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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think acupuncture is pointless?

146 replies

beastlyslumber · 12/07/2021 18:58

It pains me to say I've been acupunctured today and lying there on the table with pins in my face for 20 minutes (then parting with 50 quid) all I could think was, god I am a gullible fool.

I'm not trying to needle anyone but really, what is the point?

OP posts:
TabbyStar · 12/07/2021 20:37

Not really @TeddyBearsPicnic89 - I had a session of physio last year, and she helped me to understand a bit what was happening (my jaw opening differently on each side making it wonky) and I did some exercises for a bit. I had a mouth guard which made no difference. Mine's a bit achy rather than really painful so I've just given up.

SamprasTheRabbit · 12/07/2021 20:38

I have no idea if the acupuncture I had for one month before I fell pregnant was instrumental or coincidental. But I do know my GP made me cry and dismissed me as being worried over nothing (two years TTC and erratic cycles up to 78 days long).
I'm starting for DC2 now and I'm giving it three cycles before running back to my acupuncturist.

ForeverAintEnough3 · 12/07/2021 20:42

@TheFoundations no as my back was cured by spinal injections with the spinal injections being a western medicine and fertility treatment never claimed they could do X Y and Z like my acupuncturist did and in particular for acupuncture success rates of pregnancy many of these women would’ve fallen pregnant anyway so not due to acupuncture. For example my friend had excellent ivf outcome from egg collection and got pregnant first try. She also did acupuncture so that acupuncturist could say X came to me and got pregnant first round of ivf but that was going to happen independently of acupuncture as her outcomes were so good.

TheFoundations · 12/07/2021 20:43

But I do know my GP made me cry and dismissed me as being worried over nothing (two years TTC and erratic cycles up to 78 days long

Horrible.

If an acupuncturist did that, it would be acupuncture that got labeled as a load of rubbish. Actually just a really unpleasant doctor with no bedside manor.

Good luck with DC2 Smile

TheFoundations · 12/07/2021 20:43

*bedside manner Hmm

VanGoghsDog · 12/07/2021 20:45

It cured my frozen shoulder in one treatment, and then he did some hormone balancing as well and I've not had cystic acne since.

TheFoundations · 12/07/2021 20:48

[quote ForeverAintEnough3]@TheFoundations no as my back was cured by spinal injections with the spinal injections being a western medicine and fertility treatment never claimed they could do X Y and Z like my acupuncturist did and in particular for acupuncture success rates of pregnancy many of these women would’ve fallen pregnant anyway so not due to acupuncture. For example my friend had excellent ivf outcome from egg collection and got pregnant first try. She also did acupuncture so that acupuncturist could say X came to me and got pregnant first round of ivf but that was going to happen independently of acupuncture as her outcomes were so good.[/quote]
Or it could have been the acupuncture. You have a bias because it didn't work for you. I have a bias because I've been studying it for years and, whilst not everybody goes away cured of all their ills, there are an eye catching amount of success stories.

RuthW · 12/07/2021 20:52

Worked for me with a painful shoulder.

Northernmum100 · 12/07/2021 20:52

I suffered from a horrible shoulder problem, which OTC and prescribed pain medication didn't touch and pysiotherapy didn't work either.
By that stage, because of the impact on so many aspects of day to day living and of course the pain, I thought I would try acupuncture for the first time.

This was around 3 years ago and I have been totally pain free with no limitations at all and that was just one session. I would recommend it to anyone (and have done so), I advise them to go in with an open mind and just give it a try

Mrstamborineman · 12/07/2021 20:54

It is not woo or cooing money from pockets.
I have had it - it is good. You need more than one session though.

cushioncovers · 12/07/2021 20:56

I've had it for two different problems. For migraines it didn't do anything but for sciatica it helped.

3dogsnorth · 12/07/2021 20:57

I have had it several times and before the first time I was extremely sceptical. However it totally cures my Achilles' tendon injury and has helped with other sporting injuries. My physio does it and she's very experienced

Tinysalmonswimminginastream · 12/07/2021 20:59

It's not woo - it's nothing to do with 'energy lines' but it can stimulate certain nerves and nerve endings which can in turn have an effect on the body. It's supposed to work very well for peripheral neuropathy for example.

ThePlantsitter · 12/07/2021 21:01

Turned my baby from breech position! I was skeptical but she (the baby) wriggled massively during the session and was the right way round on a scan that afternoon.

