Hi all just wanted to ask if anyone has had acupuncture for their fibro? Did it help? Any advice I'd appreciate it
Fibro and acupuncture : Hi all just... - Fibromyalgia Acti...
Fibro and acupuncture
Written by
Tigger67
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Read more about...
45 Replies
•
Hazel_AngelstarAdministratorFMA UK Staff
Acupuncture has helped me with localised pain but had no impact on my general fibro pain
NHS acupuncture actually made my fibromyalgia worse.I paid for private acupuncture with someone who was qualified in the Chinese method where they treat the whole body instead of just concentrating on a specific area all the time.
I was impressed by his knowledge of fibromyalgia, and he also helped me with things like diet. It brought the pain levels down from very high to a much better level, and it helped with the fatigue.
This sounds really effective. The Pain Clinic taught me how to use accupuncture on myself,just 4 areas. It's doesn't take the pain away, but helps me relax.How did you find a qualified Chinese method acupuncturist? There doesn't seem to be anyone local to me.
I went on the British Acupuncture website and found someone suitable who was within travelling distance. I liked that he was very well qualified and was doing the Chinese method. To be honest there seemed to be only two choices. I do think it is trial and error as to who would suit.
I agree. NHS cannot/rarely do it the way properly Chinese trained acupuncturists, (which includes proper needling techniques that have worked for thousands of years,) can do it. I had acupuncture from a trained up physio once. Useless! - I do get 'dry needling' for serious muscle cramps 'very occasionally' from my chiropractor's very well trained massage therapist. That works for me for that pain and cramping, but has opened the odd spiritual channel evidently! So saying, that treatment does not clash at all with my wonderful acupuncturist to whom I've been going for about twenty years. Only trouble is she is 40 minutes drive away across country and neither myself or my husband or son were really fit enough during the second half of the year to make the journey. Now hubs in full recovery, the car has been serviced so it's time for me to get some mega tweaks too, so I'm about to sign up for some three weekly appointments to get properly sorted again.
I am so glad to read another positive affirmation of the use of 'proper' acupuncture from someone on this site as I think many people on and off it, have been totally disappointed by what they hoped would happen for them and the more modern training in UK has not come anywhere near what is required.
I would be interested to know if you get any kind of reaction the day (or two) after treatment. - Am usually incredibly tired, but I see this as positive and that is always the case in the following two days or so after that when I start to pick up and get going again. Combined with conventional chiropractic I think I've got away with a lot since my diagnosis in 2012 and I rarely have the horrific, ongoing pain that others do here. Just occasionally something more acute that can last for up to about three weeks. - I've had regular treatments since then. - Usually, treatment of the heart meridian helps shift depression.
I think I just have to agree whole heartedly ... Go private if you can. If not, it should be ok to ask about the degree of training any NHS acupuncturist as their physios often take courses and it is so different how they are taught. - So saying, my acupuncturist has been known to use her skills for those who simply couldn't afford it. That's a healing tradition too I think.
Thank you for posting this. - PS (Daverick Leggett's Recipes for Self-Healing is quite good on Chinese Dietary Healing.)
I am the same. I never book the day after acupuncture to do anything as I feel very tired. He actually told me I might feel worse for a couple of days and then pick up.He has an Honours degree in acupuncture. I asked the nurse at the hospital how they qualified. They just did a weeks residential course in London. They were partnered up, so on the last day, they could practice the technique on each other. You won't believe she was partnered with a GP who was needle phobic, so she wouldn't actually let her insert the needles!
The dietary advice was excellent and also pacing.
That's interesting, and encouraging that we have the same experience! Your acupuncturist obviously deserved his Honours Degree by the sound of it. I might google that to see what the training is. I didn't have any idea there was such a thing. (Wish there was an easy treatment for fain brog!)
The training you describe sounds mind-boggling! Brits got it sorted sensibly then! Needle phobic eh! Many are but you have to laugh!
It was actually a fellow member who pointed me in the right direction and told me to only have someone from The British Acupuncture Council as it would show their training and what they specialised in. She was a qualified acupuncturist but unfortunately had to give it up whe she became ill. She also suggested that perhaps thodse versed in the Chinese method would suit me best.I was able to search within an area and to be honest, there were only two that struck me as suitable. So glad I chose the one I did as whe he moved rooms and was unfortunately upstairs he offered to come to my home. When my husband had cancer he even treated him for free to ease his headaches.
So glad that worked out for you and your husband. Sorry to hear your acupuncturist became ill. My lady, now an old friend too, is wonderful with women carrying babies and helping at births. I'm so lucky someone recommended her to me. Have never looked back. Hoping to see her next week.
