My existing patients may know that it can be difficult to pre-book appointments with me as my diary does fill very quickly. Currently I am booked out for the next 4 weeks, hence I will be doing the occasional extra day to cover the waiting list. The next one being on Mon 30th Apr 1330-1830. Book now on 225 2012 to avoid disappointment! 
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Please check out my new section on the benefits of yoga which also has details of 2 absolutely incredible yoga teachers within Edinburgh!
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14 Mar 2011- Fertility
“I began acupuncture with Lena after trying to conceive naturally for over a year. I read an article in a magazine suggesting that acupuncture helped with conception and thought I would give it a go. I spoke to Lena and instantly felt at ease with her and was impressed by her friendly manner and knowledge of her subject matter.
During our sessions, my initial impressions of Lena proved to be true. I looked forward to our sessions and acupuncture had a positive affect on my overall health and state of mind. After attending the sessions for a couple of months, I felt I was able to handle stress better both with regard to trying for a baby and in other areas in my life.
In October, last year we were delighted to find out that I was pregnant. I am convinced that without Lenas help for the three months I attended her sessions, this may not have happened. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Lena.”
S.A., Edinburgh
19th October 2010- Fertility
After coming off The Pill, it took longer than I had hoped to get my cycle back on track which obviously provided quite a hurdle in terms of trying to get pregnant! Having been recommended Lena by a friend I thought I would give acupuncture a try. Despite previously been sceptical about alternative treatments, I was keen to embrace any chance there was to help the situation. Lena was utterly brilliant - we immediately clicked, which is important when you are discussing such intimate topics, and we had great fun at our meetings – I would look forward to our weekly sessions for the relaxation, the fun chat and the positive feeling that I would leave Mulberry House with afterwards. After only a few weeks I could see changes in my cycle and was very fortunate in falling pregnant soon after starting my sessions with Lena. I have continued to see her on a weekly basis in the first trimester and have been incredibly fortunate in feeling extremely well throughout, much of which I put down to these sessions. Lena was also incredibly committed in managing to fit me in for a last minute appointment when I had early pregnancy concerns. I would strongly recommend her to anyone – not least for the fun 45 minutes you can spend and that wonderful sleep on her table!
Anonymous, Edinburgh
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The British Fertility Society have published a report stating that there is no evidence that acupuncture aids fertility treatment.
I feel that it is only fair to discuss some of the points commented on this report. I feel that a major flaw is that acupuncture has been treated in the same way that a clinical trial on a drug is conducted. It is very difficult to construct a scientific trial of acupuncture’s effectiveness as an any study would try to eliminate as many variables as possible, but many of those “variables” are part of the holistic approach of Chinese Medicine.
It can be argued that acupuncture is proven for it’s benefits in relaxation and stress relief so surely a woman receiving this treatment will have a secondary enhancement of their chance of conceiving by means of emotional support.
For example, Researchers at the Center for Integrative Medicine, at the University of Maryland’s School of Medicine, conducted a meta-analysis of several research studies on the effects of acupuncture on IVF outcomes. The meta-analysis considered seven trials, which all together included 1,366 women. The relaxation response to acupuncture treatment was undisputed. Even in studies where acupuncture didn’t improve pregnancy rates, researchers noted that the patients were more relaxed and more optimistic after treatments.
This study also found that there does seem to be evidence that acupuncture performed on the day of embryo transfer may improve one’s chances of success.
I would also like to point out the fact that there has been no documented evidence that acupuncture has caused any harmful adverse effects for the treatment of any condition and I refute the claim that one must prove against this. In fact, the appealing aspect about this type of therapy is the complete absence of any side effects. It has always been known as a very safe treatment which has been practised for 1000′s of years!
There have been several more research studies carried out which are in favour of the acupuncture’s assistance in fertility issues which clearly shows evidence in favour of this treatment.
I would urge anyone looking into using acupuncture as a means to support them through conception to thoroughly read around the subject and to not solely accept the conclusion given by this one solitary press release.
In my practice, I have helped many women conceive whom have either had fertility issues; recurrent miscarriages or were undergoing the IVF process and my results show a high success rate. For more of an insight to how some of these patients have benefited, please see my testimonials page.
