don't let the term alternative medicine, put you off! the store has been on coney street for 4…read moreyears now, it never looks busy? they do therapeutic massage, quit smoking acupuncher courses etc and a range in chinese medicines. my story starts with my man, years and years ago he hurt his knee at work. he had countless visits to the GP, hospitial, physio etc but no matter how he did the knee exercises, took it easy, rested etc. the dam knee would swell and basically cause him pain in simple every day activities! like walking, standing etc this had been going on for over 3 years! was chatting to my mother and mentioned it to her, and after a long berating of not taking care of my man etc? there are acupuncher doctors in manchester etc chinese medicine has been proven effective etc why don't i do the chinese medicine thing blah blah blah! ( i was seriously thinking of lighting up a cig, but mother would have known, even though we were on the phone, and she was 60 miles away!) so i thought, ok mother i'd give this place a try, told my mother and she said it a chain, the herbal inn's and she's not had any bad reports! like she would have told me anyway? she was just happy i was returning to the old ways! so i took my man in for a consultation, and the doctor who spoke through a translater informed us of a course of acupuncher and chinese medicine, total cost of just over £300.00 (what sprung to mind was, if this don't work i'm billing my mother!) the consultation took part in a small curtained off area. where my mans knee was pushed and prodded. the doctor seemed really professional, questioned my man about a knarly bit on his knee, and said he could do nothing for that! but could help with the swelling and the pain it caused. i think he had 10 acupuncher treatments in total, needles places around offending knee area with little heated bulb shaped glass bottles, where he sat in the consultaion rooms for up to an hour! the medicine was another matter, 1 was in a wax capsule and had tiny little rabbit droppings in it, (though not rabbit droppings, they just looked like them) he was to take these half the amount in capsule day and night, the second medicine, was a black golf balled size thing he had to chew through! eeew! luckily i didn't have to brew any, as from childhood experience it was something that was put on tea time ish, to be taken before bed time! stunk out the whole house and tasted, there is no polite way of saying how it tastes! but i'm sure you can catch my drift! so i was one extremely healthy child! you only fall ill the once and you learn never to say your not feeling well! this was over 3 years ago, he has never had a problem with his knee, has since taken up fencing with a sabre not foil. desparation can lead people to seeking out alternative medicines. it can be costly as you hear so many horror stories of how people have been fleeced of there money and there remaining health! but this method of medicine has been going for thousands of years, so can't be all bad! the chinese did invent the Seismograph, gun powder, built that very long wall, the arched bridges etc so some of the medicine and acupuncher must work? (NOTE chinese medicine, though made up of dried plants etc is NOT to be taken lightly, as some of these plants have very potent effects! and some can be toxic in the wrong amounts! or if prepeared other then how instructed have no effect! you cannot mix sugar into the medicine, infact you could be told not to eat certain foods during a course of medicines, all to do with the ying yang thing)

I would avoid this business. I went to the Gloucester Rd branch for their £45 massage promotion as…read moreI wanted to try and find a new massage place. It was dirty and did not seem really a legitimate place. The multi-use room was not clean and you laid on a table without a towel or anything. There was an old dirty pillow it looked like had been used without ever having been cleaned. There was also a disposal bin for the acupuncture needles where the needles were sitting on the top. The massage itself was just barely acceptable. The person who did it did not seem experienced. The positive thing was the staff was very nice and polite.

Dr hammond has been my doctor for years and shes friendly and professional. I feel comfortable…read moregoing to see her and the doctors surgery is nice and clean and welcoming too.

it has now closed :( really charming little shop, has the…read moreolde worlde apocrathy feel to it. full of the little herbal treats for the skin and the nose (aromatherapy) and health suppliments the skincare range i tried the Rejuvenating Night Cream is rather nice, and seems to work, will let you know in 5 years! and the other products like shampoo's, body lotions all smell fab and all natural products! like tha camomile spray for sun burn and insect bites the staff really know there stuff and are very nice and chatty

The best thing about Culpeper is the knowledge of the staff. They know exactly what sorts of…read moreessential oils can prove beneficial in which mix - and also tell you what to avoid putting together unless you really want a headache. The oils come in different size bottles and prices range depending on their rarity. The larger bottles with built-in pippets are great to ensure your oil doesn't get cross-contaminated. They also stock carrier oils and creams, soaps and body washes of various mixes to keep you clean and refreshed. Worth a look for something a little different, but special.