does acupuncture really work?

It worked for me when I had a "frozen shoulder" my physio is trained in acupuncture, it took quite a few sessions, but it did help.

It worked for me when I had really bad sciatica, it was the last thing they tried at my surgery and the only thing that worked at all, I wasn't expecting it to work and didn't really want it, but was so glad that I did. It only lasted for a while, a day perhaps at a time, but after about 3 treatments it started to get better altogether.

In China acupuncture is sometimes used successfully instead of general anaesthetics for operations. One of Richard Nixon's officials had an emergency appendectomy under acupuncture. My son has been a guinea pig and attests that it does have painkilling effects.

Can’t speak for it personally but my daughter had it for very irregular periods and she was desperate to start a family - they even went through IVF and it failed, but she went for it and not only did it sort out her periods she fell pregnant with her miracle baby.

I'm afraid Nixon's report of surgery turned out to be Fake News. Anaesthesia by acupuncture remains a phenomenon often quoted, but as yet unwitnessed by a Western observer.

travelsafar, - read Bad Science by Ben Goldacre and then make your mind up.

In the hands of a good practitioner it can be very helpful, I think. Really helped my sciatica when used by an osteo path.

I understand that acupuncture has been the primary healthcare system for a quarter of the worlds population for at least 2000 years. Quite an impressive track record, don’t you think?
Has it occurred to any of those hooked on scientific evidence/proof that science simply doesn’t know hoe acupuncture works? The nature of (good) science is to discover facts. So it may well be that sometime in the future science will discover how acupuncture works. If ancient Chinese medical philosophy is correct, and it certainly seems that a lot of us have benefitted from it, the acupuncture meridians and the energy (chi) which flows along them is very subtle. Maybe it is too subtle to be measured by methods and instruments currently in use in scientific laboratories in developed countries. So, dismissing the experience of So many people is rather like suggesting that that we should all have jumped off mountains before Isaac Newton understood and explained his theory of gravity to us.
It does seem expensive, but then so is western medicine, which I guess is why the NHS is in such dire straits. And, of course, doesnt always work despite being scientifically defensible.
If you are suffering it is definitely worth a try because of its good track record and very low incidence of reported negative side effects. Good luck travelsafar, and let us know how it goes.

I was diagnosed with a frozen shoulder and tennis elbow at Christmas - I've had 10 treatments with acupuncture - and lots of exercises to do - it was painful - but now both are almost healed in remarkable time and without any need for steroid injections. I'd have no hesitation in recommending it.

It worked for my frozen shoulder when cortisone injections failed and pain killers were useless. The acupuncture was done on the NHS, I was sceptical but was desperate to try anything!

exalted wombat
A Chinese friend was training as a western-type doctor inShanghai during the industrial revolution. She was never able to qualify as the entire class was ordered to go and work on the land by the authorities . Before she left, the last operation she saw was on the chest. It was controlled by 4 acupuncturists each needling 1 limb.
The patient was awake the whole time; the site of the operation being shielded from him by a sheet held by another 2 people. The operation was successful. and she assured me that chest operations were often controlled by acupuncture
My medically qualified husband( English) also went to Beijing to qualify as an acupuncturist. He was very successful but his dealings with patients in the uK were limited because of cost factors. The insurance payments required were large and as he devoted far more time to each patient than he had in orthodox medicine, treating them left us out of pocket. He had always felt that medical treatment should be available to all!

Hi, this treatment worked for me. I was suffering from a chronic headache, I have tried different treatments and consulted several doctors. But nothing worked better. One of my friends told me about this treatment and an acupuncture center in Mississauga. I am really satisfied with the treatment. They used a sterile, hair-thin, disposable needle for this treatment. These needles are placed at various depths into the affected area. After inserting the needles, they kept them there for a few minutes, sometimes up to 20 minutes. But before taking the treatment, make sure that you are going to consult a registered therapist.

The science shows that it does not work for back pain (so it’s outrageous that NHS physios use it). I haven’t read the scientific papers on other ailments. No doubt much of the time, it works due to the placebo effect, but that is still a good result of course.

So, Stella14, the science shows it doesn’t work for back pain but several people tell us it did for them. Interesting.

I studied Holistic Therapies for two years at college 16 years ago and learned the theory of Acupuncture when training in Reflexology which I know works. If possible go to a Chinese Acupuncturist, they are very skilled. www.acupuncture.org.uk/public-content/public-traditional-acupuncture/history-of-acupuncture.html

Mumseyface, the science isn’t about knowing how it works (we don’t know how many drugs work, but still accept they do), it about robust, well controlled, double blind (neither the administrater or the subject knows if it’s the real thing), large studies. Two well controlled groups (for age, type of pain, other treatments, etc) are administered either genuine acupuncture or a placebo.

I understand what a double blind study is. I just don’t understand how scientists and others dismiss the (anecdotal) experiences of mature and intelligent adults as somehow invalid because it doesn’t fit in with their findings or belief.

We could expand on a critique of science, there are numerous examples of scientific findings being dismissed or hidden when they don’t support the preferred hypothesis. But that’s a whole new debate!

its worked for me too, loads of times. I'd say go for it - nothing ventured nothing gained - and if it does the trick you will be so much better off than stuffing yourself full of painkillers etc etc.

I had it from a physio for long standing bursitis in both hips and it worked. Thankfully.

It can work. I have had three different practitioners.
It did n othing for my frozen should with the first; worked a treat with the second, and sometimes works, othertimes not with the third...
You will lose nothing by trying.
Good luck - and I hope the pain/numbness lessens.

Both my DH and I have had good results from acupuncture. Whether it works or not depends to my mind on how skilled the practitioner is and what kind of problem you need treatment for.

Travalsafar I would start by consulting my chiropractor with the problems you describe, as I know she will be able to help (actually cure them completely).

If or when I run into a problem she can't help me with, I shall certainly try acupuncture for it.

I certainly worked for my tennis elbow even though the injections did not work.

I didn’t say it doesn’t work for anything. I said, it doesn’t work for back pain. Regarding the anecdotal evidence you refer to Mumseyface, since you know so much, you’ll know about the placibo effect, yes? How are you so certain that you are right, and the science is wrong? ?

Can you explain, Stella, how it is possible to do a double blind trial for acupuncture?