CandyLeBonBon · 12/07/2021 21:03

@beastlyslumber

Maybe it is better for certain things than others? I have an autoimmune condition and am trying to relieve some of the symptoms of that. But sounds like many of you had it for pain relief.
Bearing in mind vets use it for pain relief - and I'm not sure placebos work on animals - with a degree of success, I'd say it was more scientific than 'woo'
ForeverAintEnough3 · 12/07/2021 21:04

@TheFoundations ok so in your view I had acupuncture and did ivf. At egg collection I got 4 eggs , 2 fertilised and by day 5 the embryo transferred was a poor quality grade and my progesterone was low. I didn’t get pregnant.

My friend did acupuncture and ivf. She got 20 eggs, all fertilised and 15 made it to day 5 top quality AA graded blastocysts. She sent them for PGS testing and 11 came back top graded genetically normal embryos. She then got all her levels tested. She had a perfect lining and excellent progesterone for transfer and she got pregnant.

You are saying acupuncture is the reason she got pregnant. It’s not. It was her spectacular ivf outcomes. I didn’t get pregnant. I had terrible ivf outcomes. Acupuncture couldn’t do anything to fix that. It can’t cure infertility and help with successful ivf or not.

But it’s interesting to see that as a practitioner in the field you would claim that acupuncture led to my friends pregnancy. Would you also claim acupuncture is responsible for my inability to get pregnant? Somehow I doubt it.

TheFoundations · 12/07/2021 21:05

@Tinysalmonswimminginastream

It's not woo - it's nothing to do with 'energy lines' but it can stimulate certain nerves and nerve endings which can in turn have an effect on the body. It's supposed to work very well for peripheral neuropathy for example.
That's a very western interpretation of it, and doesn't cover more than about a quarter of what's actually going on with regard to pressure points and the meridian system (which I guess you could call 'energy lines', like you could call blood 'energy juice')
TheVolturi · 12/07/2021 21:11

I've not had it myself but pressure points are a real thing! I remember one of my dc as a baby with bad colic, and I read that massaging a certain part of their foot helped, it really did!! 🤣

VanGoghsDog · 12/07/2021 21:11

Bearing in mind vets use it for pain relief - and I'm not sure placebos work on animals

Funnily enough, studies have shown placebos work on horses.

OldTinHat · 12/07/2021 21:13

It's a treatment offered by the NHS so can't be that useless.

TheFoundations · 12/07/2021 21:14

@ForeverAintEnough3

I didn't claim that acupuncture led to your friend's pregnancy, because I don't know that. You can't claim that it didn't, because you don't know that. You seem to think we're having some sort of Chinese-medicine-off. We're not.

You don't need to believe in it, and I can't prove, and am not interested in proving, that you or anybody else should. My point is that it works for a lot of people for a lot of things a lot of the time, so I think it's a shame for an individual to rule it out if it didn't work for them after one unsuccessful experience.

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 12/07/2021 21:18

Sorry to hijack, but has anyone ever used acupuncture for tmjd? It's been recommended but I'm slightly wary of it making things worse

Very good and really effective IME

PumpkinPie2016 · 12/07/2021 21:19

I've had acupuncture for a spinal/neck problem and it helped a lot in terms of relaxing the muscles, getting blood flow going and ultimately, reducing pain.

It was done by my excellent, private physio though who treats my flare ups fairly regularly. She really is brilliant at what she does and explained everything really well.

I can imagine if it's done by someone inexperienced it may not be beneficial.

Popcornbetty · 12/07/2021 21:20

They just haven't hit the sweet spot op! I thought the same as you until i had it on my back and it actually worked brilliantly. Omg when it was in the right place the needle started to jump with the blood flow and it alleviated a huge knot in the muscle and helped heal my shoulder. I now think it is amazing if done by the right person and would love a session esp post dc (i have lots of knots!)

Sleeplessem · 12/07/2021 21:20

So I think it depends on your practitioner. I have Pcos (my cycle was all over the place)and DH had ‘variable sperm parameters’ we were told we’d need ivf and icsi. I saw one lady for 6 months and it did sweet f.a, and I was thinking what’s the point of this but then I saw a different practitioner who had a totally different methodology and DH sperm parameters improved in 3 months and I fell pregnant. So your practitioner is the key here. I think the zita west school is renowned.

If you’re in communtable distance of Solihull west mids- happy to recommend the guy I saw.