The Tinnitus was in the form of loud intermittent rattles. Sometimes they were only a minute or two apart and they went on night and day. I was treated by doctors and ear, nose and throat specialists who gave me tranquilizers and sleeping pills and I twice had grommets put in my ears at yearly intervals.

I finally read of a woman of 85 who had been cured by acupuncture, so I started treatment in 1995 with Allan Johnstone - I can only say with belief and gratitude that I am now cured and have been for many months and am confident that any other brief problems could be speedily seen off by his efficient and rewarding treatment which has also had good effect on an arthritic knee and my general health and well-being.

A.M
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Rather more than twelve months ago, I was diagnosed as having Trigeminal Neuralgia, a very painful complaint affecting my lower jaw. After a number of visits to my doctor, it became apparent that there was no proper treatment for this, being offered only anticonvulsant medicines used in the treatment of epilepsy. Not being happy about the side affects, I cast around for other treatments and was advised to contact Allan.

When I first saw Allan he told me that treatment was possible, but could take some time, as the condition was known to be very difficult to treat. Having no knowledge of acupuncture, I was unsure what to expect. Would, for example, the treatment, be more painful than complaint? How could it possibly work? Such thoughts ran in my mind.

Some way down the road, certain things have become apparent. The condition is difficult to treat, but acupuncture does work and improvement is steady. Acupuncture, in Allan's hands is not painful, or to be feared. Allan runs a thoroughly professional clinic, a 10am appointment, means that treatment starts within a minute of two of that time, and when I leave, I know that I shall be better for the visit.

PPR

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The reason I decided to try acupuncture was really in desperation. For at least five months I had been feeling so tired and I got to the stage that I could not drag myself through the morning without a lay down for an hour. My life was of such a poor quality that I was convinced I was an ill person and requested my GP to do extensive tests to try to find out my problem. These he gladly did but found nothing abnormal whatsoever. He suggested it was mental and that made me feel even worse, I just wanted to cry but I did not have the energy for that.

At that time my husband was having acupuncture with Allan Johnstone to ease a painful shoulder and a friend begged me to speak to Allan to ask if he thought he could help me. Even after the first consultation and treatment I felt optimistic as he did not find my symptoms alarming or out of the ordinary and much to my relief did not suggest it was all in my mind !! We discussed my diet and many other aspects of my life and I then started having regular acupuncture. I'm happy to say I now feel well most of the time, with a few poor days or patches and these I can now attribute to either rushing around for a week or doing too much.

I find the acupuncture sessions both pleasant and interesting. Very seldom do I feel pain or discomfort from the fine needles used but I must be honest and say very occasionally a spot may hurt but then it is often followed by a really soothing sensation and my whole body seems heavy and relaxed, I find that quite amazing as the acupuncture needles hardly enter the flesh. Sometimes after a session I feel tired but having acupuncture has changed my life.

Oh yes my husband's painful shoulder cleared up and he now has a top up session of acupuncture every few months, he looks and feels really well.

So we can say that now acupuncture is part of our lives and I certainly know that for me it - Holds me together.

BR

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Increasing age can bring a number of minor, but painful or annoying health problems. I have found that most can be cured, or at least eased by acupuncture.

My musculoskeletal problems respond particularly well whilst avoiding the side effects caused by drug therapy. The other great advantage is that the stimulation of chi has a general tonic effect giving a feeling of well-being and increased vitality.

Acupuncture is a therapy I can highly recommend.

PJ

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I have been suffering from Arthritis in my knee and hip for some time and injections were no longer having much effect. I had been on hospital waiting lists for some time.

A friend mentioned she had been having acupuncture for a similar condition and wondered if I might find it beneficial. I checked a local Alternative Medicine Centre and arranged an appointment with Allan Johnstone whom I found to be a very understanding and caring person.

I have been having treatment for some time now, and I can honestly say it was the best thing I could have done. Apart from the benefit to my joints it has benefited me to be able to cope with the stress of my Husband having another stroke, which took away his memory and most of his speech, which has made life very difficult. The Acupuncture has dealt with the lack of sleep and frustration caused by us being unable to communicate. The effect is instant and whilst friends cringe at the thought of needles, you really do not feel a thing, all is done in very calming atmosphere. The treatment covers all manner of ailments etc. and I would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone.

If you haven't tried it, don't knock it.

ES.

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I started having acupuncture nearly 8 years ago with Allan Johnstone. I was suffering from severe lower back and neck pain, was in the throes of the menopause and was severely traumatized by my sister's diagnosis of terminal cancer.

The benefits I received from acupuncture were life changing. It substantially reduced my pain, stabilized my hormone levels and enabled me to cope emotionally. If you are suffering, either physically or emotionally, I would have no hesitation in recommending this holistic treatment, which really gets to the root cause of pain.

JF

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I’ve been receiving acupuncture treatment with Allan for the last 7 years to treat M.E.

Initially, I was sceptical about treatment. Having tried numerous other complementary therapies and feeling despondent that my body wasn’t responding any differently to them I decided to ‘give acupuncture a go’.

I was looking for a ‘quick fix’ after feeling terrible and hopeless for over a year, I wanted something that would help me feel at least a little like ‘my old self’. I felt I had nothing to lose.

I persevered with treatment and felt some slight improvements in my general health after a few months, it felt like treatment was benefiting me, but I wasn’t really sure how at that point.

With Allan’s support and regular treatments, I soon established a routine of treatment and slowly but surely I saw more improvements to my general health.

Allan had treated other patients in the past with M.E. and through past experience and up to date knowledge of treating people with M.E. using traditional acupuncture, he was honest about my general expectations from the treatment.

