Acupuncture FAQs

Josh Barrow is a highly regarded acupuncturist based in Surrey, specialising in Japanese and Classical acupuncture. He is known for his gentle, whole-person approach to treatment, helping patients with a wide range of conditions including chronic pain, stress, anxiety, digestive disorders, fertility concerns and women's health.

Rather than focusing solely on symptoms, Josh works to understand and treat the underlying cause of illness, supporting the body's natural ability to heal itself.

Alongside his clinical practice, Josh teaches acupuncture at the International College of Oriental Medicine (ICOM), manages postgraduate training programmes, works with the British Acupuncture Council, and has been featured in publications including The Times, Vogue and the Daily Mail.

Josh believes that successful treatment starts by understanding the person, not just their symptoms. Every appointment is tailored to the individual, with the aim of identifying and treating the underlying cause of a condition rather than simply managing it.

His treatments combine Japanese and Classical acupuncture with techniques such as moxibustion, remedial massage and lifestyle guidance where appropriate. Josh uses the minimum intervention necessary to achieve the best possible results, creating a calm, comfortable experience that encourages the body to heal naturally.

Many patients appreciate his gentle approach, which supports both physical recovery and emotional wellbeing.

Josh graduated with First Class Honours from the International College of Oriental Medicine (ICOM), England's oldest and most respected acupuncture college.

Since qualifying, he has continued extensive postgraduate training, including year-long courses in Japanese Acupuncture and Neijing Acupuncture. He has also completed advanced training in fertility, women's health, moxibustion techniques and Level 3 Remedial Massage, alongside numerous other specialist courses.

Beyond treating patients, Josh is part of ICOM's Senior Management Team, where he oversees postgraduate education and teaches future acupuncturists. He also works with the British Acupuncture Council, helping maintain high professional standards across the industry.

Appointments are relaxed, personalised and designed around your individual needs. Many patients describe sessions as a combination of acupuncture and therapeutic conversation.

Your first appointment lasts around 90 minutes and begins with an in-depth consultation covering your medical history, lifestyle and current health concerns. Josh also uses traditional diagnostic methods, including pulse diagnosis, to build a personalised treatment plan.

Most treatments use just four to eight very fine needles, allowing your body to relax deeply while encouraging its natural healing processes. Follow-up appointments typically last one hour, with each session building on your progress.

Acupuncture involves inserting very fine needles into carefully selected points on the body to encourage its natural healing processes.

In Chinese Medicine, treatment aims to restore balance within the body using traditional diagnostic frameworks such as the Five Elements and Six Divisions. By addressing the underlying cause of illness rather than simply treating symptoms, acupuncture helps the body function more effectively.

Modern research also shows that acupuncture can stimulate the nervous system, activating the body's "rest and digest" response while encouraging the release of natural chemicals such as serotonin and dopamine. This can help regulate pain, reduce stress and support overall wellbeing.

For most people, acupuncture is surprisingly comfortable.

The needles are extremely fine—much thinner than those used for injections. Occasionally, you may notice a brief sensation such as warmth, tingling, heaviness or a dull ache when a needle is inserted, but this usually disappears within 10 to 15 seconds.

Josh's treatments are intentionally gentle. Once the needles are in place, most patients feel little or nothing at all and are able to relax completely throughout the session. In fact, many people find acupuncture so relaxing that they fall asleep during treatment.

The number of sessions you'll need depends on your individual condition, your overall health and how long you've been experiencing symptoms.

As a general guide, Josh recommends weekly appointments for the first three to four weeks. This allows enough time to assess how your body responds to treatment and create meaningful, lasting changes.

Many patients notice significant improvements within this initial period. For longer-term or more complex conditions, treatment may continue over a longer timeframe, with appointments gradually becoming less frequent as your health improves.

Yes. When performed by a fully qualified practitioner, acupuncture is considered extremely safe and has very few side effects.

Josh is a member of the British Acupuncture Council (BAcC), whose members complete over 3,600 hours of professional training and adhere to strict standards of safety, hygiene and clinical practice.

Every treatment is tailored to your individual circumstances. Whether you're pregnant, undergoing cancer treatment or managing another medical condition, Josh carefully adapts your treatment to ensure it is both safe and appropriate. Your longer initial consultation allows plenty of time to discuss your medical history and any precautions that may be needed.

Yes. Acupuncture is widely used to treat musculoskeletal conditions, including back pain, neck pain, shoulder injuries, knee pain and joint discomfort.

Josh combines Japanese and Classical acupuncture with complementary techniques such as moxibustion and remedial massage to help reduce pain, improve movement and support long-term recovery.

Acupuncture has been extensively researched for musculoskeletal pain and is recognised within NICE guidance for several pain conditions, reflecting the growing evidence supporting its effectiveness.

Yes. Acupuncture can be highly beneficial for many long-term pain conditions, including arthritis, fibromyalgia, migraines and persistent musculoskeletal pain.

Rather than focusing solely on where the pain is felt, Josh works to understand the underlying patterns contributing to your symptoms. By addressing both the physical and emotional aspects of chronic pain, treatment aims to reduce discomfort, improve function and support your overall quality of life.

As chronic conditions often develop over many years, they may require a longer course of treatment than more recent injuries.

Yes. Acupuncture is commonly used to support recovery from sports injuries, including muscle strains, tendon injuries, tennis elbow, ligament sprains and inflammation.

