Bridge to Health

08/02/2026

04/02/2026

4 February is World Cancer Day. Dr Beverley de Valois writes:
"World Cancer Day 2026 started for me with a query from a colleague. Two people had approached my colleague - they were feeling desperate after a cancer diagnosis and wondering if acupuncture could help them. Both were waiting for dates for treatment to begin.

This stage, between diagnosis and the start of treatment, can be one of the most challenging stages of the cancer pathway. It can also be a time of opportunity. "Prehabilitation" is a time to develop a proactive, personalized program that has the potential to improve a person's physical and mental health before cancer treatment (surgery, chemo, or radiotherapy) begins.

Acupuncture is an integrative therapy that can provide support during this time. It can help absorb the shock of diagnosis, address the anxiety of an uncertain time, and help with any attendant new symptoms such as sleeplessness. It can help a person to cope and can foster the resilience needed to deal with this life-changing event.

So my reply to my colleague was YES! Acupuncture can help these newly diagnosed people, even before their treatment begins. And it can continue to support them throughout treatment, and when cancer treatment ends and they face the task of establishing the "new normal" of life after cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Acupuncture can be safely used through all stages of the cancer pathway - from prehab to rehab.

If you have been diagnosed with cancer, or know someone who has, find out more about how acupuncture can be supportive. Bridge to Health in Uxbridge is proud to host one of only two Acupuncture for Cancer Survivors clinics in the UK, where Beverley de Valois PhD LicAc brings her 26 years' experience as an acupuncturist and researcher to help manage the consequences of cancer treatment.

Find out more about the Acupuncture for Cancer Survivors clinic at Bridge to Health Uxbridge https://www.bridgetohealth.co.uk/beverley-devalois

To book an appointment online: https://www.bridgetohealth.co.uk/booking
OR call 01895 200050 and speak to Kate.

13/01/2026

Our January Newsletter
Kate@bridgetohealth
01895 200 050

As the festive season fades and routines return, many people notice a lingering sense of tiredness, flatness or feeling emotionally overwhelmed. Even when life looks "back to normal."

08/12/2025

Its great to start the week with good feedback from a patient with hashtag , who I have been seeing in my Acupuncture for Cancer Survivors Clinic at Bridge to Health in Uxbrige. Stephen posted on this on Google Reviews and has given permission to use it here.

"Beverley de Valois is an extremely knowledgeable and thoughtful practitioner. She used acupuncture on me prior to my stem cell transplant treatment for multiple myeloma effectively building up my strength and immunity. The results are not immediate but over time they have certainly helped me. After my transplant, which left me feeling exhausted and drained, I have continued to see Beverley. Her treatment is helping me now rebuild my strength and energy levels. The team at
Bridge to Health are highly professional and I strongly recommend them."

It has been a privilege to work with Stephen, especially to work with him from the point of diagnosis and to support him through his treatment. And to see how acupuncture can help people undergoing cancer treatment.

My mission is to increase awareness of the challenges cancer survivors face both during and after completing treatments for cancer (surgery, systemic anti-cancer treatments, radiotherapy) and to promote awareness of how acupuncture can help. It's important to spread the word that acupuncture is a safe, effective, evidence-informed, non-pharmacological option that can be offered to cancer survivors experiencing the hashtag of cancer treatment.

Acupuncture for Cancer Survivors Clinic
Bridge to Health in Uxbridge is proud to host one of only two Acupuncture for Cancer Survivors clinics in the UK, where Beverley de Valois PhD LicAc brings her 26 years' experience as an acupuncturist and researcher to help manage the consequences of cancer treatment.

Find out more about the Acupuncture for Cancer Survivors clinic at Bridge to Health Uxbridge https://www.bridgetohealth.co.uk/beverley-devalois

To book an appointment online: https://www.bridgetohealth.co.uk/booking
OR call 01895 200050 and speak to Kate.

04/12/2025

Welcome to our December Newsletter
The Team at Bridge to Health
help@bridgetohealth.co.uk
01895 200 050

December is lovely, but let’s be honest — it’s hard work on your body. When you’re juggling shopping, cooking, family visits and the cold, your muscles tighten, your posture dips, and your stress levels rise. Maintenance appointments help you stay ahead of all that. Think of them as your mid...

12/11/2025

Bridge to Health vouchers are always available and the perfect Christmas Gift ☺️
Ring Kate on 01895 200 050 or email help@bridgetohealth.co.uk
Vouchers can be collected from our Uxbridge Branch or posted 😁

12/11/2025

Hi
Please feel to click the link below for Acupuncture Awareness week

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/beverley-de-valois-0b88489_acupunctureawarenessweek2025-britishacupunctureouncil-activity-7394323427337064448-dK1P?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_android&rcm=ACoAAAG56owBrdB9TlunP16OwR_U8c7_up0hfU8

04/11/2025

As we head into the colder months, it’s a good time to check in with how both your body and mind are feeling. This month, we’re sharing advice to help you stay strong and balanced, inside and out.

Our latest blog explores joint hypermobility, examining why some people are naturally more flexible, its implications for the body, and how to protect your joints from injury.

And if winter tends to leave you feeling low or sluggish, don’t miss Jing Zhang’s free Winter Reset Masterclass, a live online session designed to help you restore calm and focus through the darker months.

Warm wishes.
Sian Smith

As we head into the colder months, it’s a good time to check in with how both your body and mind are feeling. This month, we’re sharing advice to help you stay strong and balanced, inside and out.

31/10/2025

Acupuncture transforms lives! For my last unique story for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, "Daena" tells of her experience - watch for the surprise ending! She writes:

"In early 2023, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. My treatment included chemotherapy, surgery, radiotherapy, and targeted therapy. I was fortunate that it was successful, but the process left me with a drained body and an exhausted mind. One worrying side effect was a drop in my heart’s function, which felt overwhelming at a time when I was already fragile.

I had read in NHS guidance that acupuncture could help with the side effects of cancer treatment. When I tried to book at Dimbleby Cancer Care at Guy’s Hospital, I was told the waiting list was several months long. Turning to Google to find an acupuncturist specialised in cancer care, I came across Beverley.

From my very first session, Beverley made me feel safe. She listened deeply, asked the right questions, and was fully present. I went in with zero expectations. At the time, I was anxious, exhausted, and constantly unwell with a weakened immune system. Because it was my first acupuncture session, she kept the treatment very simple – just a few needles, perhaps three.

What happened next surprised me. Despite such a minimal treatment, I felt an immediate shift: lighter, more alive, energised. Over the next few months, I continued weekly sessions, and the benefits multiplied. My strength, energy, and sense of wellbeing improved so much that I became genuinely curious about how this method worked.

After such an intensive medical journey filled with chemicals and radiation, I was struck by acupuncture’s gentleness. It was non-invasive, non-toxic, and helped my body find its own balance. Over time, my heart function recovered back to normal. There is no way of proving that acupuncture was the reason, but my consultants were amazed by the results of my echo-cardiogram.

This experience moved me so deeply that I decided to study acupuncture myself. It showed me that my body had the power to heal, given the right support. I am now in the second year of my training, and it has transformed not only my health but also the way I look at the world.

My hope is that one day I will have the skills – and the privilege – to help others facing what I once went through."

Thank you Daena for sharing your unique story. I look forward to your qualification as an acupuncturist.

My mission is to increase awareness of the challenges cancer survivors face after completing treatments for cancer and to promote awareness of how acupuncture can help. Read all about it my book:

Acupuncture and Cancer Survivorship: Recovery, Renewal, and Transformation available from the publisher, Singing Dragon, at https://lnkd.in/e3PAGhid .

Acupuncture for Cancer Survivors Clinic

Bridge to Health in Uxbridge is proud to host one of only two Acupuncture for Cancer Survivors clinics in the UK, where Beverley de Valois PhD LicAc brings her 26 years' experience as an acupuncturist and researcher to help manage the consequences of cancer treatment.

Find out more about the Acupuncture for Cancer Survivors clinic at Bridge to Health Uxbridge https://www.bridgetohealth.co.uk/beverley-devalois

To book an appointment online: https://www.bridgetohealth.co.uk/booking
OR call 01895 200050 and speak to Kate.

