Is acupuncture woo?

[SmallHope]

I really want to try something to help with my fertility and mental health.

I eat a very healthy diet, I practice a bit of yoga and mindfulness, I exercise a lot, and I've finished a 3-month course of CBT so I'm doing everything I possibly can but I'm still struggling with low mood and awful periods due to endometriosis.

I'm very unwoo, but has acupuncture helped anyone and is it worth a try?

I tried acupuncture for stress and fertility.
I wasn't sure about it before hand but thought I would give anything ago.
It did help to reduce my stress (I fell asleep during a few sessions) and appeared to help to regulate my periods - but that could have been because I was calmer.

It didn't help my fertility unfortunately and I ended up sending a fortune over the course of a year (£50 per session and they recommend at least one session a week!).

I wish I had a session once a month for my mental health and put the rest of my money towards my IVF fund which is what finally gave me my daughter. X

I had acupuncture for fertility and both times got pregnant that month. To be honest, it was probably the placebo effect, but since the placebo effect works, I’ll take that, thank you very much!

It works for pain. No idea about fertility or mental health

Thanks both! @Longtalljosie did you have any diagnosed or suspected fertility issues?

My friend is a certified Chinese medicine doctor, and she has helped lots of people with fertility and all sorts. She even did the needles for my hyperemesis relief, and I found it helpful. My DBIL is a doctor, and he said even if it is placebo effect, if it works, it works. But don't go to anyone except a chinese medicine person, otherwisethe training IS a bit woo.

Also, please use normal drugs for mental health. There are many safe to use while TTC and in pregnancy.

@Confrontayshunme thanks for that. I've found a Chinese practitioner local to me who has 5/5 reviews, something is just stopping me booking as I don't want to be 'taken in' in my desperation for help. Outside advice/opinion really helps!

I had it for pain and it helped me far better than painkillers.

I've heard others swear by it for fertility, but it's not something I've tried.

It is very calming, a bit like that floaty feeling you get after a really good yoga session.

It is also expensive and you need regular sessions for it to be effective.

Have you tried vitamin d? I take a high dose supplement and feel so much better for it. If I miss a few days my mood goes really low again.

@supercalifragilistic123 great advice, I do take a high dose vit D during the winter. As it's not a water soluble vitamin the body can't rid itself of 'extra' so I don't take it if I've been outside or during the spring/summer months but maybe it's worth me taking a low dose one instead...

I can't speak for fertility or mental health issues, but in a moment of desperation I tried it for asthma. I was particularly wheezy at the time, the cold air outside had really affected my chest. she put 5 needles in my scalp and within minutes I had stopped wheezing. It was almost miraculous. I honestly believe it stopped me needing a course of steroids for the millionth time.

I would never EVER advocate using it instead of regular asthma treatment, but there's no harm using it alongside so it's worth a shot. I'd say same goes for anything, if you have the money and you're using it alongside other treatments then give it a go. Worst case it doesn't work, best case it does. No harm can come from it if you use a qualified practitioner.

Also, I had a few sessions at my GP practice for SPD pain when I was pregnant with DD. They were free, provided by the NHS and delivered by one of the doctors so there must be something in it or it wouldn't have been funded. It's totally up to the NHS Trust you live in, and I think it's only for pain relief, but like I said, if it didn't work at all, they wouldn't offer it.

I had chronic abdo pain with no apparent cause..painkillers didn’t really help, then I got pregnant. I went for acupuncture because I thought it was worth a try. It really helped! I was able to wean off the codeine I was taking by the third trimester of my pregnancy (when it’s most risky). It flared up again later and I finally got a diagnosis of endometriosis. I think the thing with endo is it’s hidden, it’s difficult to manage so it’s good to try something alternative.

I went through my local uni and had a supervised student which was much cheaper! Worth investigating.

Yes, woo and quackery, as is demonstrated by proper research as opposed to flawed anecdotes.

There was some very weak evidence from one study that it helped with low back pain, and NICE bizarrely approved it for the NHS, despite all good evidence being that it does nothing at all beyond placebo. I suspect a more robust study will soon show it doesn't work for low back pain either.

Yes, woo and quackery, as is demonstrated by proper research

Thanks so much for that. Have you got any links to the proper research? I don't want to potentially spend £££ without a bit more thorough research.

Many years ago I was treated at the National homeopathic hospital (yes, an NHS hospital in London!) for endo and ME with accupuncture. Didn’t make the blindest bit of difference, sadly.

I did conceive naturally many years later, which I put down to having had excision surgery five months previously.

(to add, I am pathologically anti-woo, but I was desperate)

It provided temporary pain relief when I had a recurring muscle spasm in my shoulder (my physio offers it). I wouldn’t spend £££ on it for non-muscular issues as the evidence is weak.

I thought it was woo until a local vet did it on my cat. It was amazing!!

It worked brilliantly for me following a MC, set me right back on my feet.

I would recommend trying it as well as whatever treatment you are having, not instead of. The good thing is that you will know immediately if it has had any effect on you.

I had 2 failed IVFs, had acupuncture on my 3rd and it was successful, I have no idea if it was linked. But I did know I wouldn’t have been able to forgive myself if I didn’t try absolutely everything.
It’s also incredibly relaxing and that’s nice in itself x

I have it for pain, well that and dry needling, totally thought all a bit woo, but it really works for me! It’s the only thing that frees things up for me. Hadn’t thought about it for fertility issues but wouldn’t hesitate in recommending to friends.

www.nhs.uk/conditions/acupuncture/

The NHS doesn't think its woo and quackery....

As a very almost qualified acupuncturist I've done quite a lot of work on looking at research and actually there are quite a few trials proving acupuncture works for fertility.

A recent review found that acupuncture is four times better than western medicine at dealing with male infertility . To add to that, Acupuncture can increase the chances of getting pregnant for women undergoing fertility treatment by 65%. Even if you are not facing issues of infertility, it can really help to have you both in optimal health for trying to conceive.

Sources:

Acupuncture treatment of male infertility: a systematic review He Y, Chen CT, Qian LH, Xia CL, Li J, Li SQ, Liu BP.

www.nhs.uk/news/pregnancy-and-child/acupuncture-and-success-of-ivf/

I decided to become an acupuncturist after acupuncture helped me to have my little girl in my 7th round of fertility treatment.

And as for 'is it woo'. It depends on what you think 'woo' is. Years ago people called those who thought the world was round as 'woo'. If you can believe that perhaps there are things we don't yet understand about the human body then 'woo' just becomes 'something we don't yet understand'.

No, none. I think the first time it was probably stress getting in my way, and the feeling I was doing something different helped.

Acuptuncture works on actual bodily flows of blood and energy - not woo!

I had my first session yesterday, for fertility. Can't vouch for its effectiveness yet, but I feel really good physically and mentally after having it. My DP's mum had many years of infertility when she was TTC him. One session of acupuncture, and she conceived.