Treatment aims to reduce pain, improve circulation, promote tissue healing and restore normal movement. Josh often combines acupuncture with remedial massage and other complementary techniques to help speed recovery and reduce the likelihood of recurring injuries.

Whether you're a competitive athlete or simply enjoy staying active, treatment is tailored to your injury, goals and stage of recovery.

Yes. Acupuncture is widely used to support emotional wellbeing by helping regulate the nervous system and encouraging the body to move out of a prolonged state of stress.

While we can't always change the situations causing stress, we can often change how the body responds to them. Many patients notice they feel calmer, more resilient and better able to cope with everyday challenges after treatment.

By activating the body's natural "rest and digest" response, acupuncture can help reduce feelings of overwhelm while supporting both mental and physical wellbeing.

Although acupuncture isn't a form of counselling or psychotherapy, many patients describe their sessions as offering both physical treatment and emotional support.

Appointments provide space to reflect on your health and wellbeing, and many people find that talking during treatment is just as valuable as the acupuncture itself. Unlike traditional talking therapies, acupuncture doesn't require you to repeatedly revisit difficult experiences in detail. Instead, treatment focuses on helping your body and mind move towards balance and recovery.

Acupuncture can be highly effective as a standalone treatment or alongside counselling or psychotherapy, with many patients finding the combination especially beneficial.

Yes. Improving sleep is one of the most common benefits patients report following acupuncture treatment.

By calming the nervous system and reducing physical and emotional tension, acupuncture can help improve both the quality and duration of sleep. Whether you're struggling to fall asleep, waking during the night or simply not feeling refreshed in the morning, treatment aims to restore healthier sleep patterns over time.

Many patients notice improvements in their sleep after just a few sessions, often alongside better energy levels and overall wellbeing.

Yes. Fertility is one of the areas in which acupuncture is most commonly used and extensively researched.

Acupuncture can support both natural conception and assisted fertility treatments by promoting hormonal balance, improving blood flow to the reproductive organs and supporting overall health and wellbeing. It can also help reduce the stress and anxiety that often accompany fertility challenges.

Every treatment plan is tailored to the individual, whether you're preparing to conceive naturally or working alongside a fertility specialist.

Yes. Acupuncture is commonly used alongside IVF to support both the physical and emotional aspects of treatment.

An IVF journey can be physically demanding and emotionally overwhelming. Many patients value having a calm, supportive space throughout the process, helping them manage stress while feeling cared for each step of the way.

From a clinical perspective, research suggests acupuncture may support IVF by improving blood flow to the uterus, encouraging optimal endometrial lining development and promoting relaxation. Some studies have also shown improvements in IVF success rates when acupuncture is used alongside fertility treatment, although outcomes vary between individuals.

Yes. Acupuncture can safely support many stages of pregnancy when provided by a suitably qualified practitioner.

Treatment may help manage common pregnancy symptoms such as nausea, fatigue, pelvic pain and back pain, while also supporting overall wellbeing throughout each trimester. As pregnancy progresses, acupuncture can also be used to prepare the body for labour and, where appropriate, assist with issues such as breech presentation.

Every treatment is carefully adapted to the stage of pregnancy, ensuring the safest approach for both mother and baby.

Yes. Acupuncture is commonly used to support a wide range of hormonal and menstrual conditions, including PMS, painful periods, PCOS, endometriosis, irregular cycles and menopause symptoms.

In Chinese Medicine, a healthy menstrual cycle should be regular, comfortable and free from significant pain. Symptoms such as severe cramps, irregular bleeding or hormonal imbalance are viewed as signs that the body is out of balance rather than something to simply accept.

Josh takes time to understand your overall health before creating a personalised treatment plan that addresses the underlying causes of your symptoms, with the aim of improving both your cycle and your long-term wellbeing.

Yes. Acupuncture is commonly used to support digestive conditions such as IBS, acid reflux, bloating, constipation and other gastrointestinal disorders.

Digestive health is one of Josh's particular areas of interest, as acupuncture was the treatment that transformed his own health and inspired him to become an acupuncturist. Because of this personal experience, he understands how significantly digestive problems can affect day-to-day life.

Treatment is tailored to the individual and aims to identify and address the underlying cause of digestive symptoms, rather than simply managing them. Acupuncture can be effective as a standalone treatment or alongside nutritional therapy and conventional medical care, including for patients looking to reduce their reliance on medication under the guidance of their GP or specialist.

Yes. Acupuncture can be used alongside conventional healthcare to support people living with chronic or complex conditions, including chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), long COVID, diabetes, neurological conditions such as Parkinson's disease, and other long-term health concerns.

Chronic conditions often develop over many months or years, so they usually require a longer course of treatment than more recent health issues. Josh's approach focuses on understanding your unique experience rather than treating a diagnosis alone. By looking at the wider picture of your health, acupuncture aims to improve overall wellbeing, reduce symptoms where possible and support your body's natural healing processes.

Many patients seek acupuncture because it offers a more personalised approach, complementing conventional medicine while addressing aspects of health that may not always be fully explored elsewhere.

Josh practises across Surrey, with clinics in Farnham, Seale and Godalming, welcoming patients of all ages and treating a wide range of health conditions. Prior to establishing his Surrey clinics, he also worked at one of London's leading acupuncture clinics in Knightsbridge.

You can book an appointment online through the website or get in touch directly by phone or email. If you're unsure whether acupuncture is right for you, Josh is happy to discuss your symptoms and help you decide whether treatment may be beneficial.