Tell me about acupuncture…

I had it for months for a kidney problem by a highly regarded accupunturist, it had no effect so I packed it in.
The minute I started steroids my kidney condition has started to improve so I am in the bunkum camp and happy with western medicine 🙂

And that’s the point – the best outcome is for eastern and western to co-exist happily! If I have an acute problem – e.g. a broken leg – I am delighted that western options are open to me. Horses for courses.

My experience of western med is poor and it hasn’t worked for me. My experience of eastern is positive.

Sancho has the opposite experience. Cool. Whatever works.

Individualised treatments for individuals based on individual needs/wants/preferences.

… unless the state’s paying for it using our taxes. In that case it’s reasonable to expect something with evidence that it works, not simply allowing the individual to decide that tiger penis or homeopathy or whatever is the best thing for his or her ailment.

If this guy reckons it’s bollocks I’ll go with that.

“The authority reminded the advertiser that testimonials did not constitute substantiation.” The plural of anecdote is not data. 🙂

its worked for me on my lower back pain on numerous occasions. i’m not expecting it to cure it however, but its far more effective for me than painkillers and diclofenac, which my doctor prescribes. so i don’t care what anyone else thinks, esp those who’ve never had it

Fueled – Member

Its my turn now: I’m not sure what your point is.

🙂

there is no conspiracy to hide ancient wisdom from us – it’s available, for free, now.

money is being spent researching it (acupuncture).

compared to some drugs, and surgery, acupuncture is cheap, effective*, and largely without side-effects, it’s great.

however, if/when the amd kicks in, it’ll be stem-cells and lasers for me please! Western medicine for the win!

(*at least as effective as placebo – which is not to be sniffed at)

Two points.

This idea that science cannot investigate some medicines is nonsense. Trials don’t only work on pills, they’ve been used to evaluate everything from blasting people with radiation to massage. Acupuncture repeatedly fails the tests.

Also, the low level niggles that people tend to seek out alternative cures for are the kind of things that come and go anyway, if you manage to get to your local shaman before it goes away on its own, then you think he cured you. That’s why you have to do large scale well run trials, not collect anecdotes.

If you have localised muscle pain, you need physio (call it “targeted exercise” if you prefer) to make the muscle different to how it is now – more different than a few small holes in it.

at least as effective as placeb

Seems an odd way of describing treatments, doesn’t it.

Are there many treatments that are actually less effective than placebo? What would you put into that category, a kick in the shins as treatment for a broken leg, perhaps? Trepanning?

Trepanning?

Sufficiently aggressive trepanning is actually an excellent and long-lasting cure for headaches. And all other aches.

@ webwonkmtber – I salute you, excellent first and subsequent posts, eloquently put and I’m with you on everything you say. I believe!! And it works for me too! As do so many other complimentary approaches to aid self-healing.

Unfortunately, and you’ve been here long enough by now to know, that you’re dealing with the soulless ‘if I cant see it, I don’t believe it’ STW massive here. Our black and white western culture is more eager to go to the western doctor, so a label can be put to their self-induced “dis-ease” and then happily consume lots of prescribed chemicals to mask the effects of something conjured by our own attitudes and beliefs and at the same time, feed the corporate drug dealer’s profits.

Topical – the Advertising Standards Authority have just ruled on acupuncture claims in a leaflet distributed by the Royal Hospital for Integrated Medicine

http://www.asa.org.uk/Rulings/Adjudications/2013/6/University-College-London-Hospitals/SHP_ADJ_166633.aspx

and here’s the Nightingale Collobaration (the complainant) take on it

http://www.nightingale-collaboration.org/news/150-getting-the-point.html

I was firmly in the bunkum camp, then whilst getting some physio on my shoulder, she asked if I minded some acupuncture, I think I smiled, and muttered under my breath, but she was nice and it would mean more hands on time so, “yeah sure, whatever” was my response.

I’m now firmly in the “I don’t know why, but it works” camp.

Utter complete woo. Complementary medicine that works is often called ‘medicine’. What next, the homeopathy crowd? If it worked we would see it in all the double-blind trials and I would also accept. We don’t. It’s all placebo.

