Acupuncture

Gray · 18 October 2006, 02:21

I'm interested to know if anyone has tried acupuncture and whether or not they saw results from it, especially experiences regarding asthma and eczema.

I hear lots of good things but you never know whether its actually really as good as people say it is.

Some 1st hand testimonials would be great before I go and shell out the cash to find nothing happens!

Thanks

codprawn · 18 October 2006, 03:05

It's no good for ribs apparently - can make the problem worse....

Lets go boating · 18 October 2006, 12:34

Spssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss sssssssssss

Jono · 18 October 2006, 13:24

My wife has acupuncture for her calf pain…..and swears by it ! I think it's a load of old tosh and pay a Registered Physiotherapist huge amounts of money to keep my shoulder mobile .. I swear it is the Placebo effect.. she swears..at me

.… That doesn’t help much, does it? Try it and see how it affects you.

Brian · 18 October 2006, 14:52

Nah.
Placebo effect.

Jono · 18 October 2006, 15:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian

Nah.
Placebo effect.

...but the power of Placebo/Auto-suggestion has been proven. The brain is a complex organ.. who knows if it will work for what you need.

Gray · 18 October 2006, 19:08

Placebo could be used to explan the reduction in pain but for something like eczema which is visible and also asthma then it must either work or it doesn't!

Might have to give it a go and see what happens. How much do the sessions cost roughly?

ian parkes · 18 October 2006, 21:06

My experience was amazing .
I used to do a LOT of kayaking and combined with a heavy job at the time I ended up with a combination of Tinosynovitus Carpel tunnel and an elbow problem something like tennis elbow.

My Doctor wanted to inject with Cortizone and felt certain I would need an operation .

I couldn't even pour a kettle at the time and had a huge lump on my wrist

I had just read a book about a guy called Paul Caffyn who kayaked around Autralia and Newzealand and he had acupuncture for similar wrist problems .

Well 3 10 minute sessions of the needles and I was pretty good , and to this day have not needed an op.
I have been back for a couple more treatments over the years usually when I have been overdoing it .

When the doctor was doing the acupuncture he put 3 needles around my thumb joint and the muscles in my lower arm were twitching and tingling , I asked why but he didn't know , just said it was the healing taking place .

Give it a go there is nothing to loose unlike Cortizone and other treatments . It cost nothing my GP did it , and I believe there are quite a few Acupuncture clinics run by Local Gp's

Gray · 18 October 2006, 21:57

Thanks Ian - thats sealed it, first stop will be the GP!

ian parkes · 18 October 2006, 22:19

My gp was reluctant to do the acupuncture . I had to persuade him . He didn't think it was any good for my sort of problems , and admitted he was surprised at the results. So be persuasive .

Jono · 19 October 2006, 06:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gray

Placebo could be used to explan the reduction in pain but for something like eczema which is visible and also asthma then it must either work or it doesn't!

........

A lot of eczma and asthma can be triggered by stress and thus can be controlled by the mind......

Rich L · 19 October 2006, 09:05

I had acupuncture in my spine - once. NEVER AGAIN. Thick 3 inch needles all the way in......

I can't even describe the pain

(and this guy was an expert).

I've heard good things for other problems though (and they use much smaller needles, just under the skin!)

NautiAndNice · 19 October 2006, 09:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by ian parkes

When the doctor was doing the acupuncture he put 3 needles around my thumb joint and the muscles in my lower arm were twitching and tingling , I asked why but he didn't know , just said it was the healing taking place .

Practitioner not able to explain side effects

This would concern me...

codprawn · 19 October 2006, 13:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rich L

I had acupuncture in my spine - once. NEVER AGAIN. Thick 3 inch needles all the way in......

I can't even describe the pain

(and this guy was an expert).

I've heard good things for other problems though (and they use much smaller needles, just under the skin!)

Sounds more like a lumber puncture to me....

Rich L · 19 October 2006, 14:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by codprawn

Sounds more like a lumber puncture to me....

I think I know what I had thanks.

This was for a back problem for which I have also had an equally unpleasant epidural. Muscle spasm makes the whole procedure much harder.

ian parkes · 19 October 2006, 20:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by NautiAndNice

Practitioner not able to explain side effects

This would concern me...

Fair comment I guess , but I have heard enough of the side effects of Cortizone and the build up in the body , and the chances of infection and operations going wrong ,
I figure what harm can 3 needles do just under the skin < very little .

Iam no acupuncture exspert and I admire the doctor for his honesty but it seems to me there is a lot we don't understand about many things medical and modern medicine is often ignorant to older cures which were proved to work , and it seems the more open minded are exploring this.

Gray · 20 October 2006, 00:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jono

A lot of eczma and asthma can be triggered by stress and thus can be controlled by the mind......

So are you saying that stress is all in the mind and doesn't really exist?

Mines also linked to allergies which makes going home to the parent's place a nightmare - 3 dogs and a cat!

Ideally i'm looking for a cure....although I know this is most likely improbable. What would be nice though is to be in a situation where I don't need put cream on every day, especially when i get out the shower and my skin feels drier than a nun's.....

Jono · 20 October 2006, 06:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gray

So are you saying that stress is all in the mind and doesn't really exist?

Eh?...

I'm not saying that at all. Stress is a mental illness, is what I'm saying and some forms of eczema are triggered by stress, like mine is. Therefore these can be controlled in two ways.. "regular" drugs or improvement in mental health bought about by some other reason. I use alcohol…. Just to relieve stress, you understand?

jwalker · 20 October 2006, 11:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by NautiAndNice

Practitioner not able to explain side effects

This would concern me...

Not at all. Do you think they know exactly how all the drugs work?

Did you folk not have the TV series a while back which attempted to explain a few of the less well understood alternative medical techniques. Acupuncture was one of the series and dealt with in some depth. I can't remember all the details but the conclusion was that the acupuncture affected the brain in a way that caused it to trigger the output of our natural pain relief chemicals. I cant remember whether our natural healing chemicals were also involved. One of the interesting findings was that rotating the needles had a greater effect.

I had a conversation with a doc after reading about many drug trials where the results of testing a medicine are compared with the effect of a placebo and the placebo generated cures in many of the test group. It is thought that, far from a placebo indicating that a condition is more or less imaginary, the belief in the patient that a drug will help causes the brain to initiate a healing process. I believe the mechanism is little understood.

However, my point is that a patient who benefits from a placebo should not be thought of as in some way being week, a skiver or hypochondriac.

Personally, I think that being able to cure oneself by belief must a good thing.

The Garfish · 20 October 2006, 12:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jono

The brain is a complex organ..

nott inn codspawns caise.

gaRf