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In my opinion, very few complementary therapies treat depression as successfully as acupuncture. This is mainly down to the deep complexity of the condition and how the symptoms vary from individual to individual. I’ve encountered patients whose moods are so black, they cannot dress, eat or function. Others can have extreme OCD, insomnia, paranoia, anxiety attacks and mania. Often people can experience all these symptoms in some degree and at different times.
In conventional medicine, there are a variety of treatments on offer including medication; cognitive behavioural therapy, psychotherapy and counselling. Each of these choices have much merit and a combination of therapies can help an individual deal with the presenting condition and symptoms whilst addressing the deep underlying problem.
Acupuncture offers a truly holistic option as not only do the organ systems influence one’s health physically, it also has a huge effect on one’s emotions which is the reason that it is so sought after for conditions involving stress or addictions. In Chinese Medicine, each of the organ systems relates to particular emotions. For example, the Heart corresponds to feelings of joy and is partnered with the opposing feelings of anxiety and panic. Those people who find themselves overly maniacally joyful tend to fall into terrible nervousness and sensations of being in ‘flight or fight’. Similarly, the Liver is connected to growth and feeling free; it’s opposing side is excessive anger and frustration. This, as well as the Heart, is a common organ system where imbalance is common in those suffering from depression. Therefore, (in simple terms) the acupuncture prescriptions consist of points that will help to readdress these imbalances- whether there are excesses or deficiencies in these organ systems.
Other ‘substances’ are considered too. In very severe or long term cases, I have seen patients develop pronounced physical symptoms as a result of depression and it’s influence physiologically. In Chinese Medicine we would say that these symptoms are created from the generation of Wind, Heat and Phlegm.These terms would mean nothing to the layman but has great significance on diagnosis. Already mentioned is obsessive compulsive disorder, there are also migraines, insomnia, twitching of various parts of the body etc, and these are all associated with the production of these ‘pathogens’. Fortunately, these are all easily treatable with acupuncture and the adoption of certain lifestyle advice.
I have seen, first-hand, the benefits that this treatment can bring to someone who has been plagued with this debilitating illness. Alongside more conventional therapies, Chinese Medicine certainly has a lot to offer.
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I have 2 children and their entries into the world could not have been more different. My eldest son was born by emergency caesarean after a 23 hour labour and no pain relief (optional). My youngest son was delivered by my husband in a dreamlike water birth which was the happiest experience of my life.
Although c-sections may be the right choice for some women, I found the procedure and the recovery deeply traumatising emotionally and physically. In Chinese Medicine, the operation cuts right across the meridians that run through the belly, obstructing the smooth flow of qi and in the long term possibly having consequences in those organ systems.
Therefore, when I fell pregnant for the second time, I was determined to have a natural birth. I’m not sure why I hadn’t used acupuncture in my 1st labour. Possibly because it seemed like I was doing work but it now seemed the right direction to take. Apparently my 1st experience didn’t go according to plan as my son was a very big baby, weighing in at almost 9 pounds and he was also positioned back-to-back (OP). These 2 factors caused him not to properly engage but instead force him with each contraction into my bowel and causing excruciating and unimaginable pain.
Armed with this knowledge, I adopted other techniques that could help prepare me for childbirth. My wonderful pregnancy yoga teacher, Caitlin Heavey, recommended that I completely eliminate sugar from my diet during the last trimester. Anecdotally she found that these clients all had lighter babies compared to their 1st. I also never spent any time at all lying on my back. Instead I would be on all-fours, resting on a yoga ball whilst watching tv in the evening; face forward in the bath and lying in my side in bed. I adjusted my driving seat in the car and propped myself up with pillows so my knees where never below my hips. All of these changes reduced my chances of having another OP positioned baby.
On the run up to my due date, I did acupuncture everyday on myself for a fortnight and low-and-behold! Contractions started the morning of the estimated date. I popped in some short press-tack needles into a variety of acupuncture points that boosted energy; reduced pain; induced labour and points that helped hold the baby in the optimum position for childbirth. Because the needles were very short and held on with surgical tape, I could still have a very active birth.