I also had Chinese method acupuncture for generalised fibro pains and found some relief which increased over sessions and persisted for a few months after the last treatment. Reduced fatigue too! Hope you find someone and it works for you to. I came across my wonderful lady via a Google search for local ayurveda practioners!
At pain clinic, one person's technique gave me immediate worse pain but 2 other were good. Needs to be regular appts and most importantly when you need it. Trouble is appts at pain clinic were few and far between. One person suggested whole body acupuncture which was best for me.
I had chinese acupuncture, she said I'd need ot everyday which she knew wasn't possible. I have many conditions though, I was too chronic and my pain was too embedded for acupuncture to work from a once a week application.
You can get little circular Korean magnets that can be placed at specific points on the meridians. I used to use them on a point on my palm so I could sit through concerts and journeys and I find they work quite well. You can source them on Amazon.
Suggest try a different acupuncturist. Surprising how many people have tried it and Health food shops are good sources of info for practitioners with good reputations.
Ahh I've tried a few over the years already! Exercise is my thing, it helps everything 😁
Exercise certainly does help. Glad of those times when I can walk to where there is a long view. Winter has been very shut in and nobody around here that well lately. Would still like a bit of a boost though so a treatment would do that. Hope you get some good weather for getting out.
I distest winter fortunately I have a lovely gym down the road. Lots of opportunity to get thoroughly warm, it has a steam room that I love and many companions that share a love of movement.
Sounds great Cat!.. I have a house cat for exercise! Sixteen years old! Adopted a year and half ago. - I do running around with something on a piece of string sometimes when not engaged in lengthy hide and seek sessions where she has found hiding places around the house! She watches me from the window sometimes when I'm working in the garden but she also contribute to my computer keyboard work. Have a good day Saturday.
I have been diagnosed with lupus and Sjogrens since 2020. In 2022 I started to experience a lot more neurological pain and sensitivities, and after many tests and trips to neuro and rheumatology they diagnosed secondary fibro and told me I would need to start taking amytriptyline on top of all my other meds. I was in a lot of pain but determined not to have to rely on my more medication so I decided to try acupuncture. Found a really good Chinese doctor and it has helped immensely. I started weekly for a few weeks, then slowly spaced out the sessions. I now go every 5-6 weeks and I can’t believe the difference it’s made. I normally feel very drained and achy for a day or two after each session (I’m told thats normal) but it’s absolutely worth it in my opinion. Best of luck with your journey, keep us updated!
Morning thank you all for taking time to reply could I ask how you found your Chinese doctors please x
It doesn't work for fybro I have lidocaine which is much better c
Hi, I have had Acupuncture privately, again Chinese medicine trained therapist. It did improve my fibromyalgia, I had it spread out to try to keep it from flaring up, which was very successful. I have found another lady in Halifax near me which I had one session with her and I was very impressed with her knowledge of Fibro, she is trained in 3 different Chinese Acupuncture methods. So I have signed up for a 6 week course as I have been ill since October and my Fibro is bad.
Plus when we did the initial consultation to discuss my health and medical history, she mentioned Glandular Fever. Which I had when I was 18yrs old but I had completely forgotten about. She then explained that it lays dormant in your body and this could possibly be the cause of a lot of my other health issues. As I have auto immune conditions.
I would definitely recommend trying alternative treatments.
Hope this helps, take care x
Can you tell me the name of the person you saw in Halifax please.
Hi, before I had Fibromyalgia I had ME for nearly 10 years. During that period I had acupuncture weekly for several years. It certainly took the edge of the pain and brain fog. Hope this helps.
I was refered by my past GP in Manchester to a physiotherapy / pain clinic, weekly visits of about 6 meetings (booklet, PowerPoint presentations, videos, activity) . After completing these group sessions they tried specific areas of massage to my back.After that they offered acupuncture, the phyiso found the worse spots where the pain was/is and was accurate with the pins, didnt turn me into a hedgehog it helped for 6 days, then 5, to a point where it didn't help at all.
Acupuncture seems to help some, but not everyone. Good luck and all the best, health x
Interesting description of what the NHS calls healing. Had you thought to explore what a Chinese trained acupuncturist could achieve for you? Choose someone over fifty five preferably, who has had a traditional acupuncture training for a long period of time. In China they must take a full year's medical doctor training before they start with the Acupuncture. I think then, it's another four years.
