalist