Christmas In South London, Friday, November 18, 2011 31 tnot from your tree


scared by needles and also rather sceptical. Maureen assures me it’snot going to hurt. “It’s


likeplucking your eyebrows, it’saprick and then it’sgone,”she said. She then asks me aseries of questions about my health, checks the colour and condition of my tongue, and feels pulses on my wrists which relate to different parts of my body. On anygiven day, Cromeytreats a“rich mix-


ture” of patients at her twoclinics, ranging from men with severe stress and anxiety problems, back pain or hayfever,towomen with period problems, migraines or menopausal symptoms. “I see pregnant ladies needing the babyturned,


awidowstill grieving and suffering from arthritis since the sudden death of her husbandeight years ago, and women recovering from breast cancer,” she added. “Theyare civil servants, artists, film- makers, teachers, school kids, parents,OAPs, doctors, midwives, entrepreneurs.” Acupuncture can even be used as an alternative


to botox: “Wedofacial treatments just to brighten up the skin, it picks up the muscles.” One of the most common reasons women seek acupuncture is to treat fertility problems. Celebri- ties Celine Dion, Helena-Bonham Carter,and Mariah Careyreportedlyused acupuncture to help them conceive. Daniel Elliot, director of the London Acupunc-


ture Clinic, sees more than 200 couples trying to conceive each week. According to him, acupuncture is currentlythe


most common treatment alongside IVF. “Gynaecological problems are often compli-


cated and complementarytherapists often have the time to takeafar more detailed look at the sit- uation than awesternconsultant,” he said. As Ilie on the table, with the needles pointing up, there’sawarmsensation in my ear,where a


needle is placed at apoint related to the adrenal glands. It feels likeheat is flowing from my skin, up the needle. Ifeel calm and see vivid colours floating beneath my eyelids, which Cromeysaysisall part of the process of unblocking my qi. The following dayI’m tired,but relaxed and generallymore at ease with the world. Ifinally see the point of acupuncture–bring on those needles!


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