Common Questions from patients
Common Questions from patients
Here are some of the more frequently asked questions. If your specific query is not found here, please complete the contact form and I will get back to you as soon as possible.
What to expect at your appointment during Coronavirus.
What will happen during my 1st Appointment?
What will happen during my 1st Appointment?
Your first consultation is usually about 2 hours - this longer time allocation is to rule out any serious pathology, to gain a correct working diagnosis integrating both Chinese Medicine and Osteopathic principles.
The session will begin with a conversation about
- Your current condition (including signs and symptoms);
- A full medical / health history (including your current diet, sleep patterns, emotional state and any medication your are / have taken) and;
- Any treatment you have received,
All information is treated as confidential in accordance with the Standards of Practice by the regulating bodies and the General Data Protection regulation (GDPR), May 2018.
I will always complete a routine examination that checks for more serious diagnoses andI will advice and discuss with you any further action that may be required.
I will then take your pulse, look at your tongue (which may indicate any health imbalance) and palpate the acupuncture channel (usually in your forearms and lower legs) as appropriate..
If you are presenting with a musculoskeletal condition you will be required to dress down to your underwear in order that a full biomechanical / postural & orthopaedic assessment can be undertaken. If you would feel more comfortable, please feel free bring a chaperone with you. I will then undertake any manual muscle / orthopaedic testing as is appropriate.
Normally linens are provided, however due to current COVID-19 precautions please bring your own towels to cover yourself with.
All this information will help to form a working diagnosis and we will then discuss the most appropriate form of treatment and we will jointly put together an individual treatment plan. This may include a combination of acupuncture / bodywork / kinesiology taping or any adjunct therapies (cupping / gua sha
/ moxa
/ Kinesiology taping etc.). This plan may involve several visits and, very occasionally, further tests and / or referrals to another appropriate health care professional.
If time allows we will then make a start on the agreed treatment plan.
If at any time you have any questions or concerns. or further details regarding treatment procedures or consent, please do not hesitate to ask.
How long is an appointment?
How long is an appointment?
Your first treatment is usually about 90 minutes - which also allows a subsequent 15 minute UV-light decontamination of the room between patients. Your treatment may begin at your first appointment if time allows.
Subsequent appointments will be approximately 60 minutes - again allowing room decontamination between patients. A brief discussion regarding any changes that have occurred since your previous visit and, since a treatment plan had been previously agreed, the majority of these sessions will be treatment focused.
If I have not seen you clinically for over 6 months and / or a major change in your circumstances has occurred, it may be necessary to schedule a re-assessment appointment (in which case, please allow up to 2 hours).
How many appointments will I need?
Weekly treatments are normal to begin with, reducing in frequency as your body responds. You will normally require at least 4 - 6 treatment sessions in order to feel the full benefits of the treatment, occasionally just one or two treatments are sufficient. However some patients need treatment over several months, for long-term or chronic conditions. The treatment plan will be jointly re-evaluated after 4 sessions.
Some people enjoy regular acupuncture and / or bodywork sessions as part of an ongoing programme to promote good health.
How much will it cost?
How much will it cost?
The initial consultation will be £99 (usually please allow up to 100 minutes for this appointment).
Subsequent appointments will be £70 (usually please allow up to 60 minutes for these appointments)
Due to current COVID-19 precautions to maintain a safe clinic environment, a screening form will be emailed to you 24 hours before your appointment - completion being mandatory before attending the clinic. In addition, to minimise contact, payment will be taken when you book your online appointment.
If you are unable to keep an appointment, please give at least 24 hours notice of cancellation, otherwise the full fee may be charged.
What safeguards have you in place for coronavirus?
What safeguards have you in place for coronavirus?
