About the Business
Ben has been practising complimentary therapies since 2004. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Acupuncture from the University of Kingston after studying for 3 and half years at the College of Chinese Integrated Medicine.
He has taken post graduate courses in numerous areas from sports injuries, trigger point therapy, fertility and digestive complaints. He started his career as a sports massage therapist which has given him a broad range of experience in treating musculoskeletal pain.
Unlike a lot of other acupuncturists I did not train to become an acupuncturist because I suffered from a condition that conventional medicine could not cure and was helped by acupuncture but was drawn to it because of its philosophy, way of life and perception of health that just made sense.
I became aware of oriental philosophy through my experience of qi gong (pronounced chee gong) which is a series of graceful movements with controlled breathing techniques and meditation developed to enhance ones health. It looks very similar to tai chi to the untrained eye.
It was through this that I was exposed to Chinese ideas about diet, exercise, mediation and philosophy (I have explored these ideas further in the articles section). That interest led me to becoming a massage practitioner which confirmed to me that I wanted to take my training further and eventually decided to train to become an acupuncturist.
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How Acupuncture Works
There is no one western theory that can account for all of the benefits that acupuncture can provide but there are certain biochemical/physical responses that can account for some of its effects. Essentially acupuncture is a system of medicine that aims to help the body heal itself.
Modern research shows that acupuncture can affect most of the body's systems - the nervous system, muscle tone, hormone outputs, circulation, antibody production and allergic responses, as well as the respiratory, digestive, urinary, and reproductive systems. Here are some of the ways that acupuncture can help.
- Increases opiod release the bodies natural pain killers.
- Increases muscular movement. Better lubrication of joints and a reduction in joint inflammation.
- Reduces anxiety and stress keeping Cholecystokinin (a chemical within the body, which restricts the good effects of endogenous opioids.
- Enhances Immune System response - Immune System = Defence.
- Increases Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and raises cortisol levels which have anti-inflammatory properties.
- Needles placed near the site of pain or in tender points (trigger points) produce an analgesia effect.
- Gate theory- acupuncture prohibits the passage of stronger pain signals along the nervous system producing an analgesic effect.
- Small sample MRI scans indicate that acupuncture may decrease brain activity associated with the perception of pain.
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25 Victoria Street
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Bentolson Traditional Acupuncture
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25 Victoria Street, Bristol, BS1 6AA
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