Medical Acupuncture Appointments

Exclusively at our Poundbury Clinic In Dorchester, Dr Mehrdad Bordbar carries out evidence based medical acupuncture on a Tuesday and Thursday morning.

Acupuncture Specialist

Dr Mehrdad Bordbar is our friendly GP in Dorchester and also a certified member of the British Medical Acupuncture Society.

Medical acupuncture draws on principles from Traditional Chinese Medicine, but uses a modern, scientific approach. It is a gentle and effective way to manage a range of conditions, including:

Medical Acupuncture appointment fee – £50

Medical Electro-Acupuncture appointment fee – £65

Joint Pain - Shoulder, Knee, Elbow (tennis elbow)
Rotator cuff pain and tendonitis
Back pain and sciatica
Chronic headaches and migraines
Chronic pain syndromes - fibromyalgia, pelvic pain and irritable bowel syndrome
Hot flushes in peri-menopausal women

Questions

What is involved in having acupuncture?

Every patient will have an initial assessment, followed by a course of treatment suitable for the condition.

Treatment is usually provided in six consecutive appointments but may be less if the condition responds quickly. However, if the doctor feels that your condition can not be treated with acupuncture, he will discuss an alternative plan with you.

The treatment itself involves fine needles being inserted through the skin and briefly left in position. Sometimes manual or low voltage electrical stimulation is applied to assist the process and this is called Electro-Acupuncture. The number of needles varies but may be only two or three.

What is the difference between Medical Acupuncture & Medical Electro-Acupuncture?

Like traditional acupuncture, electro-acupuncture uses needles placed in the same spots. Then, a small electrode is attached to the needles. A small amount of electricity runs through the electrode and gives a slight vibration or soft hum during treatment. ‌

The electrode gives off the effect of your acupuncturist activating the acupuncture point with their hands. This ensures you get the right amount of stimulation during your whole treatment. The treatments can sometimes be shorter because the electrodes can activate your acupuncture points more quickly. ‌

A benefit of using electroacupuncture is that it can cover larger areas of your body than traditional acupuncture. This ability makes this type of acupuncture more accurate than others.

Is Acupuncture safe?

In the hands of properly trained practitioners, acupuncture is a very safe form of treatment. It is certainly safer than many of the drug treatments used. However, any procedure that involves inserting needles into the body has some potential problems. In addition, there are a few “side effects” produced by acupuncture treatment that can be troublesome in certain people. Here is a list of some of the side effects you may, or may not, experience:

Momentary discomfort where the needles are inserted
Drowsiness and sleepiness
Bruising
Temporary worsening of your symptoms
Fainting
Onset of a migraine headache, if you are a sufferer
Feeling faint, during or after treatment.

Acupuncture should be used with due caution in pregnant women, although there are no established risks that are specific to pregnancy.