We met with Pippa Glendon-Doyle, working mum and acupuncturist extraordinaire, to talk about her work and her calling to help the good people of Wandsworth find peace and balance.
Hi Pippa! Tell us a little bit about who you are and what you do.
I’m a mum to two boys, and when the youngest went to school, I spent three years learning Chinese medicine and acupuncture. I have a few degrees, but this was by far the most difficult education I have undertaken!
I provide acupuncture, guasha, cupping electroacupuncture and Chinese medicine nutrition advice to a wide range of people.
Some of my patients come to me because they have anxiety, depression and are struggling to sleep. Others because they need support managing chronic autoimmune conditions or have muscular skeletal pain. I have undertaken more specialised training in assisted conception and often work with women to help regulate their menstrual cycle or support them through IVF cycles. These types of patients are often extremely stressed out and appreciate acupuncture’s ability to calm the nervous system. They also benefit from having someone support them emotionally and help them navigate the fast-paced world of assisted conception.
What inspired you to take up acupuncture?
I was working in a fast-paced job and struggled to get pregnant the first time around. When I started acupuncture I began to feel calmer and more in control, and fell pregnant a month later!
As I emerged from the toddler years I realised that a large number of my closest girlfriends were using acupuncture. I have always been drawn towards helping people and I could see the benefit it brought to those closest to me.
During my training I became much more aware of how stress manifested itself in my body; for me – tight neck and shoulders. I hadn’t thought of myself as a stressed person but realised through acupuncture that I was! I felt so much calmer for several weeks after acupuncture and noticed that it hugely helped with my neck and shoulders and stopped the headaches that I was prone to.
What are the benefits of acupuncture?
From my perspective it has a very calming effect on the nervous system and reminds our bodies that it is time to come out of ‘fight or flight’ and instead go into ‘rest and digest’.
It improves blood flow locally, whether that be in a musculoskeletal complaint or in the area of the reproductive organs.
It also helps with pain through improving blood flow and the release of endorphins.
This is a ‘modern’ version of how acupuncture works, however, the Chinese medicine perspective is much more complex. Chinese medicine acupuncture often goes beyond simply improving blood flow and looks to a person’s constitutional strengths and weaknesses and seeks to address these in order to help resolve the symptoms.
What do your customers say?
Quite a few of my patients report improved sleep and notice that their resting heart rate significantly reduces during sleep which improves the quality of restful sleep they get.
Very often, people report feeling less anxious or stressed over a period of time. It’s common for a patient’s symptoms to either reduce and become more manageable or sometimes disappear.
I have quite a number of reviews on Google as well as on my Doctify platform and I invite anyone who is interested to take a look at them!
How do we book?
You can book at here or email me if you would like an evening appointment.
What’s your favourite thing about Wandsworth Town?
I love bumping into people I know when I pop to the shops. We are so lucky to have such a warm community!