The Beacon clinic have complied with the government's guidance on managing the risk of COVID-19 and enjoys "COVID-Secure," status. These measure include:
- A full COVID-19 risk assessment has been carried out by the directors, Drs Martin and Sue Allbright and have shared the results with all the people who work at the clinic;
- All reasonable steps have been taken to ensure people work from home;
- All reasonable steps to maintain a 2m distance in the workplace has been undertaken;
- Everything practical has been done to manage the transmission risk including a pre-treatment screening questionnaire and the use of PPE (where appropriate) where people cannot be 2m apart (e.g. the physical therapies) and;
- Cleaning, hand-washing and hygiene procedures are in place in line with, and exceeding, the guidelines. These include:
- HEPA filters in each room with in-built shielded hospital grade UV-C Germicidal lights to clean and filter the air;
- Hand sanitiser dispensers at strategic positions around the clinic;
- Hospital grade Clinell clearer is used on surfaces between clients;
- Propolis diffusers are situated in the clinic as a means of reducing virus particles in the atmosphere (if you are allergic to propolis or are pregnant, please contact the practice / practitioner before the session and alternative arrangements can be made);
- Hospital grade UV-C Germicidal lights are used to sanitise the treatment rooms between patients (see picture) and also the entire clinic overnight;
- Track and Trace measures are available as per government guidelines.
If you wish, you are more than welcome to bring someone with you to your consultation. You do not need to consult your GP before you visit, although you may wish to do so.
What happens if I am not happy with my treatment?
Initially, if you are not happy with your treatment it is hoped that you would be able to discuss those with me and we can work together to resolve resolve your concerns.
If you would prefer not to do this, the Beacon Clinic has a complaints procedure and you can contact the clinic directors either Dr Martin Allbright or Dr Sue Allbright. A copy of the clinic complaints procedure can be obtained by contacting the clinic directors.
If you are not satisfied that your concerns have been properly dealt with, you can contact either the Regulation Department at the General Osteopathic Council ( regulation@osteopathy.org.uk. ) or to the ethics department The British Acupuncture Council ( ethics@acupuncture.org.uk )..
Are the treatments you offer, safe?
Are the treatments you offer, safe?
Acupuncture needles are so fine that most people don't feel them being inserted. It is normal to feel a tingle or dull ache as the needles are adjusted to direct Qi. While the needles are in place most people feel deeply relaxed which can continue after they are removed.
Occasionally, with acupuncture, a small bruise can appear at the needle site. Sometimes people can feel dizzy, tired of 'space out' after a treatment, but this passes quickly.
With any of the manual therapies (Tuina and Western massage) you may experience some mild discomfort afterwards, but in most cases this will pass within 24 hours. If you have any concerns about your treatment, please discuss them further. For those that may wish to look further:
- In a 2007 study of 65,482 acupuncture and moxibustion treatments over a 6 year period at a National clinic in japan, 94 adverse events were recorded, with no severe cases (such as pneumothorax, infection or spinal cord injury) indicating the incidence of severe or serious adverse effects are rare in standard practice (Yamashita et al, 2007)
- In an earlier 2000 prospective study undertaken by 574 acupuncturists in York (all members of the British Acupuncture Council) delivering 34,407 treatments over a 4 week period there were no reports of serious adverse effects (defined as events requiring hospital admission, leading to permanent disability or death). Practitioners did report 43 minor events (a rate of 1.3 per 1,000) the most common being nausea and fainting, with some local reactions at the needling site (e.g. bruising) was noted. The most common mild transient reactions were "feeling relaxed' and 'feeling energised'. With over 2,000,000 acupunctre treatment annually, comparison of these adverse events with those of drugs routinely prescribed in primary care suggests acupuncture is a relatively safe form of treatment (BMJ, 2001).
References:
BMJ (2001), The York acupuncture safety study: a prospective survey of 34,000 treatments by traditional acupuncturists, BMJ 2001;
323. Available at https://www.bmj.com/content/323/7311/486, or click here;
Yamashita et al (2007), 'Adverse effects in acupuncture and moxibustion treatment; a six-year survey at a national clinic in Japan', The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, Vol 5(3). Available at https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/pdf/10.1089/acm.1999.5.229 or click here
Get Started
Address: Street, City, County and Postcode
mymail@mailservice.com
