Market Harborough District Council has recently granted a license to The Newton Harcourt Community Acupuncture Clinic. This multi-bed acupuncture clinic, set up by locals Judit Szabo and Sue Harrington, will provide traditional Chinese acupuncture treatments to the community at affordable prices. The clinic will be open every Tuesday from 9amto 5pm. All treatments will cost just £20 each and be administered by highly qualified practitioners.

“Acupuncture with a trained and fully qualified acupuncturist is one of the safest and longest established forms of healthcare,”

“In setting up the clinic Sue and I wanted to create the opportunity for everyone to be able to afford an acupuncture treatment.

“Elsewhere, the typical hourly rate for a session is £40 - £50, putting it out of reach of many people who could otherwise be helped with acupuncture. At just £20 a treatment, we aim to encourage people of all ages to come in and experience acupuncture and learn how it can help with their health.

“The often held opinion is that “acupuncture is for pain”, but people have acupuncture for a whole range of reasons besides aches and pains. It can help with a wide variety of conditions including stress, fatigue/tiredness, problems with digestion, sleep issues, depression, anxiety, menstrual and menopausal difficulties, fertility and pregnancy, and the side-effects associated with cancer treatment.

“Acupuncture works excellently on a preventative level too. It helps to maintain good health and well-being by ensuring the body is in balance. So you don’t have to wait until you think there is something wrong with you or you have a diagnosed illness before you can benefit.”

Fully qualified and registered

Both Szabo & Harrington are fully qualified traditional Chinese acupuncturists and full members of the British Acupuncture Council (BAcC). Besides running the multi-bed clinic at Newton Harcourt on Tuesdays, both have busy private clinics near Leicester and Sue also runs a multi-bed clinic at Rugby on Fridays.

They both trained on a three-year degree-level accredited course at The Acupuncture Academy in Leamington Spa and were awarded Professional Licentiates in Acupuncture and Highly Commended levels for their clinical work.

Their training covered all aspects of Chinese medical and acupuncture theory, with a particular focus on ‘Five Element’ acupuncture. This means that during the treatment, they consider a patient’s main health condition while taking a holistic approach to the overall health and well-being of the individual.

As members of the BAcC, they adhere to the Council’s Codes of Safe Practice and Professional Conduct, and are registered with the Professional Standards Authority – a government body set up to regulate health and social care providers. They also hold full public liability insurance.

So what happens at an acupuncture treatment?

An acupuncture treatment involves the insertion of very fine needles into specific points on the body. Your acupuncturist will diagnose which combination of points is right for you after asking questions about your health and lifestyle, as well as any symptoms you may be experiencing.

The medical theory of acupuncture centres on the concept of qi energy (pronounced “chee”). Qi is said to flow through the body's energy pathways, known as meridians. Meridians match certain organs or groups of organs.

Unlike Western medicine, traditional Chinese medicine holds that disease is caused by an imbalance of this energy's flow through the meridians. In an attempt to unblock or otherwise redirect the flow of energy, acupuncturists shallowly insert very thin needles into specific points in the skin tissue.

Harrington concludes,

“For people of any age, including pregnant women and children, it can be used effectively alongside most conventional medication. For those worried about the needles, it is nothing to be frightened of.

“The needles used in acupuncture are as fine as a human hair. As a result, most people report little or no pain. So if that’s your main concern when considering treatment, rest assured, you’ll be fine.”