blogposts | Alison Arden Acupuncture

What is sciatica and how to manage it

May 27, 2019 Alison Ardenblogposts

Sciatica is a painful condition that I see quite a lot in clinic. Sciatica is the pain or numbness experienced when the sciatic nerve that runs through your buttocks to your feet is irritated. So what causes it? There are […]

Resist Sweet Cravings with Acupuncture!

February 2, 2019May 27, 2019 Alison Ardenblogposts

Do you find yourself reaching for yet another bar of chocolate – you’re not even hungry but you crave the sweet, irresistible flavour! You’ve been trying so hard to cut back, you know it’s not a good idea, but for […]

Top 5 Tips For Avoiding Insanity During The Menopause!

January 17, 2019May 27, 2019 Alison Ardenblogposts, Uncategorized

1. Put yourself first – you’re no good to your spouse, your kids, ageing parents, pets, work colleagues etc if you’re frazzled! Get some ‘me’ time written in the diary and pamper yourself! You know what makes you feel good […]

Helping Menopausal Symptoms with Diet

January 6, 2019May 27, 2019 Alison Ardenblogposts

During menopause, oestrogen levels in the body decrease, bringing on potential unpleasant symptoms such as hot flushes, headaches, irritability, poor memory and insomnia. There is decreased calcium absorption in the first stages of menopause. So the aim with diet is […]

Pregnancy nausea – top tips to help!

August 22, 2018May 27, 2019 Alison Ardenblogposts, Uncategorized

Suffering with pregnancy nausea? Know anyone suffering? Here are some top tips to help! Eat smaller meals – little and often. Try anything with ginger in it. Not all might suit you but one thing should. One of my clients […]

Nutrition to help improve fertility

February 17, 2018February 18, 2018 Alison Ardenblogposts

A lot of my clients ask me about dietary changes they can make to help improve their chances of getting pregnant. Now whilst I have plenty of pregnancy books and can advise on foods that will help improve a Chinese […]

Improving Your Fertility

January 22, 2018February 18, 2018 Alison Ardenblogposts

Acupuncture takes an holistic approach to treating infertility or boosting your chances of becoming pregnant. In Chinese Medicine, the body, mind and spirit are very much interlinked and treated as one. Trying to conceive can be a very emotional time, […]

Bronze Award Winner at the Kent Health and Beauty Awards 2017

July 11, 2017July 11, 2017 Alison Ardenblogposts

I am pleased to announce that I won a Bronze award at this years Kent Health and Beauty Awards. We had a fantastic evening at this black tie event! I was thrilled to be nominated by one of my regular clients.

Health and Wellbeing – Live Event 22-23rd September 2017

March 21, 2017March 22, 2017 vascqblogposts

In September you can find me at the first dedicated Health and Wellbeing event of it’s size in Kent. In the next few months you will be able to online book a mini facial acupuncture and massage session with me […]

New Venue!

March 21, 2017April 15, 2017 vascqblogposts

I am pleased to announce that I will be joining the team at Aquavie in Tonbridge as their sole acupuncturist. Aquavie is an award winning spa (five years running) that have a team made up of skin care experts, healers, […]

Theo

Ali is knowledgeable, professional yet friendly and puts you at ease straight away. Having suffered with hormonal imbalances all of my adult life she has helped me to not only regulate my cycle but also understand how some of my behaviours are fuelled by an imbalance in an organ or a hormone! I am always also pleased to hear that she is continually looking to learn more and new techniques to help her clients, I cannot recommend her highly enough and will use her forever more! Thank you!

Katie

I first started seeing Alison in the summer of 2017. I was struggling with pain in my neck and shoulder and after trying various therapies I decided to give acupuncture a go. Alison immediately made me feel very at ease and took the time to really listen to me and understand my pains and frustrations. As we spoke I detailed other things causing me issues that I hadn't expected acupuncture would be able to help with... and how wrong I was!! I began to see a huge improvement in my well-being after only a few sessions. Each time I see Alison, we review how I am feeling and how my body is responding to the treatment and Alison will talk me through the treatment plan for that session and the benefits the different needle points will bring. I still see Alison on a regular basis to keep feeling refreshed and as good as I do now. I honestly cannot recommend Alison enough for being so welcoming, caring and professional and for making me feel human again.

