Assessment
A detailed history, then a thorough examination of movement, strength and the affected area. You leave knowing what is wrong, why it happened, and exactly what we are going to do about it.
Western Medical Acupuncture
Acupuncture
Western medical acupuncture in Liverpool Street, London: fine needles placed at therapeutic points by chartered, HCPC-registered physiotherapists trained within the AACP framework, after a full physiotherapy diagnosis and as an adjunct to ease chronic musculoskeletal pain.
At your first appointment we look for the cause, not just the sore spot: your history, how you move, and what your work, sport and life ask of your body.
Your first visit is a full musculoskeletal assessment: a detailed history, then testing of movement, strength and the affected area. We explain the working diagnosis in plain English and agree a plan with you before any treatment begins.
You leave with a written summary of what we found and a home exercise programme built around your diagnosis and your goals, so progress keeps going between visits.
Acupuncture can help to:
Ease persistent musculoskeletal pain
We use acupuncture mainly for long-standing back, neck, shoulder, and tendon or muscle pain that has not fully settled with manual therapy and exercise alone. NICE guidance (NG193) recognises it as an option for chronic primary pain, used as one part of your wider plan.
Treat a clear problem, diagnosed first
Acupuncture is never the starting point. It follows a full physiotherapy assessment and a working diagnosis, so the needling targets a specific clinical reason rather than a guess. If it is unlikely to help your presentation, we will tell you.
Support your active rehabilitation
Fine needles at therapeutic points can settle symptoms enough to create a window for movement. We pair each session with manual therapy where indicated and a progressive exercise programme, because lasting change in musculoskeletal pain rests on active rehabilitation, not passive treatment alone.
Be treated safely at every visit
Your treatment is given by chartered, HCPC-registered physiotherapists trained within the AACP framework, using single-use sterile needles. We screen you against a defined contraindication list every visit, including anticoagulants, bleeding disorders, and pregnancy.
Know whether it is earning its place
At each follow-up we reassess your pain and function against the baseline from your first visit. If acupuncture is adding value we continue; if it is not, we say so and adjust the plan rather than repeating a treatment that is not working for you.
I saw Amanda for a problem I've been having with a painful shoulder. She explained to me what the problem was, did a thorough treatment session and gave me some exercises to do to improve it. Very professional and friendly, I highly recommend her.
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I booked with Michelle for my first appointment. When I stood up I said to her it feels like heaven as my continuous back pain had totally gone. I was totally pain free for 7 hours so bless you Michelle.
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I first visited Amanda following a maisonneuve fracture. That day I walked 107 steps in a camboot with two crutches. I have visited weekly. Yesterday I walked 13,315 steps (no crutches, no boot). The transformation is truly amazing.
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After my son's sports injury we spent many months trying to get help from various other doctors. It was so reassuring to finally speak with someone who really understood what was going on. Michelle was worth every penny!
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Michelle was absolutely amazing during my pregnancy with the multiple issues I had. She diagnosed and treated pain in my knee and my back, and got me from a place where I couldn't kneel at all, to fully weight bearing in a short space of time.
Read on Google
Excellent treatment of my lower back and related sciatica injuries from CrossFit. Definitely my go-to therapist when in dire need of pain relief.
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Acupuncture fees and booking
You can refer yourself, with no GP letter needed, and book online in a couple of minutes at whichever clinic is easier for you to reach.
- Self-referral: book directly, no GP referral required
- Two clinics, both led by our chartered physiotherapists
- Open Monday to Friday, 7am to 7pm
- Two minutes from Liverpool Street station, with free parking at our second clinic
- A written summary and a home exercise programme after every appointment
Your journey
with The Physio Rooms
It starts with finding the cause. Whether you are a City professional stuck at a desk or a weekend athlete chasing a comeback, we treat what is driving the problem, then build the strength that keeps it fixed.
Hands-on treatment
Manual therapy chosen for your presentation, with Western medical acupuncture added where it helps. Treatment is not the goal in itself: it creates the window to move more freely and load the tissue.
Rebuild
Progressive, coached exercise rehabilitation restores the strength and load tolerance you lost. Both clinics have full gym facilities, and this is the stage that decides whether the fix lasts.
Stay well
Each follow-up reassesses you against your baseline. We discharge you when you have the strength and the tools to manage on your own, with clinical Pilates and TPI golf screening on hand to keep you moving.
Back to the work, sport and life you love. We settle the pain, get to what is driving it, then rebuild the strength that keeps it away, so you leave each visit a step stronger than the last.
- Based in the City of London, inside UNTIL at 280 Bishopsgate, with a second clinic in Essex.
- Rated 5.0 on Google across 11 patient reviews.
- Chartered, HCPC-registered physiotherapists with more than ten years of combined clinical experience.
We specialise in:
- Musculoskeletal physiotherapy for back, neck, shoulder and joint pain
- Progressive exercise rehabilitation, with full gym facilities at both clinics
- Western medical acupuncture within the AACP framework
- Clinical Pilates with Pilates by Janie
- TPI golf physiotherapy movement screening with Amanda
- Post-operative and sports-injury rehabilitation
- Home-based rehabilitation, supported and progressed remotely
2 Locations
Acupuncture across our two clinics
- Liverpool Street 280 Bishopsgate, London EC2M 4RB View location →
- Wickham Bishops 7 Wooldridge Place, Witham CM8 3LW View location →
Written and medically reviewed byAmanda Yardley, Physiotherapist & Co-Founder · HCPC-registered · Chartered Society of Physiotherapy · Acupuncture Association of Chartered Physiotherapists (AACP), with clinicians regulated by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and members of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP).
FAQ
FAQs
Is physiotherapy acupuncture the same as traditional acupuncture?
Not quite. We practise Western medical acupuncture, an evidence-informed adaptation used by chartered physiotherapists within the AACP framework. It is based on a physiotherapy diagnosis and current understanding of pain and the nervous system, rather than traditional Chinese medicine theory. The needles and points may look similar, but the clinical reasoning is physiotherapy-led throughout.
Does acupuncture hurt, and is it safe?
The needles are very fine, so most people feel only a brief prick followed by a dull ache or heaviness as the needle settles. Serious side effects are rare when delivered by trained, registered clinicians using single-use sterile needles. Minor bruising, brief drowsiness, or temporary soreness can occur and usually settle within a day.
What conditions can acupuncture help with?
We use acupuncture mainly as an adjunct for persistent musculoskeletal pain: long-standing back, neck, shoulder, and tendon or muscle pain that has not fully settled with other physiotherapy. NICE guidance (NG193) recognises acupuncture as an option for chronic primary pain. It is one tool within your wider rehabilitation plan, not a cure-all.
Do I need a GP referral to have acupuncture here?
No. The Physio Rooms is a self-referral practice: you can book directly through our Cliniko online booking, with no GP referral needed. Acupuncture itself is offered only after a physiotherapy assessment, so your first step is a physiotherapy appointment where we decide together whether acupuncture is appropriate for you.
Is acupuncture safe if I take blood thinners or am pregnant?
Tell us before any needling if you take anticoagulants, have a bleeding disorder, or are pregnant. Anticoagulants and bleeding disorders raise bruising and bleeding risk, and we apply particular caution in the first trimester of pregnancy. We screen for these at every visit and will adapt or avoid acupuncture where it is not appropriate.
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The Physio Rooms • 280 Bishopsgate, Liverpool Street, London EC2M 4RB
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