I was just wondering if anybody has had acupuncture on the NHS recently
I had a course of treatment last year 4 sessions weekly and I was left about 20 minutes in a darkish quiet room. I had the treatments on my lower back and although I can't say that it stopped the pain but it somehow made me really relaxed and calm and most weeks I fell asleep. So I felt it was a positive experience overal.
So when the pain team said to give it a another try I agreed. After a. 9 month wait I started the weekly treatments 3 weeks ago and I go for my last one on Thursday . It is the same team who did it last time so I was sort of looking forward to it.
This time however it has been a very different experience. Each week, the nurses have been late leaving their earlier clinic at another hospital, so although I have the first afternoon appointment I have been seen late each time and last time I was seen some 50 minutes late.
Don't get me wrong, I do feel for the nurses if the powers that be , insist on arranging appointments without giving them time to drive to the next hospital. I also don't mind too much as my mum takes me and it's nice to have a chat.
My problem is that, take last week I got up from my chair in the waiting room to go for my treatment at 2.50 pm , I had acupuncture on my lower back, was left for 10 mins! Had the needles out got dressed and by the time I got back to my mum the same clock clicked onto 3 pm. For what I had last year to this time is so different I feel the whole treatment has been so rushed it was pointless. Except I did let them treat my right arm ( elbow the worse bit) for 2 sessions ( yes the 10 mins covered both points!) and since then my elbow is worse and is more painful than it has ever been. So my questions / points are
1) is it now the norm for acupuncture treatments to last less than about 7/8 minutes, and do the shorten time effect the outcome of the rushed treatment, or is it better to leave the needles in for the 20 minutes I had first time around.
And
2) can acupuncture make a joint worse? As my elbow is really bad and as I am right handed I am finding it impossible to do everyday tasks. And if it can cause damage does the damage last and what can I do about it
Just so you know I have fibromalgia and take MST , Pregabalin, and oramoph
I must admit my pain levels are really high at the moment and I don't really know what to do. I haven't got a pain team appointment till mid July and my pain is just not controlled at all. I have also just finished a year of CBT, which I now understand more about pain than I ever wanted too, but it hasn't taken the pain away!
If anyone has any ideas on what I should do next I would be really grateful
Thanks
Caroline
