Trypanophobia, otherwise known as a fear of needles and injections, is said to affect up to 10 per cent of the population. So what do you do when the only way to relieve your pain is through acupuncture, but needles scare you to death?
Katie Goodwin, 31, was faced with this dilemma. In fact she thought she’d have to live with her lower back pain until she eventually faced up to her biggest fear with Arif’s help.
After experiencing severe lower back pain and taking prescribed painkillers every four hour for a month that were not helping, Katie made an appointment to see Arif.
From the initial consultation, which involved an examination and x-rays, taken in the clinic’s on site radiography department, it was clear why Katie was continuing to experience a lot of pain. From his examination Arif could see that the lower back pain was being caused by her right hip. The X-rays revealed there was a loss of joint cartilage in her right hip.
Arif told Katie that the recommended treatment was medical acupuncture and manipulation. Medical acupuncture is a widely-used complementary medical practice that uses needles, inserted into specific trigger points on the body, to ease muscle tension, stimulate the release of endorphins – the body’s own natural pain killer – which alleviates pain, reduce inflammation and encourage healing.
Katie’s initial reaction was one of abject horror at the sheer thought of having needles put into her skin. However, over several weeks with support from Arif, Katie overcame her long-term phobia of needles.
You can read how Arif helped Katie overcome her phobia by clicking the link below to read the full article that featured in The Echo.
As a an award winning Chiropractic Clinic near Leigh on Sea, we actively encourage our patients to reap the health benefits of walking in this beautiful area. One of the routes we personally recommend exploring is the Thames Estuary Path which runs through the amazing South Essex Marshes, from Tilbury Town to Leigh on Sea. This flat, low-lying landscape which is dominated by creeks, marshes and mudflats makes for a fascinating stroll for all the family to enjoy. The view of the landscape is simply beautiful; abundant with biodiversity and history with lots of interesting attractions along the way.