Back pain is the UK’s leading cause of disability and one of the main reasons for work-related sickness absence. The NICE guidelines mean that patients with persistent low back pain can now receive free acupuncture treatments on the NHS.

Most people will suffer from low back pain at some time in their lives. It can be caused by minor injuries such as muscle strains and sprains, pregnancy, infection, stress and poor sleep. NHS funded research shows that acupuncture is one of the safest and most cost-effective treatments for chronic low back pain. By inserting fine needles into different parts of the body, acupuncture may provide long term pain relief, reduce inflammation and improve muscle stiffness.

Sean Barkes acupuncturist and British Acupuncture Council member said: “Back pain is one of the most common complaints I see patients about. With traditional acupuncture we look at the root of the condition as well as the symptoms in order to try and promote longer term health and wellbeing. So it’s important to recognise that each patient is different and cases of back pain should be viewed in the context of the overall health of the individual”.

“Traditional acupuncture has been used for over 2,000 years and British Acupuncture Council members have for many years been successfully treating patients for back pain either in private practice or working within the NHS. The NICE guidelines are a rubber stamp of the positive work already being undertaken as well as an endorsement of the wealth of research evidence now available in this area”.

Doctor Mekala Mahalingam from the Branston and Heighington Family Practice regularly sees patients with recurring back pain. She said: “Historically as acupuncture has not readily been available on the NHS, we have referred patients to private clinics for acupuncture. It is very useful to have an alternative therapy to refer patients to when they do not respond to other treatments and those sufferers who have received acupuncture, have often improved. The NICE guidance will only improve treatment for patients and therefore the more schemes that are introduced in practices, the better for sufferers”.

It is essential for patients to choose an acupuncturist who is registered with a professional body. British Acupuncture Council members have extensive training in acupuncture and bio medical sciences appropriate to the practice of acupuncture in the UK. They are bound by strict codes of ethics and safe practice.

Posted Wednesday, November 18th, 2009 by Sue Bartucca

The technique that involves inserting hair-thin acupuncture needles up to various depths in the skin in order to relieve pain is known as acupuncture. Treated through acupuncture are weight loss, sinus headaches, asthma and eczema, and to help people who want to quit smoking.

Using Acupuncture Needles For Treatment

Series of weekly treatments are involved in the therapy and including in each visit are exam and assessment of patient’s current condition, then subsequently is the insertion of acupuncture needles, with each session lasting almost 30 minutes.

Along the course, patient might feel a sharp but mild pain when needles are inserted giving a deep aching sensation when needle reached the correct depth but the procedure is not that painful.

Kinds Of Acupuncture Filaments

Available extensive range of acupuncture needles to include are tube copper needle, with tube extra long copper needle, without tube copper needle, spiral handle needle, golden coated needle, right hand needle, steel handle needle, Nickel-coated needle, aluminum handle needle and flat handle needle.

Since they are very thin and quite flexible, stainless steel needles are what most of the practitioners prefer to use. These not reusable needles are just inserted a little bit.

Doing Acupuncture With No Needles

Certain interconnected points, known as meridians, throughout the body are stimulated by applying acupuncture. What positively respond to stimulation resulting to relief of pain and overall sense of well-being are the limbs, organs including these meridians.

Acupuncture Treatments for Smoking

I am frequently asked if acupuncture can help with smoking cessation. The answer is a qualified “Yes.”

I have found that acupuncture can be very helpful with the cravings experienced when trying to quit. The calming effect and increased lung function can be immediate. Chinese herbal medicine formulas can also help with the anxiousness and irritability that many people experience.

The core treatment I use is the stimulation of points in the ears, which is known as auriculotherapy. Auriculotherapy can be prolonged by applying semi-permanent needles (they look like tiny stud earrings, but don’t go all the way through) or non-penetrating magnets to the points in the ears. This can be a real advantage and greatly increase the likelihood of success.

