About Stevenage Chiropractic & Wellness Clinic

Acupuncture works to help maintain your body’s equilibrium. It involves the insertion of very fine needles into specific points on the body to regulate the flow of ‘qi’ (pronounced Chi)’, your body’s vital energy. For a number of lifestyle and environmental reasons, qi can become disturbed, depleted or blocked, which can result in some symptoms of pain and illness. In certain instances, traditional acupuncture can be an effective therapy to help restore balance and promote physical and emotional harmony.
Treatment is aimed at the root of your condition as well as your main symptoms. This approach helps with resolving your problem whilst also enhancing your feeling of wellbeing. You may notice other niggling problems resolve as your main health complaint improves.

Members of the British Acupuncture Council (BAcC) practise acupuncture based on Chinese medicine principles that have been developed, researched and refined for over 2,000 years.
The BAcC currently registers over 3,000 qualified practitioners.

Who has acupuncture?
Many people come to acupuncture for help with specific conditions or symptoms or to relieve particular pains like osteoarthritis of the knee. Some use acupuncture because they feel generally unwell but have no obvious diagnosis. Others choose acupuncture to reduce stress or simply to enhance their feeling of wellbeing. Acupuncture is considered suitable for all ages including babies and children. It can be used effectively alongside conventional medicine.

What can it do for me?
Because traditional acupuncture is a holistic discipline, it can be effective for a wide range of conditions and won’t just treat symptoms in isolation. Treatment can also be used as a preventative measure or simply to help maintain good health. Remember that acupuncturists treat the whole person, not just the condition which they have, so each patient’s treatment plan will be different. However, you can always ask your practitioner about other patients’ experiences, to give you an idea of what to expect. Many people return to acupuncture again and again because they find it so beneficial and relaxing.

In 2009 the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommended that acupuncture should be made available on the NHS, as a cost-effective short-term treatment for the management of early, persistent non-specific lower back pain. The World Health Organisation (WHO) identified 41 diseases that have been helped by acupuncture. Research and development of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine is ongoing and developing in the UK and many other countries.

You can get more information on current scientific research into the effectiveness of acupuncture by visiting www.acupuncture.org.uk or by speaking to a BAcC registered acupuncturist.

What is Oriental Medicine?
The term Oriental medicine refers to the healing traditions of Asia. These medical systems have evolved over centuries of practice and due to encounters with other cultures. In the West today, Oriental medicine comes under the umbrella of complementary or alternative medicine, although in Asia they are often practiced alongside biomedicine. What distinguishes Oriental medicine is that it is based on large bodies of traditional knowledge and are influenced by religious philosophies such as Buddhism, Hinduism or Taoism.

Although they are distinct and complete systems, they share similar principles and practices. Oriental medicine is based on various ancient theoretical frameworks; such as Yin-Yang, the Five Elements, the meridian systems or the bodily humours. They consider illness to be a combination of physical, emotional and environmental factors.
What is Chinese Herbal Medicine?

Chinese Herbal Medicine is part of TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) and is one of the world’s great herbal systems going back thousands of years. Chinese Herbs can be used in conjunction with acupuncture, acupressure, tuina and other therapies or on its own. It is continually being developed and researched in response to different clinical and cultural conditions. There is a vast wealth of research, knowledge and experience of Chinese herbs, and for those interested in herbology the system of Chinese herbal medicine makes for a fascinating study.
In China and other parts of south and north east Asia, such as Vietnam, Japan, Korea, Thailand and Indonesia herbal medicine still plays a major role in the healthcare system. The herbs consist of leaves, flowers, roots, seeds, bark, etc which are combined in formulas. They are available in different formats, as a combination of loose herbs that are boiled and made into teas, or as concentrated powders, pills, capsules, tinctures and ointments that can be used externally. They can be prescribed as patent remedies, which are standardised formulas that have been used for many generations, or they can be specifically designed or adapted for the individual.

My training, work experience and any achievement

I first became interested in complementary therapy in the late 1970s. I came to acupuncture and Chinese medicine in the early 1980s, partly due to my interest in medicine and an interest in Eastern philosophy and new age philosophies. In the mid 80s I travelled extensively throughout India, the Far East and Australia where I was able to see and experience Oriental medicine first hand.

On returning from my travels, I completed a number of courses in massage, ayurvedic medicine, reflexology, herbalism, nutrition and diet and became increasingly drawn to Oriental medicine in particular. I decided to train to be a professional acupuncturist and I underwent a three year training course at the London School of Acupuncture and traditional Chinese Medicine (LSATCM) which later became part of Westminster University.
After qualifying in acupuncture in 1991, I went on to study Chinese/Oriental Herbal Medicine at the London Academy of Oriental Medicine. After two and a half years of study I became a qualified Chinese herbalist.

I am a member of the Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine (ATCM) which is one of the main professional organisations that oversee the practice of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine in the UK. They set the educational standards and code of ethics and conduct that member practitioners must abide by.

I have practices in Stevenage and Baldock in Hertfordshire. I also practice in North Finchley and East Barnet in North London. I have over twenty years experience of general practice in which I have successfully treated a wide range of conditions using acupuncture and Herbal medicine including headaches, migraines , gynaecological conditions such as PMT, dysmenorrhoea, and infertility as well as skin diseases such as eczema and psoriasis.
For many years I specialised in the treatment of drug and alcohol addiction. I have undergone training in drug and alcohol misuse at Thames Valley University and have worked for several major treatment centres in London and Hertfordshire. I was for many years the Complementary Therapy Co-Coordinator at Chrysalis Drug Project in Hertford. I am the resident practitioner at Resolve Drug and Alcohol Centre in Welwyn Garden City.

Further Information

New Leaf Addiction management Treatment Services is a service founded by Jethro Rowland and Sarah Tahir. We provide private, confidential,discreet one to one support advice and treatment for people living with all kinds of addictive behaviour. We are harm reduction based, non-judgemental and non-religious. Our ethos is to help people help themselves. We do not use group therapy, we do not require people to be totally abstinent from alcohol or drugs. We work with the client to help them gain a deeper understanding their addictive behaviour. We use key working, counselling, psychotherapy, health advice, complementary therapies and a range of different techniques to help people help themselves.

New Leaf AMTS is suitable for people who may not be ready or wish to enter intensive recovery programmes such as rehabs or 12 steps programmes. People who do not wish to engage in group therapy and require total privacy and discretion, or those who think they may have a problem with addiction, be it alcohol, drugs, food, love, the internet, tobacco etc. and would like to explore ways of minimising harm. If you can relate to any of this, and would like more information, Jethro and Sarah would be happy to talk to you.