Claire C

Alison has the perfect balance of being both warm and friendly as well as professional and a brilliant acupuncturist. She takes the time to understand your issues and suggests treatment plans that are tailored session-by-session depending on how you have been progressing and are feeling at the time. Alison has worked with me to help treat and manage everything from migraines to chronic sinusitis to plantar fasciitis; some of the things I wasn't even aware were possible to treat with acupuncture, which has been a real eye-opener. I really like how Alison explains what each needle she uses is for and why she's chosen to use the specific acupuncture point, as it helps you understand your treatment more fully. She's also very committed to expanding her knowledge too, which I think is very important in a therapist. I can't recommend her enough!

Lizzie A

I have been having acupuncture with Alison on and off for the last year for a range of different health issues and it is always an extremely positive experience. She is skilled, knowledgeable and thorough. I always leave feeling so relaxed and it has made a massive difference both mentally and physically. Can’t recommend highly enough.

Kate

Alison was recommended to me for treatment of plantar fasciitis. I found her to be very approachable, she explained the approach she planned on taking and what I might hope to get from the treatment. After taking a comprehensive medical history, Ali proceeded onto the treatment, explaining exactly what she was doing as she was going along. I found the treatment very relaxing. I left the first appointment feeling very good. Having had another session with Ali I feel we are heading down the route for resolution of my heel pain. I found Ali to be an honest, knowledgeable and gentle practitioner, an acupuncturist that I would certainly recommend to others.

Claire

I referred my very skeptical father to Alison and he has been in for two treatments for a ‘non essential tremor’.
Despite telling me that I am a nagging daughter (like my nagging Mother) he has now fully admitted that after two treatments he can see such an improvement he has postponed the appointment he made with the London Consultant and hopefully he will see an improvement in his handicap very soon!
There are going to be plenty of recommendations coming directly from him I am sure as he and my Mum are both totally amazed by the results already.
Thank you so much it’s the start of him actually agreeing to listen to his daughter a bit more.

Tracy

After a year trying to manage chronic back pain I booked my first ever session of acupuncture with Alison , I can’t explain how blown away I am by the whole procedure with such a knowledgeable experienced and professional lady.
I didn’t realise how many ailments could be treated altogether and my first night in more than 5/6 months that I didn’t wake with hip pain on one side so much so I couldn’t sleep out of excitement!
There are so many things we put up with and suffer when there is a cure and help that really works and is proven. Life changing for people like me who struggle with tiresome pain.
This is the best thing I have decided to do in very long time thank you so much Alison.

Catherine

Alison was recommended to me when I was making enquiries about acupuncture treatment related to fertility. My partner and I found Alison's consultation very informative and helpful. The information pack she gave us after the consultation was excellent. It's a very professional set of information which is easy to read and understand. There was a lot of information to take in during our consultation and having the info pack gave us time to read it at our leisure afterwards. I've had acupuncture before for other reasons but my partner hadn't had it before. Alison explained the process very well and reassured my partner's concerns. Alison is both professional and personable. We are hopeful that with her help, we will be able to conceive. My partner and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend seeing Alison.

Graham

After starting to suffer with Tennis Elbow in both arms that meant that I was hardly able to lift anything and daily computer use was starting to become impossible, I was given the option by my GP of having steroid injections in order to reduce the inflammation and symptoms with no guarantee of it working. I spoke to Alison and although she was quick to remind me that acupuncture can take time to alleviate symptoms like any other treatment I booked in to see her, rather than go through the pain of steroid injections. Strange you may think given they're both needles! It turns out that acupuncture treatment is nothing like having an injection and in most cases you don't feel the needle go in!

Even after the first treatment my elbows started feeling better and after another two the symptoms have all but disappeared. As a bonus seeing Alison helped reduce my stress levels enormously. Subsequently I have hurt my back on two occasions and in both cases Alison has managed to greatly alleviate the problem within hours of seeing her.

