Practitioners use single-use pre-sterilised disposable needles, which are disposed of after each treatment. The Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine (UK) members observe the Code of Practice, which establishes stringent standards of hygiene and sterilisation of equipment.

Individual patients react differently; many feel relaxed and calm following treatment, while others feel alert and energised. Occasionally you may feel tired or drowsy for a few hours if the treatment has been particularly strong, in which case you should avoid driving or operating heavy machinery until you feel more alert.

You may experience a short-term flare-up of your symptoms, dizziness or faintness as your Qi clears and resettles itself, in which case we invite you to rest for a few moments with a relaxing cup of green tea in our comfortable waiting area. 

Not usually.  A dull ache often develops at the point (considered to be a good therapeutic sign) but the needles are so fine that people having acupuncture for the first time are pleasantly surprised, finding the treatment to be very relaxing and therapeutic

Before you actually receive treatment, the acupuncturist will want to take a history in order to make a clear diagnosis of your condition; this may involve a tradition Chinese history as well as a Western diagnosis.  In skilled hands, acupuncture is a relatively painless procedure.  When the acupuncture needles are actually inserted they are usually left in place for between 15 and 30 minutes.

Often the acupuncturist will manipulate the needles so that you will feel a dull bursting or numb sensation around the site of the insertion.  This sensation is called "de qi" or "obtaining energy" and traditionally it is suggested that "de qi" is an important part of the treatment process.  Sometime your acupuncturist may use other methods of stimulating that acupuncture point, for instance moxibustion, which is the burning of the herb Artemesia vulgaris just above the surface of the skin or on the end of a needle, or by placing a cup over the acupuncture point. 

Acupressure massage may also be considered effective in your treatment.  You may notice a temporary worsening of you condition, but this usually indicates that an effective response will occur later.  Treatment usually works in stages, in that the first one or two sessions may produce no effect or prehaps only a transitory effect.  A course of six to eight treatments is usally required for effective symptom relief.  When such relief has been obtained, it often lasts for three to nine months when one or two further treatments will "top-up" the therapeutic benefit.

There are a variety of different styles of acupuncture practiced around the world; as well as Eastern-derived forms, such as Five Element acupuncture and Japanese Meridian Therapy, there are also Western variants, including trigger point acupuncture and dry needling. These styles derive from a common root, but are distinct in their emphasis, with differing philosophies, practices and views on physiology.

The Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture (ATCM) registers practitioner members with extensive training (at least 3 years of full-time experience) in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). TCM includes Chinese medical theories, Chinese-style acupuncture, herbal medicine and therapeutic massage called Tuina, as well as the requisite western medical sciences.

Acupuncture is largely a safe treatment.  At Sun Hie you will be given disposable (one use only) needles for your treatment and there will be no risk of cross-infection ocurring between patients.  If you are using anti-coagulants (drugs that thin the blood) please inform the doctor before commencing treatment.  There are, further more, certain acupuncture points that should be avoided in pregnancy, although acupuncture in general is a very safe and effective treatment during pregnancy for both early morning cikeness and pain.

In the West acupuncture is primarily used for treating pain caused by musculoskeletal problems, although it may often be used to treat illness such as irritable bowel syndrome or asthma and has been effective in the treatment of headaches, migraine, dental pain and lower back pain.  Its use has also been evaluated in the treatment of nausea (early morning sickness, post-anaesthetic nausea and the nausea caused by powerful anti-cancer drugs).  There is evidence that acupuncture might help improve and accelerate recovery after a stroke and assist in the withdrawal period from drug addiction.