When Helen Todd, 53, suffered a prolapsed disc, she was told by her osteopath that surgery was inevitable. In an attempt to avoid an operation, she decided to visit an acupuncturist who told her that they could help – but that it would take time. Six months and several sessions later, she was back to her normal self – even going on long walks and climbing mountains.
“I have no knowledge of any parallel universe, so I can’t compare what my life without acupuncture would be like to see exactly how much it has helped, but my feeling is that it does help me, so I won’t stop. Equally, I recognise that it is good to meet a qualified doctor on a regular basis for a one-to-one session lasting 45 minutes.”
Myra Walder, 68, had a very different experience. Four years ago she went to a traditional Chinese medicine centre for acupuncture to treat her tinnitus. She hated every minute of it – describing the treatment as expensive and ineffective. “No amount of acupuncture helped and the silly thing was that, at the beginning of treatment, the lady took a towel and rubbed my head as you would when your hair has been washed. I reasoned, Myra, my dear, you can do this yourself at home.”
These two contrasting stories were sent to the Guardian in response to a call-out asking our readers whether acupuncture has helped them. It follows new draft guidelines released by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) which suggest that acupuncture may be no better than a placebo in treating those with lower back pain and sciatica. The report found that there have now been a large number of scientific trials looking into the effectiveness of acupuncture but that there was still no “compelling and consistent evidence” that it works. Instead, tailored exercise is much better for you, according to Nice.
Without questioning the science behind Nice’s findings, we wanted to hear people’s experiences – looking at the reasons why some felt it was effective for them. Our survey was responded to by 144 people, and while it’s difficult to draw any broad conclusions, it’s worth noting that 96 people said they found acupuncture effective (although 15 people didn’t answer this question).
Acupuncture is magic for some but torture for others
Interestingly, the range of experiences differed greatly among our respondents. For some, it was close to magic in terms of its effectiveness, while others described it as useless.
Andy Walton, 46, says: “I was very pessimistic at first, but immediately after the treatment my back had eased significantly. I can only describe it as magic. I have no idea how it works, it just does. The Nice recommendations won’t stop me from using acupuncture. I’ve had it several times now for various back injuries and it’s worked every time.”
At the other end of the scale, Neil, 48, who has spondylolisthesis that gives him constant back pain, found it made no difference at all. He actually found the experience quite unpleasant, and concluded that if evidence didn’t support the use of acupuncture, then it should not be available on the NHS.
There was even disparity in the experiences of those treated for the same conditions. For example, Judith, 70, insisted that acupuncture did not work for people with rheumatoid arthritis. Conversely Kylie, 67, says: “It was fantastic for rheumatoid arthritis. My fingers were jammed and it got them moving and relieved the pain for several days after the first session, and several days again after the second session. I then booked a course. I also used Chinese herbal tablets, patches and topically applied oil, all containing the same herbs. It made a massive difference.”
Acupuncture can be particularly beneficial for emotional wellbeing
While not everyone found acupuncture effective for treating physical pain, many agreed that it could have a positive impact if the problem was emotional.
Michael, 59, developed terrible chest pains on learning his son had been lying to him about his university results. He tried painkillers and went to the hospital for checks but nothing worked. After seven acupuncture sessions he felt much better. “The problem was emotional,” he says. “The hospital checks and painkillers could do nothing about that. The acupuncture sessions unblocked my emotional energy. Conventional science thinks it knows everything. It doesn’t.”
Although Miranda, 52, found acupuncture wasn’t effective in treating the high eye pressure for which she originally sought help, she did find that her overall health improved: “The acupuncturist,” she says, “had the time to talk to me about my life choices, and about my general health which enabled me to improve my lifestyle through better diet, more exercise, stress reduction etc. This was something my GP would never have been able to do.”
She added that the hour-long session was in itself stress-relieving. “I am not currently using it but I think acupuncture has a place, even if it doesn’t cure any specific disease or condition. The Nice recommendation will not affect my decision … If acupuncture enables people to develop more healthy lifestyles or if they feel it is improving their health then it is a good thing.”
Not all types of acupuncture treatment are the same
It was stressed by many of those who responded that there are many different types of acupuncture, which have differing levels of effectiveness.
Catriona Mundle, 66, says: “Of the 10 or so [different acupuncture treatments] I have tried two had no impact, or I had a bad response. Acupuncturists … cannot all be bunched together. Sometimes a long programme of treatments is required to achieve deep and lasting improvement. For example, my mother always used to get pleurisy and pneumonia in the winter, but in the 20 years since she had at least three months of regular acupuncture treatments, she has never again experienced lung afflictions.” Alice, 40, agreed, saying that people shouldlearn about the types of acupuncture available. “There is traditional acupuncture or dry needling. Osteopaths, chiropractors, physios and doctors can practise this after a short course, while traditional acupuncturists train for a minimum of three years.” Warren, 41, also pointed out that not all people will respond in the same way: “Different treatments work for different people, there is no one size fits all. Acupuncture has helped millions of people with back pain, while many others have felt no benefit at all.”
- Have you had acupuncture? Do you feel that it worked for you? Share your stories and views in the comments below.
