Olympic swimmer Rebecca Adlington getting acupuncture
We’re famously a nation who don’t like to make a fuss, but the ‘grin and bear it’ attitude of many Brits could be harmful for their health, according to a new report released to mark Acupuncture Awareness Week.
The report released by the British Acupuncture Council has revealed that while almost three in ten Brits exercise more now than they did ten years ago, more than half (52%) have been injured during sport in the past, with one in three never recovering from their injuries.
To overcome a sporting injury, almost three in five people (56%) say they take oral painkillers, and nearly a third (32%) turn to ice/heat packs, compared to just 11% who opt for traditional acupuncture.
Based on ancient principles which go back nearly two thousand years, traditional acupuncture involves placing extremely fine, sterile needles painlessly at specific points on the body to trigger a healing response and restore balance.
Despite the benefits acupuncture can offer, the report revealed a lack of knowledge around the therapy, with three in ten Brits admitting they are unaware of how traditional acupuncture can help them and more than a fifth (21%) say they are too scared to try acupuncture because of the needles.
To kick start the awareness week (7th – 13th March), acupuncturist Andrew Jackson talks about the procedure and how we could benefit from the therapy in this short video alongside Olympic swimmer Rebecca Adlington, who is currently undergoing acupuncture to overcome her pain and injuries.