If I use the semi-permanent approach, I find I only need to treat a motivated smoker once or twice. Some acupuncturists offer a flexible series of treatments for a fixed price. This can also be a good way to go – it ensures a patient can come in as needed during the critical first couple of weeks.

I dislike the idea of using nicotine patches or gum. However, using negative reinforcement and/or relaxation techniques can be a big help in altering the mental and social aspects of the addiction. Combined with acupuncture, they can be enough to help you make the fabulous change into a non-smoker.

Acupuncture To Cure Fertility

Because they are used as aides to fertility, there are many questions which surround acupuncture and IVF. Some studies have found that acupuncture can be an effective treatment for certain types of infertility. Knowing which types of fertility apply in this regard and which do not is the first step in understanding the use of this treatment for IVF.

Acupuncture is not a one-time cure for any ailment. Acupuncture is usually not a treatment that is used by itself. Along with acupuncture, one is usually given herbal treatment. One should consult with their doctor before taking any recommended herbs in case there are contraindications with any other medications being used.

After a woman is pregnant, there are certain points that should not be stimulated by acupuncture. Any herbal treatments being used should be reassessed once the woman is with child, as well.

There are good reasons why many women consider both acupuncture and IVF. Before IVF, acupuncture is often used to treat fertility conditions including spasmed tubes which are seen to be reduced with the application of acupuncture. Acupuncture is also used to treat unexplained infertility and sometimes to treat infertility in the male partner.

Acupuncture will not treat certain types of fertility conditions. Blocked tubes, for instance, will not respond to acupuncture. Acupuncture and IVF are both types of medical intervention that require a solid professional. In most states, one needs to have an active license to work as an acupuncturist. Be certain any practitioner used has such certification and that they have expertise in treating pregnancy and fertility issues before engaging their services.

While the syndrome’s cause remains mysterious, researchers believe it is linked to a highly active sympathetic nervous system, part of the body’s internal controls that regulate several functions one cannot willingly manage, such as how wide one’s pupils dilate.

In the study, women with polycystic ovarian syndrome were separated into three groups: one group received regular electro-acupuncture, in which weak electric current is sent through the needles; another group was given heart-rate monitors and told to exercise three or more times per week; the last group was given no additional treatment or instructions. After a four-month period, women in the acupuncture and exercise groups ended up with lower sympathetic nervous system activity, though the acupuncture group received additional benefits, the researchers found.

“Those who received acupuncture found that their menstruation became more normal. We could also see that their levels of testosterone became significantly lower, and this is an important observation, since elevated testosterone levels are closely connected with the increased activity in the sympathetic nervous system of women,” study author Elisabet Stener-Victorin, an associate professor who has led the research at the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, said in a news release issued by the institution.

Pain is a feeling triggered in the nervous system. It may be sharp or dull, off-and-on or steady, localized or all over. Although pain usually goes away once the underlying problem is removed, it can last for weeks, months, or even years.

To relieve their pain, many people take over-the-counter medications including aspirin, naproxen, and ibuprofen. Stronger medications, including NSAIDs in higher dosages and narcotics, are available only by prescription.

People may also try non-drug approaches to help relieve their pain, including physical and occupational therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, self-care techniques, and complementary and alternative therapies, such as spinal manipulation or acupuncture.

From the Chinese medicine perspective, pain is caused by two energy imbalances. One is the blockage of energy channels. Energy or qi needs to flow smoothly to maintain normal function of body and mind. Wherever there is blockage of energy channels, there will be pain existing in the area. In other words, when energy is stagnated in the area, it causes pain.

The factors that are involved in causing the blockage of energy channels (also called meridians) include physical trauma, emotional distress, and excessive pathogenic energy from the environment, such as heat, cold, and dampness. Insect bites and excessive alcohol intake contribute to the problem as well. This type of pain is usually acute, severe, or intermittent, and it is migrating or fixed.

The other type of pain is principally caused by a deficient amount of energy moving in the body or body aches due to lack of nutrition supplied through good circulation. This type of pain is normally dull, chronic, and consistent and is in a fixed location. Very often, people have pain caused by both of above conditions.

Acupuncture treatment is often used after the evaluation of energy channels and determining the types of energy imbalances that are present.

Acupuncture needles can always be placed at areas of tenderness, called Ashi points. In addition, a combination of acupuncture points should be selected to address the energy imbalance in the related meridians. For example, for a middle-aged man with chronic lower back pain caused by deficient qi in the kidney and bladder meridians, some points on the kidney and bladder meridians will be selected.

Also, the points in the spleen and stomach meridians may be chosen because they are supportive of kidney and bladder energy. There are a couple of points on the back of hands that are very useful for back pain.

After the points are selected, the techniques of inserting and manipulating the needle may differ based on the whether the energy is blocked or deficient. For example, if energy is blocked, a needle should be inserted against the direction of the energy flow and twisted counterclockwise. If energy is deficient, the needle is inserted to the direction of the energy flow and twisted clockwise.

Traditionally, people receive acupuncture on a daily basis targeting certain conditions. In the United States, people receive treatments once or twice a week due to financial and time constraints. People need to have persistent courses of treatment in order to fully benefit.

Acupuncture is being studied for its efficacy in alleviating many kinds of pain. There are promising findings in some conditions, such as chronic low-back pain and osteoarthritis of the knee. The problem with research is that it often fails to make accurate evaluation of energy imbalances of each patient, and it does not treat frequently and persistently enough to demonstrate its effectiveness is greater than placebo needling.

In animal studies, acupuncture seems to be able to stimulate the production of endorphins and regulate neurotransmitters. Neurophysiologic studies in humans indicate that acupuncture can reduce the electrical activity in the area of brain involved in the perception of pain. However, none of these findings can explain the dramatic and rapid reduction of pain.

Acupuncture is generally considered safe when performed by an experienced practitioner using sterile needles. Relatively few complications from acupuncture have been reported. Serious adverse events related to acupuncture are rare, but include infections and punctured organs.

Additionally, there are fewer adverse effects associated with acupuncture than with many standard drug treatments (such as anti-inflammatory medication and steroid injections) used to manage painful musculoskeletal conditions like fibromyalgia, myofascial pain, osteoarthritis, and tennis elbow.

 The study showed that acupuncture increases the binding availability of mu-opioid receptors in regions of the brain that process and weaken pain signals — specifically the cingulate, insula, caudate, thalamus and amygdala. By directly stimulating these chemicals, acupuncture can affect the brain’s long-term ability to regulate pain, the study found.

A report on the findings is in the September issue of NeuroImage.

Using positron emission tomography scans of the brain, the researchers examined 20 women with fibromyalgia, a chronic pain condition. The women took no new medications for their pain during the study period.

“The increased binding availability of these receptors was associated with reductions in pain,” Richard Harris, a researcher at the University of Michigan’s Chronic Pain and Fatigue Research Center and a research assistant professor of anesthesiology at the University of Michigan Medical School, said in a news release from the university.

What’s more, Harris said, the findings could prompt doctors to use morphine and other opioid drugs with greater pain-killing effectiveness after treatment with acupuncture because those drugs bind to the same receptors.

Acupuncture has been used in China for more than 2,000 years. Practitioners insert sharp, thin needles into the body at specific points. Today, people worldwide turn to acupuncture for relief from pain, allergies, respiratory ailments, gastrointestinal disorders and gynecological problems.

Chinese healers claim that acupuncture and traditional remedies work by altering the flow of the body’s energy. Practitioners of Western medicine, which follows a more scientific approach, have been investigating exactly how acupuncture works — or may not work — for a number of years.

