Andy Green

Itchy eyes, a runny nose and frequent sneezing are just a few of the miseries that will afflict hay fever sufferers over the summer months. The UK has one of highest prevalence rates for hay fever in the world. As pollen levels soar, the number of UK sufferers could reach over 15 million: that's 20-25% of the UK population, making the spring and summer seasons a miserable time for many.

Read more on Ease the Sneeze – Acupuncture for Hay Fever (Allergic Rhinitis)…

A recent review of 22 trials that investigated whether acupuncture is effective for the prevention of migraine attacks revealed that patients who received acupuncture had fewer headaches than those given basic care.

When acupuncture was compared to proven drug treatment, patients receiving acupuncture tended to report more improvement and fewer side effects. Overall, migraine patients benefited from acupuncture, and it was at least as effective as, or possibly more effective than, drug treatment, with fewer adverse effects.

John Freeman

Sometimes when we want something really badly our whole system goes haywire. The more we want it, the more out of reach it seems to get. The focus that would ensure our success actually looks in the opposite direction; all of our attention goes to what we DON’T want. The harder we try the more stressed we become. The more important a goal is to us the more elusive it gets.

Stress, frustration, struggle and worry are all factors that stand like a fortress between us and our goals.

In May 2009, The Times reported that "using acupuncture to treat chronic back pain is more effective than standard treatments alone, a leading scientific study has found." The study suggests that acupuncture "produced a substantial improvement in symptoms and the ability of patients to cope with their condition at eight weeks. By contrast, patients on standard care were only slightly better. The beneficial effects lasted for a year".