14 hours later, Max arrived quietly into the world as a calm, contented baby, weighing over 1 pound lighter than my 1st. I had no stitches and was on my feet again in a mere few days.
These same acupuncture points could be easily used in acupressure massage that the partner or husband could do during labour. If you like to learn more about these, you are welcome to contact me and book a session.
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A friend who is a gp said to me the other day that although she did believe in acupuncture, she couldn’t get her head around how it could possibly work. She also commented that the people I see should be described as ‘clients’ rather than ‘patients’. Clearly she wanted to strongly differentiate her own profession from my own. Surely being a healthcare practitioner would mean that the people I see can be termed as patients or does the treatment I deliver sit lower down in the pecking order? There was an obvious lack of respect of the merits of acupuncture purely based on her unfamiliarity of the Chinese Medicine system.
Having trained in Chemistry initially, I can unequivocally assure anyone that acupuncture has an extremely scientific basis. Just because the language used to describe organ systems is ancient and not what is used in conventional medicine, does not mean it holds any less truth or value.
Acupuncture is effective on children and animals so how can anyone possibly argue that this is due to any placebo? Those of you who have seen that BBC documentary that showed up brain activity on an MRI device on manipulation of an acupuncture point should be confident that there is indeed an effect on the central nervous system. How about the footage of the open heart surgery where acupuncture was used as the only anaesthetic? Here there was the advantages of: eliminating all the dangers of a conventional general anaesthetic; the patient recovery was reduced and it was much cheaper.
Do doctors really understand the complex chemical pathways that each prescribed drug has on the body? Is it so important to understand these processed down to the electron level to be satisfied that a medicine will work? Surely it’s more important to treat the person as a whole rather than to palm off some general type of drug hoping that it’ll elicit the desired effect?
I simply hope that I’ve given you something to think about and ask that you keep an open mind. Chinese medicine is steeped in thousands of years of observation and practice whereas conventional medicine has only been around for a couple of hundred. I am certainly not saying that we should choose one type of treatment completely in favour of another- why not combine both? Is my gp friend so arrogant to presume that western medicine holds all the answers?
In fact in China, where there a lot of technological advancements in science and medicine, the doctors still continue to couple both conventional medicine with Chinese medicine as patients have far better rates of recovery. There are even whole departments dedicated to massage and Qi Gong so that a patient may continue to maintain the state of their health when it’s improved.
I can’t help but feel that the Western world could learn a lot from my kinsmen- please keep an open mind.
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It seems to me that more and more of my patients and friends are complaining about the almost debilitating effects of hayfever which hits them as early as April and can persist throughout the whole summer.
In my practice, I have never had a problem treating this condition and these patients are amazed that they have suffered all their lives, taking ineffective antihistamines and steriods. Often with these drugs, people report that although, for example, their sneezing has improved, their itchy eyes still persist. In fact, I once had a woman in her 50s whom had been a hay fever sufferer since childhood. Within a few regular sessions, she was delighted to be able to sit in the garden with all her flowers in bloom- something that would have given her a raging sore throat and red eyes in the past!
All symptoms of hay fever can effectively be treated with acupuncture and a number of other lifestyle changes. In Chinese Medicine, it is primarily due to ‘Wind-Heat invasion” with some ‘Kidney deficiency’ and some ‘Damp’.
As a ‘Hot’ condition, then is is logical to eliminate heating food and drink from one’s diet, i.e. alcohol, excess sugar, fried/barbequed foods.
It is then also logical to incorporate “cooling” food and drink during the season, like water melon, cucumber, camomile tea and even more effective- crysanthemum tea (available at Pat’s Chung Ying supermarket on Leith Walk and costs 90p). Simply add a handful of dried crysanthemum flowers to a cafetiere, add hot water, allow to brew for a few minutes and drink the fluid. It can be consumed hot or cold so by pouring it into a bottle, it can be handily taken to work and drunk throughout the day instead of your usual water.
So with a little acupuncture, a few dietary changes and a nice cup of tea, you will find that you can also enjoy some of this beautiful British summer- no matter how short it is!
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Lena Fong is an experienced acupuncturist who uses the traditional treatment of acupuncture to treat conditions of modern times.
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