The first thing that many people try on the road to becoming a non-smoker is patches. These patches work by putting the addictive nicotine back in to the body therefore reducing your craving to smoke. The problem is that your body is still used to receiving nicotine, and as soon as you stop wearing the patches you will instantly reach for the smokes to satisfy this craving.

Another popular treatment for people who wish to stop smoking is hypnosis. Hypnosis is meant to work by strengthening your will power. It does this by repeating over and over again that you don’t want to and don’t need to smoke. This is all done while the patient is in a relaxed hypnotic state making the subconscious more open to outside suggestion. Hypnosis practitioners claim that taking part in these sessions will increase your chances of stopping smoking by 1000%. This jump goes from just 6%, with will power alone, to 60% with hypnosis sessions. The main problem with this form of treatment is that you have to believe 100% in hypnosis itself and as there is no real scientific evidence to back it up that can be very difficult for many people.

Acupuncture works by placing long thin needles at specific points all over the body. This will stimulate blood flow, therefore increasing the amount of oxygen that is delivered around your body and the number of toxins that are flushed out. These points are known as acupoints and have been used for thousands of years to help cure all sorts of ailments. But when it comes to smoking acupuncture is so effective because it deals with the main reason that most people smoke in the first place, stress. Experts claim that acupuncture has a success rate of around 85 and 90%, which would make it one of the most successful procedures for helping people quit smoking. The procedure helps relax the mind and releases endorphins in the body. These endorphins will give you an enhanced feeling of wellbeing and will block out any of the negative feelings associated with withdrawal symptoms.

It is thought that the majority of people who quit smoking will relapse at some point or another no matter what treatment they use. This makes your own will power the ultimate tool in the battle to quit the smokes. So in the end it comes down to one simple question, how much longer do you want to live?

Details were presented to the prestigious North American Conference on Complementary and Integrative Medicine by Professor Suzanne McDonough, Dr Siobhan McCann and Ms Ruth Hunter from the Schools of Health Sciences and Psychology at Ulster.

They said small acupuncture needles in the ear are potentially a very cost effective and innovative approach that could be easily combined with other treatments such as exercise.

Professor McDonough said: “The main findings from this study are that a combined approach - acupuncture and supervised exercise classes - improves the management of low back pain more than exercise classes alone.

“These results are very timely, given the recent publication of National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines.

“NICE is recommending a course of acupuncture or supervised exercise classes (as tested in the Ulster trial) for people with low back pain.  However, more work needs to be done on how these treatments might be combined in large scale studies in an NHS setting.”

Dr McCann said the results produced evidence of well-being effects generally.

“The participants reported that the programme had a range of psychological as well as physical benefits and the treatment had, for many, a huge impact on their quality of life.”

The conference organisers received more than 1,000 research submissions. Of those selected for delivery, just 12% came from outside North America.

In their presentations, Professor McDonough and Miss Ruth Hunter, who is a PhD student, discussed how the project was developed and its key research findings, while Dr Siobhan McCann focused on the participants’ experiences of receiving acupuncture and exercise.  

Auricular acupuncture is commonly used in the treatment of people with substance misuse to reduce cravings and other withdrawal symptoms. A recent and largely untested development has been the use of needles in the ear for treating painful conditions.

It is considered a microsystem of acupuncture and was developed in France after World War II by Dr Paul Nogier, who proposed that a relationship exists between different anatomic areas of the body and specific points on the ear.

The preliminary research study, which is part of an ongoing research programme at Ulster, was funded by the Public Health Agency for Northern Ireland through its Research and Development Office

* Ask if the practitioner is willing to work as a partner with your medical doctor.

* Will he or she take time to listen to the reasons you are seeking help?

* Make sure needles are single-use and disposable.

* If herbs are prescribed, check all interactions with prescription drugs.

* Check with your insurance carrier in advance of treatment: Some cover acupuncture and others don’t. Still others will cover it to treat only certain conditions.

* Any acupuncture practitioner you consider should be licensed. Requirements vary by jurisdiction.

* For more information