I appreciated his honesty because of the time and cost implications to me, it also helped me to be more realistic about my expectations from the acupuncture. I eventually accepted that this was probably going to be a lengthy process.

By following a consistent routine of treatment over the years and finding out together what works well and what doesn’t, my health has improved greatly.

I work full time, although I still have to be careful with resting and pacing my lifestyle and I am prone to common viruses. However, by incorporating acupuncture into my lifestyle, I continue to receive treatments only about once a month as part of my overall health maintenance…..my health still continues to improve.

It’s taken time, a supportive, knowledgeable and experienced practitioner, some humour, more than a few ‘down’ moments for me and some trial and error with treatment along the way. The results are…..I have my life back!

KB 2007

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I sought treatment from Allan around 12 years ago.

I was suffering from dreadful hot flushes, which at 20 years of age was a mystery to conventional doctors, who after many tests drew a blank. My hands then developed similar symptoms- burning hot like they were on fire.

I decided to seek alternative medical help. My sister was seeing Allan, but I had a massive fear of needles and was quite sceptical of these sorts of treatments. Eventually I reluctantly agreed to try acupuncture and within 2/3 treatments my symptoms were alleviated and after a course of treatment, all but disappeared.

Over the years my skin has reacted to many unknown sources, but having a course of treatment from time to time helps immensely. Other problems such as IBS and asthma are also controlled.

More recently acupuncture has helped me through my first pregnancy (sickness, fluid retention, itching etc) Despite still struggling with my needle phobia, the benefits of feeling healthier, happier and more energised make me return time and time again.

SR 2007

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I have a chronic illness and acupuncture is making me stronger all the time and relieving my pain but, even when I’m completely better, I will still continue to have acupuncture because:

• There are stresses and strains in life all the time, both physical and emotional, which affect the body in different ways, and acupuncture will enable the body to deal with them and overcome them before you become ill.
• I have osteoarthritis which acupuncture has arrested. This is a degenerative condition so I need to keep up the acupuncture so the arthritis is kept at bay.
• I also have scarring of my lungs and acupuncture keeps them clear, which is very important particularly in winter. I used to have several chest infections during winter but have not had one now for over a year. My chest consultant is delighted that I use acupuncture and he regularly refers patients to an acupuncturist.
• The alternative to acupuncture is not an option ie a cocktail of drugs from my GP which undoubtedly would have adverse side effects, would treat the symptoms but not the cause and make me weaker rather than stronger.

EH 2007

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Extreme pain from post-shingles facial neuralgia, and being generally unwell, prompted me to first visit Allan. I selected him from a directory at my doctor’s surgery because of the mention of ‘holistic’ treatment. After two months of acupuncture, I was pain-free and improving in general health – which 18 months of strong drugs and two visits to a neurologist had failed to do.

Unfortunately, several years of a very heavy workload and a serious illness of one of my grown-up children took its toll and I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia/chronic fatigue two years ago. I should have listened to Allan – he always seems to know better than I do how I am and what I can cope with! His treatment has slowly but surely built up my strength and, after nine months off work, I have been back to my full-time management job for 16 months.

The thing I have noticed with acupuncture is that for acute conditions the effect is quick. For chronic conditions, the treatment helps your body heal itself and get stronger gradually – but it’s lasting. Sticking with it is vital – it really does pay off. One off-shoot of my treatment is that for the last five years I have needed no treatment for high blood pressure after 7 years of taking drugs. Also, my arthritic finger joints are much more flexible and hardly painful at all. Thanks to Allan, I have been able to work up to retiring age and can look forward to a full recovery (with the help of acupuncture, of course) once I’ve got rid of the stress of working. He is a very gentle, approachable man and genuinely cares about his patients’ well-being.

EH

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My first experience of acupuncture was in East Sussex when my GP asked whether I would like to try another approach for a trapped nerve, as he had recently completed a course of study.
I was his first patient and the results were so successful that he also used acupuncture to help me with other problems.

After moving to Somerset I had trouble with a pulled shoulder muscle and seeking a practitioner, found Allan at Irnham Lodge.
His acupuncture provided great relief. I was also due a hip replacement and treatment kept me going both before and after the operation. I also found that treatment helped my sense of well being and constant tiredness.

I am still a regular visitor, as acupuncture has been for me such a tremendous help for so many things. I would whole heartedly recommend it to anyone and say ‘please try it, you will be amazed and delighted’

S.A.. 2006

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Acupuncture has had a tremendously positive impact on my health and anyone contemplating it should definitely consult Alan who I cannot recommend highly enough.

Having suffered from acute back pain I was eventually diagnosed with Endometriosis and started a programme of various hormone treatments. Unfortunately all these treatments failed and worse still left me with numerous side effects which just made me feel even worse. These included migraines, aching joints, fatigue, and a general feeling of being unwell on top of all the original symptoms of endometriosis. I had also been advised that because of the location of the endometriosis it was unlikely that a hysterectomy would be successful.

I decided to resist any further hormone treatment and explored other forms of medication. Firstly I visited a homeopath and naturopath who was very helpful and improved my feeling of well being but did not relieve the back pain or diminish any of the side effects of the hormone treatment. In tandem with this I also had several reflexology sessions which again made me feel slightly better but there was no improvement on any front. Both the homeopath and reflexologist said that my body was full of toxins from the hormone treatment and felt that any improvement would take a long time. I felt as if I was just slowly stagnating!

As a last resort I decided to give acupuncture a try and had no great expectations. I can honestly say it was the best decision I could have made and really have had outstanding results from it. The side effects from the hormone treatments are all but gone and the endometriosis pain is improving all the time. Alan’s combined expertise and relaxed approach ensure that the very best results are achieved.

AJ 2007