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Back pain is the largest single reported cause of absence from work and leading cause of disability. Sickness absence due to back and neck pain alone accounts for a loss of 5 million working days, at a cost of ' 5bn a year in UK.

Acupuncture for low back pain is cost-effective and works, according to medical researchers. Two studies on bmj.com suggest a short course of acupuncture would benefit patients and healthcare providersThe cost is well below the threshold used by officials to decide whether the NHS can afford to fund a set treatment, they said. Up to 80% of UK residents experience back pain at some point in their lives, costing the NHS '480m a year.The annual economic cost of low back pain in lost productivity and disability or sickness benefits is estimated to be more than '10bn. Evidence of acupuncture's benefits is largely inconclusive, yet 2% of the UK population uses it in any one year. Dr Hugh MacPherson, from the University of York, along with colleagues at Sheffield University, reached their conclusions by studying 241 adults with low back pain. Patients were randomly assigned to either usual NHS care or up to 10 acupuncture treatment sessions. All of the patients remained under GP care. During the two-year study period, the average total cost of back pain treatment that included acupuncture was '460, compared with '345 for usual care. Although acupuncture was more expensive, when the investigators took into account the health benefits gained from the treatment in terms of quality and quantity of life, they found it was more than worthwhile for the extra cost. The cost per quality-adjusted-life-years - or "QALY" - gained was '4,241. ----BBC News 14/09/2006

The highly qualified (BM, MMed, MATCM) and experienced acupuncturist( 20 years worked in army hospital). Dr Zhentong Han is available for private consultations at Clinic in Bristol and Bradford. Specialities in Chronic Low Back, Thoracic (mid and upper back), and Neck Pain ;Sciatica and other Spinal Nerve Problems ;Muscle Pain :Neuralgia (nerve pain problems like Shingles, trapped or injured peripheral nerves) :Osteoarthritis affecting larger joints (hip, knee, ankle, shoulder, elbow, wrist. 'natural health clinic,39 cotham hill,Bristol,BS6 6JY.Tel:0117 9741199. http://www.backachetherapy.co.uk

Five Reasons to choose my practice

1 My experience sets me apart. Worked in China army hospital for 20 years. Through the years I have developed a comfortable treatment experience that fuses a practical, unique style of acupuncture with a contemporary Western approach.

2 My training. I was trained in China and has been in practice since 1985, attended one of the premier acupuncture university in Beijing and has extensive hospital and clinical experience. I am dedicated to staying current with the latest advances in the profession and are major contributors to acupuncture research, education and professional development in the United Kingdom.

3 My specialty is the treatment of pain and functional disorders. I provide acupuncture; acupressure and Tuina massage therapies that complement the medical care you are currently receiving.

4 The way I treat you is how I should like to be treated myself. Consultations are free, and I will always tell you whether I feel I could be of help.

5 My safe, gentle and effective treatments. I incorporate the latest advances in the profession, state-of-the-art equipment and, of course, disposable needles to ensure your safety. The art of experienced practice combined with the effectiveness of treatments provide my patients with a pleasant and beneficial experience.

If you've ever met Dr Zhentong Han, you would not be surprised to know that the beginnings of his education toward becoming a healthcare practitioner started at an early age, and that he continues his educational pathways currently. It is also not surprising to learn that Dr. Zhentong Han believes that good health is a life long journey, and that education is our best weapon toward creating and maintaining a healthy society.

Dr. Han's journey in healthcare began as a medical student at the Fourth Military Medical University,in 1980 when he was 16 years older at Xi'an(hometown of Terra Catta Warriors) After earning a MB, He worked in an Army hospital as surgeon for 8 years, His interest in deep healing arose out of his own experience of chronic pain, which began with a bicycle accident while he was a medical student. The pain, unresponsive to all that conventional medicine could offer, forced him to face the limits of his own medical job in Army. His search for an answer led him on a fascinating journey to a new understanding of health and illness, stress and deep inner tensions, and how they affect our lives. Dr Han's explorations into alternative approaches led him to study Chinese Medicine, Tibetan Bon medicine and Mongolian medicine. In order to sdudy, then He went on to continue his studies at The University of Beijing Chinese Medicine in Acupressure & Herbal medicine Education, completing his Traditional Chinese medicne degree in 1994.After that, he initiated a research study into the use of acupuncture for chronic pain. That research gradually evolved into the highly successful residential program at army hospital.As a west medicine doctor, Combining West medicine and Chinese medicine for treated pain ,He got lot of experience for pain relief and in particular: back pain, neck and shoulder tension,stress, headache, migraine and arthritis, before moving to attend one of Complementary medicine clinic, the West Yorkshire,UK .

Since working in army hospital,Doctor Han has also received his certification in Sports medicine(China)and attained his Tibetan Bon medicine and Mongolian medicine Certification ,He has carried his own professional indemnity insurance in UK and always look for the underlying cause of any health complaint and so each person is treated as a unique individual.

While his 20 years's medical practice,the health care education has spanned more than a decade, and continues today and beyond, Dr. Han has also had the opportunity to put his training to good use, volunteering with the Xi'an Army Football Team of the Chinese Army in 1994, and working as an vice 'president of Zhuque army hospital from 1999 to 2004. Throughout he also worked as a Back pain relief researcher in Xi'an during his worked in Army hospital. The years in UK also presented excellent opportunities to meet lot of back pain patients. Dr. Han passion for Back pain relief and a great desire to be at the leading edge of rehabilitative care has lead him to an incredible degree of involvement in the realm of Chinese medicine and West medicine rehabilitative care.

Since entering into British private back pain practice, Dr. Han has continued his involvement in Chinese rehabilitative Medicine and registered with ATCM(UK), knowing that this is where the leading edge back care will occur-and where he is able to gain the further knowledge that he can bring to his own patients in his daily practice. This level of knowledge has been gained at the highest levels of Chinese medicine fo Backcare.and he has continued to grow to include all of the essential services of a well-rounded active based rehabilitation and wellness centre, including electro-acupuncture, including Massage therapy, Tuina, Most recently the Doctor Han has been very busy practiced in the Kangda clinic.Bradford.

In the end, all of Dr. Han's activities have not only enriched his life; it has also given him the practical experience, knowledge to help enrich the lives of his patients as well. As a Doctor and health care professional, Dr. Han believes that good health is for life, and for him to be able to help his patients on an ongoing basis, he must always continue to learn and grow, and find new fields of practical experience, and perhaps, even more importantly, Dr. Han is proud to not only help other to be healthy, but to also live according to what he teaches- and be able to use his knowledge to help the lives of those closest to him.

In his time outside of his practice, Dr. Han enjoys spending time with his wife Min(working in medical school of BristolUniversity) and his daughter qiangwei and interesting in Photography. It is this balance of family and professional life that has been the great source of his joy and well-being. There is a simple philosophy that the Zhentong family lives by; enjoy each day as if it could be your last, and enjoy all that life has to offer. They would thus like to extend their sincerest wishes to everyone for great health and happiness.

Bristol Chinese Pain relief Acupuncture
http://www.backachetherapy.co.uk