Dr Maggie Ju Acupuncture London Chelsea, North Kensington, Notting Hill, and Richmond

Neuropathic pain, also known as nerve pain, is a type of pain that occurs due to damage to the nervous system. It can arise from any level of the nervous system, including the peripheral nerves, spinal cord, and brain. Patients with neuropathic pain typically experience spontaneous and/or evoked pain. Spontaneous pain is characterized by shooting, burning, stabbing, or electric shock-like pain, as well as tingling, numbness, or a "pins and needles" sensation. Evoked pain, on the other hand, is pain brought on by normally non-painful stimuli, such as cold, gentle brushing against the skin, or pressure, and can also be increased by normally painful stimuli like pinpricks and heat. Neuropathic pain is a common problem, affecting more than 7% of the general population and accounting for 20 to 25% of individuals with chronic pain. However, treating neuropathic pain is a significant challenge, and the available treatment options are often limited by side effects and tolerance. In...

The American College of Physicians (ACP) has developed a clinical practice guideline for the noninvasive treatment of low back pain. The guideline provides evidence-based recommendations for the treatment of acute, subacute, and chronic low back pain. Acupuncture is recommended as one of the noninvasive treatments for low back pain. For patients with acute or subacute low back pain, acupuncture treatment is recommended in conjunction with superficial heat, massage, or spinal manipulation. This is based on moderate-quality evidence. For patients with chronic low back pain, acupuncture is recommended in conjunction with exercise, multidisciplinary rehabilitation, mindfulness-based stress reduction, tai chi, yoga, motor control exercise, progressive relaxation, electromyography biofeedback, low-level laser therapy, operant therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, or spinal manipulation. This recommendation is also based on moderate-quality evidence. Recent research has analyzed the data for...

Male factor infertility accounts for almost half of all infertility cases, with about 50% of men evaluated for infertility showing abnormal semen parameters. Interestingly, the treatment of acupuncture for male infertility can be traced back to the classic A–B Classic of Acupuncture and Moxibustion (Zhen Jiu Jia Yi Jing) in the Western Jin Dynasty, which dates back around 2,000 years ago in China. The earliest study of acupuncture for male infertility in Western countries dates back to 1984. The study investigated the effect of acupuncture on male fertility and psychological well-being, and the results showed a significant increase in sperm concentration and motility after acupuncture treatment. Similar findings were also reported by other researchers, where all semen parameters of 16 subfertile patients treated with acupuncture showed significant improvement in total functional sperm fraction, percentage of viability, total motile spermatozoa per ejaculate, and integrity of the axon...

Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) is a common condition that affects men. Patients with CP/CPPS often experience varying degrees of pelvic pain or discomfort, as well as lower urinary tract symptoms. The condition may be linked to low blood flow in the common iliac vein and pelvic congestion. Additionally, recurrent urinary tract infections can severely impact patients' quality of life. The prostate gland is the primary male accessory gland for male fertility, and there is a correlation between male infertility and prostatitis. Recent studies have shown that acupuncture is an effective method of treating CP/CPPS. One study analyzed data from ten high-quality randomized controlled trials involving 798 patients with CP/CPPS. The results showed that acupuncture had superior effects compared to sham acupuncture and western medicine on CP/CPPS patients' pain score, NIH-CPSI score, quality of life score, urinary symptom, and efficacy rate. The researchers con...

Dental pain is a prevalent issue worldwide that can cause discomfort, difficulty in chewing, and general symptoms such as headaches or earaches. Dental pain can also have a significant impact on sleep, school or work performance, and overall productivity, often necessitating a visit to the dentist for consultation. However, acupuncture therapy has emerged as a potential solution for alleviating dental pain. Research studies have shown that acupuncture therapy can reduce the need for analgesic medication in various types of pain, including dental pain. Several studies have evaluated the effectiveness of acupuncture in relieving dental pain. A review that included 16 such studies found that the majority of trials indicated that acupuncture is effective in dental pain relief. The review concluded that acupuncture can be an effective option for relieving dental pain. A more recent systematic review evaluated the efficacy of acupuncture compared to other pain-relieving approaches in the tre...

Trigeminal neuralgia is a syndrome characterized by neuropathic pain, which manifests as intense episodes of pain in the facial area within the trigeminal nerve region. While it typically affects only one side of the face, it can also affect both sides. The pain is often progressive and can have a significant impact on an individual's quality of life. However, acupuncture is an effective treatment that does not produce any unwanted side effects. Trigeminal neuralgia is a condition that can cause significant discomfort and distress. The pain is usually described as a sharp, shooting, or electric shock-like sensation that occurs in the face. It may be triggered by certain activities, such as chewing, speaking, or touching the affected area. The pain can be so severe that it can interfere with an individual's ability to perform daily activities. Acupuncture is an ancient form of traditional Chinese medicine that involves the insertion of fine needles into specific points on the bo...

Acupuncture has been shown to be an effective treatment for fibromyalgia, which is a condition characterized by chronic pain, muscle stiffness, fatigue, sleep disturbances, depression, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), stomach pain, bloating, low mood, poor concentration, and memory problems. Although fibromyalgia can affect people of different ages, it is most commonly found in middle-aged women, and treating this condition can be challenging. Acupuncture is a treatment method that has been used to address various medical conditions, particularly chronic pain. Research indicates that acupuncture's analgesic effect on the central nervous system, achieved by stimulating nerve fibers and producing an activation in the cascade of pain-modulating endorphins, serotonin, and noradrenaline, may contribute to its effectiveness in treating fibromyalgia. For example, a recent research paper summarized 20 studies, including a total of 1497 participants, with most of them being women, that inves...