Cougar:

Are there many treatments that are actually less effective than placebo? What would you put into that category, a kick in the shins as treatment for a broken leg, perhaps? Trepanning?

Look up the ‘nocebo’ effect. If you give something to someone and say it will be bad for them they have a response. Here’s a linky

I’ve had acupuncture for ITB – brilliant. The physio I was recommended off here just happened to do acupuncture so I tried it

I don’t like needles, but it hurts less than manual treatment, took several sessions to gradually loosen off the ITB along the full length but really helped me. Wouldn’t think twice about having it again.

Email in profile if you want any more details (or a recommendation for a place in Nottingham)

Thanks for all your comments, I think I’m going to give it a go and see for myself.

Any recommendations in Southampton or how I can find out which ones are reputable. Seems to be quite a few

Acupuncture definitely does work. The pressure points relate to meridians in your body, or somethin In fact i had a tattoo done and the accidental acupunture seerly damaged my lungs. I went down to the coast for some sea air to help me recover. Wouldn’t you know it, i ended up walking on a shingle beach, the inadvertent reflexology exacerbated the problem and i died as a result. Luckily i was cremated and the external heat matched my internal heat and the heat in my body which was causing my death, became relatively cold and so i was cured, of my death, my lungs are still a bit poorly.

Hope that helps

Never had it, but a colleague did acupuncture on nine prisoners from our wing today (part of the drug recovery programme we’re working on). Every one came back & said they felt totally chilled & relaxed (some of them even looked like they’d been on something else!) But they’ve all put their names down for the next session.
No-one said that they thought it hadn’t had an effect.

you’re dealing with the soulless ‘if I cant see it, I don’t believe it’ STW massive here. Our black and white western culture is more eager to go to the western doctor, so a label can be put to their self-induced “dis-ease”

😀 those pesky “scientists” and their need for “evidence” eh? bunch of curmudgeonly grumps only looking out for themselves they need to get with the program man and like, expand their minds, dude.

Placebo* effect can be pretty damn strong and being able to label an issue seems to make an impact and can be quite important to sufferers. Still think it’s a load of cobblers until we see some evidence

IANADoctor

*if that’s your bag have some flunky listening to your problems with a sincere face and then hand out sugar pills but i think we should be thinking carefully about spending serious public cash on placebo grade “medicine”

I’ve had loads of acupuncture for all manner of things over many years on account that my friend/teacher of thai boxing/chi kung was a traditional chinese doctor. Sometimes the results have been quite remarkable, sometimes it hasn’t worked. It has almost always resulted in a deep sense of well-being, to verify esselgruntfuttock’s comment. On one particular occasion the result was a really freaky sense of heightened awareness and intense relaxation and well-being exactly as if I had been administrated a powerful drug. All helped no doubt by the fact my chinese doc friend always encouraged me to meditate whilst the needles were in me, usually whilst buddhist chanting recordings were played and chinese joss sticks burnt. Nice to get that sort of hit without taking any chemicals. Acupuncture really needs to be administered by a traditional chinese doctor imo, as they are the real experts.

A few months ago I displaced my left side sacroiliac joint giving some unpleasant back pain. I know a very good osteopath who has also practiced acupuncture for many years. At its worst, I had pain running through my left buttock & down the back of my left leg to knee level.

She suggested we try the needles & I (half-jokingly) agreed despite being a non-believer. A short while later I felt a small amount of pressure behind my knee which soon made the pain in my leg feel like it was draining away – almost as if someone had turned a tap on and it was leaving me steadily but surely. Literally a couple of minutes later I had no leg pain whatsoever.

Didn’t attempt it on my back until a couple of sessions later (once the joint swelling had settled down) but it also had a noticeable impact on the pain I was in.

It may be mumbo-jumbo & the effects simply psychosomatic but it certainly made me feel a whole lot better.

Arthritis UK research

I struggle to believe in a lot complementary medicine as I think a lot of it is complete bunkum but the above report from Arthritis UK makes for interesting reading.

They also rate the safety of the treatment and both Chiropractice and Osteopathy are the only ones rated amber as in having commonly reported side effects

For those who believe in taking glucosamine or chondroitin they also did a survey of research papers on alternative medicines
Mostly bunkum