Acupuncture - Dr Max Forrester
Acupuncture has developed over the last 5000 years or so to become an important therapy for many medical conditions. Some of these conditions are not treated adequately by conventional medicine but respond well to acupuncture.
Acupuncture involves the insertion of fine needles through the skin to stimulate mainly muscle, which in turn stimulates the nervous system and the brain. The nervous system regulates the whole body and so can influence many organs to promote healing.
Acupuncture is effective in a wide range of painful conditions and is commonly used to treat musculoskeletal pain; for example - back, shoulder, neck and leg pain. It has been successfully used to treat headaches, migraines, trapped nerves, chronic muscle strains and various kinds of rheumatic and arthritic pain. Some other situations in which acupuncture might be used are:
- Functional bowel or bladder problems such as IBS or irritable bladder, and even mild forms of urinary incontinence.
- Menstrual and menopausal symptoms.
- Allergies such as hay fever, perennial allergic rhinitis, and some types of allergic rashes such as urticaria or prickly heat.
- Some other skin problems such as discrete rashes and ulcers, pruritus (itching), some forms of dermatitis, and some cases of excessive sweating.
- Sinus problems and chronic catarrh.
- Dry mouth and eyes.
- Stopping smoking.
- Nausea and vomiting in pregnancy.
Dr Max Forrester qualified as a Doctor in 1982 from Bristol University Medical School. He trained as a GP and during that time became interested in acupuncture. In 1994 he started training with the British Medical Acupuncture Society (BMAS) and in 2002 attained the Diploma in Medical Acupuncture (Dip Med Ac). He now works as an Associate Specialist Physician for the Orthopaedic Department in Taunton. In 1996 he set up and supplied acupuncture services to the Somerset Spinal Surgery Service. He teaches on BMAS Foundation Courses and BMAS Special Topic days. He also is an examiner for the Society. He is a Peer Reviewer for “Acupuncture in Medicine” (AIM), the journal of the BMAS. He is currently the Honorary Treasurer of the BMAS.
He has a special interest in back pain and electroacupuncture. He has written on the subject in 2003: Low back pain in pregnancy, AIM, Volume 21 (2003), Issue 1, Pages 36-41. He also published a case report on Grey Turner’s Sign (Grey Turner Revisited) in the European Journal of Internal Medicine (2001), and a letter to the Editor, Acupuncture for Intractable Hiccups Acupuncture in Medicine (2003).
The British Medical Acupuncture Society is a nationwide group of family doctors and hospital specialists who practise acupuncture alongside more conventional techniques.