I am wondering if the pain clinic you went to took actually took the five (or is it six) pulses in your wrists to see how the meridian energy was balanced throughout the different systems in your body. It's just like wiring for different circuits and when all is said and done, a quiet one-to-one hour with someone listening intently to what they(you) are telling them, or answering, and then deeply and sensitively testing those circuits and bringing up the energy in those that need it, is to me what the skill of acupuncture is all about. I just wonder if you lost out on some of this aspect of it. Powerpoint can never have the sensitivity or the humanity of a quietly listening healing ear. Pain Clinic sounds much more like a group pain hunt with an elusive quarry. ... Here's wishing you healing anyway.
Thankyou for the reply, i didn't know about the 1+4 years for chinese acupuncture training! 😘
Welcome! So while the intent is good, I don't think our poor, over-stretched NHS trainees have the time to learn all the new techniques also. Much of it, even for agency care-workers, is about filling in computer forms about patients to cover any possible legal queries or accusations, not just for creating a patient timeline of responses and needs. New restrictive guidelines require too much knowledge needed now about everything.
Ohhhhh Yesssssssss! - But have a glance at what I just replied to Rosewine. - It's an individual thing but the needles are incredibly thin and you easily develop the skill of relaxing a they go in. (Proper needling techniques need to have been learned - ie Trad Chinese ones). You spend a good hour lying down. May get some sort of reaction but that's positive too. You get to know yourself a little better too. - Hope you love it if you do it.
I would also like to know if acupuncture can help with this?
Hi I had acupuncture for my fibro then I did self acupuncture. it made my feel relaxed, tried it for a few months but stopped because it made no difference to my pain. It's worth trying because it does help some people x
I've heard of a few people whom found it slightly helpful, but on the whole replies I've read have been negative.Personally I had a test session which was apparently appropriate as a start for acupuncture for chronic pain and fibro, it was via a private well respected acupuncture clinic subsidised by the NHS Pain Clinic, and it was cut short.
The pain was awful during but actually far worse afterwards. I had stabbing pain for weeks afterwards.
I also had hypersensitivity reactions at the needle sites that were swollen and painful for a number of days.
If you are sensitive to things like touch , get hypersensitivity reactions after a needle or pressure point pain , I'd give things like acupuncture a big miss.
Thank you everyone who has taken the time to reply. As another point would you all suggest still taking my gabapentin medication. The reason I ask is because after the pain clinic increased it, I don't want to keep taking medication as dont feel doing any good to be honest and I'm putting so much weight on that's getting me down to x but it's the tiredness along with brain fog as well. Thank you again everyone xx
Hi Tigger 67. I think my reply to you is way down between 8472 and POPC. Don't know how that happened. I was rather inspired by all this about acupuncture treatment. I found it a life-changer basically.
Hi Tigger67. When i was first diagnosed with Fibro in 2012, and my doctor and I were struggling to find the right combination of paid meds, he sent me to physio through NHS. I couldnt stand the pain, couldnt bear him to even touch me. Thats when he suggested acupuncture. He said he could do it too. So i tried a 10 minute initial session, never felt a thing, but he said i would be in pain that evening after it. I was - it was absolutely awful. But i persevered and had another 4 weeks of acupuncture for half an hour each session and although i was in awful pain after the first full session, after that i never had pain again in my upper arms, neck and shoulders. Those sessions completely cured my upper body pain, along with the pain meds. However, when we tried for lower body pain, it just never worked at all. So i guess what im saying is - just try it. Give it a fair trial and see what happens. What works for one person doesnt always work for others, but if you dont try you will never know. Good luck.
yes, I have several times. Shop around to find the best practitioner you can find. It makes a huge difference. Really helped me. Particularly in boosting my immune system.
been having accupuncture from a proper Chinese doctor for 36 years, definitely helps greatly with many of the symptoms, however it is advisable to find a knowledgable doctor
Hi Yes it helped me a lot but it depends who you have to do it so do your research. my doctor had training in China NHS made me worse so I wouldn’t go with them
Not what you're looking for?
You may also like...
Acupuncture and Fibromyalgia
I had Acupuncture on my leg this morning and now 6 hours later, my leg feels so much better. I can...
Acupuncture…
Has anyone tried acupuncture? Just wondering what experiences people have had with it, as I’m...
Acupuncture
Hi all went and had my acupuncture done on my right side of my bottom where my muscle was very...
Acupuncture
Want to ask have any of you fibro warriors tried alternative medicine like acupuncture? I'm...
Acupuncture
fibromyalgia and acupuncture
Acupuncture and cupping
Acupuncture and massage
