Veterans’ Multibed Acupuncture Clinic

ICOM Clinic is currently holding a fortnightly multi-bed acupuncture clinic dedicated to treating military veterans. The clinic will be operating two Saturdays per month for a period of 6 months, after which time the college hopes to receive funding to extend the care further.

The clinic is open to UK-based veterans seeking support for their physical and mental health.  Acupuncture has shown real promise in supporting conditions commonly experienced by those who have taken part in active service – such as chronic pain, depression and PTSD – improving quality of life and overall wellbeing. Acupuncture is now one of the treatments recommended by NICE for the treatment of Chronic Pain.

Many health issues ideally require a course of acupuncture treatments, but this can be prohibitively expensive, particularly during the cost-of-living crisis. The purpose of this clinic is to enable more patients to access affordable treatment on a regular basis. We want to ensure that veterans living with these conditions receive the care and respect they deserve. In this way ICOM fulfils its long-standing mission to make acupuncture treatment accessible to as many people in the community as possible.

Those interested can call clinic reception on 01342 313106.

The treatments will be provided by experienced acupuncturists who are fully insured and registered members of an acupuncture professional body. The treatments will take place in a multibed room, with a screen for privacy. There may be one other person receiving treatment at the same time. First appointments always take place in private for confidentiality.

Please note that the project is operating with a rota of acupuncturists so you may not be treated by the same practitioner when you return for subsequent appointments.

What can you expect during an appointment?

The appointments take place in the multibed room. There may be up to 4 beds in the room, separated by screens to allow for some privacy.

All appointments will take an hour.

First Appointment

The first appointment for new patients includes the taking of a case history in private. This allows the practitioner to gather all relevant details, and for the patient to share any information without being overheard. The actual needling will always take place in the the multibed room. The practitioner will stay with the patient for the duration of the first appointment.

Subsequent Appointments

Subsequent appointments take place in the multibed room. The practitioner will ask for a quick update on symptoms and will quickly move on to administering the treatment. The practitioner will leave the needles in place for around 20 minutes. During that time the practitioner may be checking on and treating other patients.

Most of the acupuncture points will be on the lower arms and legs, head and ears. For some conditions, points on the abdomen will also be used. Patients should wear loose clothing to minimise any need to undress.

Patients should be aware that, while screens allow for a measure of privacy, other people in the room will be able to overhear conversation, and absolute privacy cannot be guaranteed.

Research

Veterans will be invited to participate in optional anonymous surveys assessing aspects such as:
• Pain levels (pre- and post-treatment)
• PTSD symptom severity
• Sleep quality and emotional wellbeing

This data will contribute to ongoing research and may be used to support future funding applications or academic publications.

Participation in the research project is entirely voluntary and Veterans are welcome to come and benefit from the treatment in the clinic without taking part.

Please call 01342 313106 to book