The other night, just before going to bed I managed to hurt my left thumb. Sounds like an innocuous injury but it was, in fact, very painful and I was finding it difficult to carry out simply tasks.

I mentioned this to Crispin Gordon who has been treating me with acupuncture for a very long term and chronic condition. As Crispin mentioned in his Q&A on acupucture for Parenting Without Tears, chronic conditions take a lot longer to heal, but acute conditons – those which have just started – respond much more quickly.

AcupunctureCrispin examined both my hands and and felt a marked temperature increase around my injured thumb. He then set to work with his needles. Crispin is very gentle and always checks your response – the needle should provoke a dull ache not a prick. He inserted a series of needles into my hand, leaving them there for 20 minutes.

People always ask if acupuncture hurts. My experience is that it doesn't hurt but sometimes can be a little uncomfortable. While I was relaxing with the needles in my hand I did feel a curious pain or sensation in the middle of the back of my hand. I don't usually look at where the needles are, but did this time and saw that the sensation was in between two needles, not at an insertion point. Crispin explained that the two points were "communicating".

AcupunctureAfterwards my thumb felt much better and this continued so that by the next morning I only had a slight twinge.

I would thoroughly recommend acupucture as a holistic treatment. As a practitioner, Crispin Gordon is gentle, compassionate and considerate. I would have no hesitation in recommending him – and if you can't stand needles he is also trained and experienced in shiatsu massage.

PWT rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

Crispin Gordon practises in west, north-west and south-west London for more information or to make an appointment visit his website or call 07930 172592.