AN ACUPUNCTURIST who has had a dramatic career change has revealed that a back injury led to her profession change.

Sheonagh Swain from Evesham first noticed the difference acupuncture can make 15 years ago after being referred to a clinic with chronic back pain.

A former engineer, she decided to make the switch after seeing how acupuncture can help people and recently joined Albert Road Chiropractic in Evesham.

She said: "I was referred to a physiotherapist about 15 years ago and acupuncture was recommended.

"I have to admit that I was very sceptical at first about whether it would help my back, but I have been pain free ever since.

"I decided I wanted to do something different, as I had been doing engineering for so long.

"I thought it was time I tried my hand at something else and acupuncture stuck with me.

"I had to make a financial commitment to do it and take a three year degree so I am really excited to be getting started."

Despite acupuncture to engineering seeming an unlikely switch, Ms Swain said that she has spoken to a number of people who have changed between the professions.

She said: "I think there are similarities between the two, some of the thinking is the same.

"It is difficult to explain but in Chinese acupuncture you look at the whole body, compared to traditional English medicine where one particular part of the body is looked at.

"This is similar to engineering, where you look at the whole process rather than a specific part."

Ms Swain also added that acupuncture is a growing industry.

She said: "It is not as out there as it once was, it is now a popular therapy for migraines, arthritis and of course back pain.

"I know some people are still a bit reluctant about it because they are frightened of needles or whatever but we just show them how fine the needles are, they are sterile, single-use needles.

"This is modern technology so it is advanced and should not hurt.

"You might get a dull sensation or perhaps a tingling but nothing more."

Ms Swain has spent 3 years full time studying and clinical practice in York at the Northern College of Acupuncture and this is her first fulltime job in the profession.

She added: ""I have learnt that even though acupuncture is based on approx.3,000 years of practice , it is a constantly evolving medicine and has a modern vibrant research base with a lot of people working very hard to make it available to many".

Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese health practice that treats the body as a whole and looks at pain or illness as signs that the body is out of balance.

Anxiety, chronic fatigue syndrome, IBS, headaches & migraine, arthritis, back pain, fertility, gynaecological issues, depression and stress are some of the listed conditions on the British Acupuncture Council website that acupuncture can help with.

The newly renovated clinic now has a team of five.