I can't recommend Alison enough and would suggest anyone living with pain or discomfort as part of their daily life should go see Alison and see if she can help. Thank you Alison for keeping my broken body going.

Colin

Alison was recommended to me because I had a painful heel that was very uncomfortable when my ankle moved beyond 90 degrees. Walking up slopes was a particular problem when having to put my weight forward onto the front of my foot. When I met Alison at her clinic her manner was very professional and very reassuring. Alison asked me a range of health related questions then did an interesting inspection checking several pulses in my arm. She told me what she had found and we also discussed scar tissue that was a result of heart surgery and was a minor irritant. I also had some stiffness in my forearms. Alison then started a course of acupuncture treatments to help with all of the above. Within 2-3 treatments, the pain in my heel had completely cleared up, my forearms had eased and much to my surprise the scar tissue had faded a bit. She also treated me for stress and stomach problems. After each treatment I felt very relaxed and after one of them felt quite emotional as a result of feeling so much better. I'm not great with needles but the benefits far outweighed my fear. Several months on my heel is still completely pain free. I would have no hesitation in recommending Alison for anything health related, she will always give an honest review and set realistic expectations. A true professional.

Helen

I came to see Alison after consecutive miscarriages hoping to relieve stress and anxiety and improve my chances of a successful pregnancy. My sessions with Alison were hugely beneficial. Not only did I feel more relaxed and positive, i am now entering my third trimester. Once I fell pregnant again, my sessions with Alison were the only thing that alleviated severe morning sickness and pregnancy related headaches!
Thank you Alison for your expertise and support!
Helen

Tracey

As a homeopath I am a great believer in complementary medicine and even though Acupuncture works very well alongside homeopathy (especially for fertility issues) and I regularly recommend acupuncture, I myself have never had any treatment.

So, I decided it was time to put this right and to see exactly what happens during a consultation and whether it really was true that the needles didn’t hurt. I should add that I am not a fan of needles big or small.

Alison soon put me at ease with her calm approach and explained the process and how acupuncture works. She took a medical history, felt my pulse and looked at my tongue and asked what she could help me with.

Alison then carefully inserted the needles at various points in my body and encouraged me to relax. I think I only required two needles. I was extremely surprised that I hardly felt the small needles go in and once they were in position I could not feel them at all.

The time that I had the needles inserted was approximately 20 minutes and during this time I began to relax, especially as I was lying down. A few hours after the treatment, the pain in my hip felt began to better and I felt energized.

I will have absolutely no hesitation in recommending Alison to my patients and in particular to those who are trying to conceive especially as I believe acupuncture and homeopathy work very well together.

Thank you Alison for allaying my fears about those little acupuncture needles.

John

I first visited Alison to treat extreme lower back pain and sciatica in both legs. She was very easy to talk to and took the time to listen. Having not slept for a few nights prior to my visit through pain, and unable to sit for any length of time I was at best hoping for a slight improvement.

I left the session feeling amazing - a majority of the pain was gone, I was able to sit without discomfort and able to sleep again. There were a few niggles but I have been visiting Alison weekly and these are dissappearing one by one too.

Having suffered severe back pain for some 15 years and tried many approaches when things get back - I cannot recommend Alison highly enough. She is amazing!

Lynn

Just had first acupuncture session and definitely going back! Alison makes you feel so nice and relaxed and goes through any queries and concerns you have before tailoring the treatment to suit your needs. Looking forward to the next session!

Louisa

Alison's rejuvenating anti-aging facials are incredible. My skin feels totally on point afterwards with visible results. We did the before and after photo's ( always looks odd taking a photo of your face SO close up!) but we could both see the difference, very impressed. Thanks Alison- I highly recommend her to you xxx

Jessica

I cannot recommend Alison enough. After struggling for 6 years with awful lower back pain and sciatica after one session something had really worked and I am almost pain free for the first time in years! I cannot tell you what this has done for me, and I cannot thank you enough Alison!

Rosie

After a few relaxing sessions with Alison my sleeping, although not perfect, has definitely improved.. I'm continuing with the treatment as feel confident that it will improve further..
Her manner is confident and professional and I feel secure in her knowledge of acupuncture.
I would recommend her