7th-13th March is Acupuncture Awareness Week, an annual event coordinated by the British Acupuncture Council. This year the focus in on sports injuries; the ambassador for the event is Olympic gold medallist Rebecca Adlington. She has acupuncture for a shoulder injury that developed during her swimming career and is treated by Andrew Jackson who trained in York at the Northern College of Acupuncture.
To celebrate Acupuncture Awareness Week, a group of York’s acupuncturists have come together to form the York Acupuncture Network. They are putting on an acupuncture roadshow, working with gyms and sports clubs around York. The acupuncturists, including York Clinic’s Ben Elliot and Debbie Priestley, will appear at the majority of leading venues in York including David Lloyd, Energise and York Sports Village. People will be able to talk to the acupuncturists, watch an acupuncture demonstration and try having acupuncture themselves.
York is a national centre for acupuncture. There are over thirty qualified acupuncturists working in York, including nine at the York Clinic. Also, the Northern College of Acupuncture is based in York, on Micklegate. It is one of the leading acupuncture colleges in the country and the only one in northern England; it was co-founded by York Clinic’s director Hugh MacPherson.
Acupuncture for sports injuries:
Many people, whether professionals or amateurs, sustain injuries whilst doing sports activities. The most widely advertised remedies are oral painkillers and ice or heat packs. However, painkillers often mask the problem and don’t always address any potential underlying issues. Traditional acupuncture can help to identify the root cause of a problem, improving a patient’s understanding and management of symptoms for a more positive long-term outcome.
Ben Elliot and Debbie Priestley both specialise in treating sports injuries. They practise acupuncture and sports massage, combining the two as appropriate. To find out more about how the two forms of therapy compliment one another, see Debbie’s website and our earlier blog post. Ben Elliot’s patient Alice (38) says: “I developed Posterior Tibial Tendonitis through running and was unable to take part in any of the sports that I enjoy, for a prolonged period of time. I’d seen Ben [Elliot] before for a shoulder injury so I knew that acupuncture would definitely be part of my recovery programme. I had a number of sessions with Ben and found that it reduced my pain and promoted healing. I’m now back running and would defiantly recommend acupuncture to anybody suffering with a sports injury.”
Acupuncture roadshow timetable:
York Sport Village, Wednesday 3rd March, 3-8pm.
Fitness First, Monday 7th March, 3-8pm.
Energise, Tuesday 8th March, 9:30am-3pm.
Poppleton Sports Centre, Wednesday 9th March, 3-9pm.
David Lloyd, Friday 11th March, 9:30am-8pm.
KP Club Pocklington, Saturday 12th March, 9am-3pm.
For more information about the York Acupuncture Network and their roadshow, see their Facebook page and Twitter feed. To book an appointment at the York Clinic with Ben or Debbie, please contact us on 01904 709688. Reception is open from 9am to 6pm on weekdays, and from 9am to 2pm on Saturdays. Alternatively, email us at email@yorkclinic.com or use our contact form. We will respond to you as quickly as possible.