27/10/2025

Many breast cancer survivors hesitate to have acupuncture: they "have had enough of needles" following cancertreatment. In this week's unique story for BreastCancerAwarenessMonth, "Clare" charts her journey through post-treatment survivorship and her relationship to acupuncture needles. She writes:

"I started seeing Beverley 6 months ago, following treatment for stage 2 breast cancer (full mastectomy, lymph node removal, radiotherapy and subsequent hormone and targeted therapy treatments). I was 40 and in good health when diagnosed, so the situation was very shocking and traumatic.

I was initially interested in how acupuncture could help me manage the hot flushes I was experiencing - they were quite crippling, impacting me at key times such as before work meetings and social events.

I was very nervous to start acupuncture; as any cancer patient knows, the amount of needles we have to suffer as part of our treatment is excessive. I’d had a few bad experiences with canualas, and felt like acupuncture might be too much of a hurdle.

Beverley was understanding and sympathetic to my concerns, explaining that these were not unique. We started very slowly, focussing on key elements of what I wanted to achieve from treatment - management of hot flushes. As my acupuncture journey continued, I was able to identify other issues, both pre and post cancer, that Beverley has addressed with acupuncture.

My hot flushes have all but disappeared. When they do emerge, I now have the tools to ‘nip them in the bud’. Beverley has also focussed my treatment on anxiety and gut health - things exasperated by my diagnosis and treatment, but that have always been in the background. She is giving me tools to manage these issues, and her tailored approach to my specific requirements means I am able to use these lessons outside of my sessions to manage my “new normal”.

I don’t think I will ever get over my dislike of needles, but I genuinely look forward to my sessions with Beverley, and intend on continuing them so as long as I can. Acupuncture has supported me in being able to trust my body again, and reminds me to love myself regardless of my experiences."

Thank you Clare for persevering with the needles and for sharing your story.

My mission is to increase awareness of the challenges cancer survivors face after completing treatments for cancer and to promote awareness of how acupuncture can help. Read all about it my book:

Acupuncture and Cancer Survivorship: Recovery, Renewal, and Transformation available from the publisher, Singing Dragon, at https://lnkd.in/e3PAGhid .

Acupuncture for Cancer Survivors Clinic

Bridge to Health in Uxbridge is proud to host one of only two Acupuncture for Cancer Survivors clinics in the UK, where Beverley de Valois PhD LicAc brings her 26 years' experience as an acupuncturist and researcher to help manage the consequences of cancer treatment.

Find out more about the Acupuncture for Cancer Survivors clinic at Bridge to Health Uxbridge https://www.bridgetohealth.co.uk/beverley-devalois

To book an appointment online: https://www.bridgetohealth.co.uk/booking
OR call 01895 200050 and speak to Kate.

24/10/2025

We are delighted to announce that our acupuncturist Beverley de Valois PhD LicAc has been awarded the prestigious ISCMR Scientific Article Prize in Traditional Complementary and Integrative Medicine 2023-2024.

Dr de Valois was the lead author on the publication ""Acupuncture in cancer care: recommendations for safe practice (peer-reviewed expert opinion)," published in 2024 in the scientific journal Supportive Care in Cancer, and available at https://rdcu.be/eMxQs

The ISCMR awarding committee recognised this publication for the "importance of the knowledge gap and potential impact of the safe practice of acupuncture in integrative oncology, the methodological rigor of the study, and the international collaboration.”

ISCMR, the leading international organisation for research in Traditional, Complementary, and Integrative Medicine https://www.iscmr.org/ announced this award at the 20th International Congress on Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine Research (ICCMR) in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday 18th October.

Congratulations Beverley!

Beverley de Valois is our acupuncturist at Bridge to Health in Uxbridge, where she offers Acupuncture for Cancer Survivors. Find out more about her work at https://www.bridgetohealth.co.uk/beverley-devalois

Book an appointment with Beverley de Valois online at https://www.bridgetohealth.co.uk/booking or contact Kate Daley on 01895 200050