Acupuncture 

Introduction 

Acupuncture and the NHS

Use of acupuncture in the NHS is limited.

Most acupuncture patients pay for private treatment. The cost of acupuncture varies widely between practitioners. Initial sessions usually cost between £35 and £60, and further sessions between £25 and £50.

Acupuncture is a form of ancient Chinese medicine in which fine needles are inserted into the skin at certain points on the body.

It is a complementary or alternative medicine (CAM). This means that acupuncture is different in important ways from treatments that are part of conventional western medicine. Unlike conventional treatments, the use of acupuncture is not always based on scientific evidence.

Theory

Acupuncture is based on the belief that an energy, or 'life force', flows through the body in channels called meridians. This life force is known as Qi (pronounced 'chee'). Practitioners who adhere to traditional beliefs about acupuncture believe that when Qi cannot flow freely through the body, this can cause illness. They also believe that acupuncture can restore the flow of Qi, and so restore health.

Uses

Practitioners – called acupuncturists – use acupuncture to treat a wide range of health conditions. It is often used to treat pain conditions such as headache, lower back pain and dental pain, but is also commonly used against conditions ranging from infertility to anxiety and asthma. To learn more, see Common uses of acupuncture.

The availability of acupuncture on the NHS is limited (see box, left). Most acupuncture patients pay for private treatment.

Does it work?

There is some evidence that acupuncture works for a small number of conditions, including migraine and post-operative nausea. However, there is little or no scientific evidence that acupuncture works for many of the conditions for which it is often used. More scientific research is needed to establish whether acupuncture is effective against these and other conditions.

There is no scientific evidence for the existence of Qi or meridians. Some scientists and acupuncturists believe that acupuncture may stimulate nerves and muscle tissue, and that this may be responsible for the beneficial effects that have been observed in some scientific trials. More research is needed before acupuncture’s method of action is fully understood.

For more information, see Evidence for acupuncture. If you choose to have acupuncture, make sure that your acupuncturist is fully qualified and practises the treatment under safe and hygienic conditions.

Currently, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommends acupuncture as a treatment option only for lower back pain. Read the NICE 2009 guidelines on low back pain (PDF, 980kb).

Last reviewed: 18/03/2010

Next review due: 18/03/2012

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6 Comments

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Comments are personal views. Any information they give has not been checked and may not be accurate.

123kw said on 05 May 2011

I've used Acupuncture on many occaisions, particularily when the traditional routes have not proved entirely successful. When I was diagnosed with PCOS some years ago I was told that I would find it difficult to fall pregnant, yet with treatment I feel pregnant almost immediately, much to my GP's shock! I've also found it incredibly useful for joint pain (was referred by my physio), but it also helped with my monring sickness in pregnancy too. My mum has had success in the treatment of all sorts of conditions related to her ME and diabetes, and many friends and family members have had beneficial treatments alwell. It is important though to get a good practioner as it is not a regulated industry. Always look for the relevant qualifications and experience, and a personal recommendation.

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User528921 said on 14 February 2011

I undertook a three year full time training in Traditional Chinese Medicine and appropriate Wester Medical Science. When I trained over 20 years ago, the course was the only full-time one in Europe! In 1992, I went on a study tour organised by ICOM. Acupuncture is used extensively on the NHS in China and will always be available to everyone. Yes it does work. The Practitioner has to be trained appropriately; a short training is an insult. I trained as a midwife for one full year, so am I qualified? No I am not, as I did not complete the course. Please visit www.acupuncture.org.uk. You can also visit my website www.healthandacupuncture.co.uk. We have our eyes wide shut in this country. We all deserve good health.

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HumanMindAndBody said on 04 January 2011

To AlbertTeddy:
Thanks for your comments. I agree with you that it is very difficult to understand a traditional paradigm of a completely different healing system. To understand it, it will take more than a few minutes reading this leaflet wrongly translated. In my humble opinion, I will appreciate if you could visit an acupuncture expert when you are in need and give it a try for a few sessions. When the treatment is working, if you accept it's working, there are different ways to explain how it works, and the scientific view is not the only and unique way. You do not need to understand it in a mediaval mind, it's just a different way of seeing the body. By the way, there are many types of acupuncture, but it takes years to be able to do traditional acupuncture properly. Do not expect miracles.

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AlbertTeddy said on 04 November 2010

To quote the acupuncture leaflet from our local nhs hospital-
" How does acupuncture work?
Energy continuously flows around the body in channels.
When one is ill this is due to the energy becoming blocked or unbalanced. Inserting fine needles into acupuncture points rebalances the energy and ACTIVATES THE HEALING PROCESS”
Pretty clear that.
This is an absurd mediaeval concept of health and disease that bear no relationship to present medical knowledge.
This has no place in a modern hospital.
The information here is obviously written by a believer.

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User475363 said on 28 July 2010

My wife has just started an acupuncture course under the NHS at a local hospital after using a paid for service for a time.

The difference is striking. Just sending a nurse on a weekend course doesn't mean they know how to perform acupuncture. There's no prep, they ask no questions and they just appear and 'stick needles in' while she lays on a trolley.
She come out feeling worse then when she went in, usually with no feeling in one leg (a problem she'd never had with the none NHS acupuncturists).

We can see why people don't come back for a second course.

She feels she has to complete the course as she has acute back pain and feels they won't offer her anything else if she turns this down. . .

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colinj said on 13 January 2010

an external link to the Acupuncture Association of Chartered Physiotherapists. would be very valuable, there are over 4000 Physiotherapists who practice acupuncture on the NHS

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