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Original poster

Comments on acupuncture please

73 replies

theladylovescupcakes · 17/08/2015 20:41

I'm struggling with hip pain on one side. Physio has given me exercises to do, but has suggested accupuncture. Is it all bunkum or does anyone have experience of it actually helping with the pain? TIA.

OP posts:

CoteDAzur · 18/08/2015 10:22

"It works for me and that's what matters. Otherwise I'm confined to the house "

There are other placebo "treatments" that are much cheaper and don't involve having huge needles stuck into you. Have you tried homeopathy?

Mimigolightly · 18/08/2015 10:26

Acupuncture definitely works for me on muscle spasms and chronic pain in my neck and back. Having said that, you need to see a really good practitioner who knows what they're doing. I once had acupuncture from a very eminent Harley St consultant I was seeing for my neck pain who also did a bit of acupuncture and I had to tell him to stop as I was in agony.

Awholelottanosy · 18/08/2015 10:28

I've had it for back pain and it did help. Try it for yourself, don't listen to the nay sayers on this thread!

RealHuman · 18/08/2015 10:29

Interestingly Cote it seems that acupuncture can be a better placebo than sugar pills, perhaps due to the theatricality, expense, and discomfort of it.

BertrandRussell · 18/08/2015 10:32

People are just adding to the weight of evidence for it being placebo. Not that any more evidence is needed.

"Don't care how it works"
"Doesn't work for everyone/everything"
"Has to be the right person doing it"

ReallyNotAMorningPerson · 18/08/2015 10:50

I've had acupuncture in the past. I have to say that the first few times I have it I feel really spaced out. It's very strange. The very first time, I felt like I was floating down the aisle of my supermarket after. I tried it another year and the first session then too, I felt drunk afterwards. Sadly, I didn't get these feelings again on subsequent visits. I still have absolutely no idea how or why it managed to create those sensations/feelings after those first sessions.

However - the last practitioner I saw was quite painful. They were very highly recommended - and yet the needles hurt so much sometimes I even swore. Is that normal for acupuncture??

Don't do it anymore as was also pretty ££.

CiderwithBuda · 18/08/2015 13:19

I've had acupuncture that didn't hurt and some that did. Most doesn't but I have had issues with my Achilles tendon and depending on how tight the muscles are in my calf that can hurt.

The needles are not 'huge'. They are very fine.

Awholelottanosy · 18/08/2015 13:58

It shouldn't really hurt very much, like a small pinprick really. It may depend though on which area of the body it's done on as some areas can be more sensitive.

ReallyNotAMorningPerson · 18/08/2015 14:24

I think it might've just been the practitioner. It didn't seem to matter where the needles went - it hurt like buggery and it was 'ow', 'ouch' and sometimes 'f**k'!

Conversely I had some other acupuncture done where I barely noticed the needles.

Original poster

theladylovescupcakes · 18/08/2015 17:43

Thanks for all the replies everyone. Re cost, it's included within the cost of my appointment, which makes me think that it's worth giving it a try. My sensible head says that it shouldn't work, but it's worth trying it, I suppose. I'm only 41 so I don't want to be in pain for the rest of my life, and I also don't want to stop doing the things that cause the pain. I'll also check out the links. Thanks again.

OP posts:

Ilovecrapcrafts · 18/08/2015 17:46

Not sure some Of the doubters understand acupuncture. It's couldn't be further from huge needles. You can't even feel them

MatildaTheCat · 18/08/2015 17:50

I've had acupuncture several times for both shoulder pain and later back and sciatic pain. Both times from physios with quite limited training. All on the nhs.

It didn't make any difference in either case for me.
It also didn't hurt much at all or cause any discomfort so I would recommend giving it a go. I have heard that having an experienced (often Chinese) practitioner makes an enormous difference which I suppose is true of many therapies.

LeChien · 18/08/2015 18:09

A few years ago there was a program presented by the scientist from Rough Science.
"Woo" therapies were compared and tested, in a small way obviously.
Hypnotherapy was found to work, and iirc was used in China instead of anaesthetic in some cases.
Homeopathy had the same success rates as a placebo.
Acupuncture was found to be very interesting. They needled a patient whilst they were having an MRI scan. Needling in the wrong place produced no results, needling in the right place at the right depth showed amazing results on pain relief.

I've had acupuncture for asthma (brought on by stress). The first time I'd spent 4/5 years off and on steroids, having multiple asthma attacks, trouble with allergies. In desperation my mother took me to have acupuncture (I think I was 12-13 at the time), and it sorted it out. My asthma was then stable for the next 20 years.
Roll on the next time, very stressful year, asthma again out of control, steroids didn't work at all, increased inhalers did nothing.
I went to have acupuncture. I went in grey and struggling to breathe, and came out looking healthier than I had for months.

LeChien · 18/08/2015 18:11

Matildathecat, NHS physios and GPs will be qualified to perform acupuncture after a woefully short course.
A qualified acupuncturist will have studied for at least three years.
There's a huge difference.

MollyAir · 18/08/2015 18:31

Hmm, let's think, which might be better for long-term health - taking steroids for years, or acupuncture? Oh, I dunno, I really couldn't say.

Awholelottanosy · 18/08/2015 18:45

I had terrible spasms in my back a few years ago. I'd had homeopathy, deep tissue massage, an incredibly painful Thai massage where a little Thai lady stood on my back. I was desperate to get it sorted as I was due to go travelling for 4 months and I'd already had to change my flight, so I booked a session with a Chinese practitioner for a massage and a session of acupuncture. Within a few days about 80% of my pain ( which I'd had for 6 weeks) was gone and I was well enough to cope with a ten hour flight! I don't know how or why it worked but it did...

Awholelottanosy · 18/08/2015 18:46

Osteopathy NOT homeopathy, bloody kindle!

BertrandRussell · 18/08/2015 18:49

"
Hmm, let's think, which might be better for long-term health - taking steroids for years, or acupuncture? Oh, I dunno, I really couldn't say."

Depends, really. Is what you've got the sort of thing that gets better by itself or is susceptible to placebo?

How are you getting on with reading those papers?

MollyAir · 18/08/2015 19:13

Awholelottanosy · 18/08/2015 19:16

Unless you've actually experienced acupuncture yourself I don't really think you've got any right to comment on it. Back pain and various other ailments can be very hard to treat by 'traditional' methods and if you are suffering from chronic pain you'll try anything to cure it.

BertrandRussell · 18/08/2015 19:18

Unless you've actually experienced acupuncture yourself I don't really think you've got any right to comment on it.

Wow. Are you absolutely sure you agree with that statement you've just made?

Awholelottanosy · 18/08/2015 19:21

I've suffered back pain for 30 years and I've tried pretty much everything. Unless you are in a similar situation maybe you should stop sneering and let us encourage the OP to try it...

BertrandRussell · 18/08/2015 19:27

Why should I stand back and let people encourage the OP to waste her money and hope on something that has been proved not to work?

MollyAir · 18/08/2015 19:29

Why indeed.

Awholelottanosy · 18/08/2015 19:31

I will ask again, have you tried it yourself?

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