Acupuncture

[jaybrody]

I have diagnosed with neuropathic pain, and awaiting a neurostimulation procedure, but it has a long waiting list. I have tried most medication for neuropathic pain, but with little relief. I would like to find out from anyone, if they have tried acupuncture for neuropathic pain. Did it manage their pain or not?? I would like to explore this option before the neurostimulation procedure.

[Hope264]

Hi I have used acupuncture for pain relief with back pain and pelvic pain both nerve pain and inflammatory type pain. For me it is unfortunately short lived. I have found mindfulness therapy another helpful tool for dealing with daily pain.

[harding_diane in reply to Hope264]

Hello Hope264, how did you first come to find out about mindfulness, I've just had a second knockback from a surgeon saying i wouldnt benefit from surgery.I have a prolapsed disc with the bulge pressing on the S1 nerve and a Tarlov cyst which is apparently an 'incidental finding'. A few months bk the specialist and GP wanted me to go on this course about how to tune out of your pain, coping etc. My honest opinion going into it having seen some of the questions they ask you.I think it's a load of rubbish.I will go there but I don't see how it's going to help me. I think I need my GP to actually say at the moment its about coping your not going improve etc-I just feel like a piece of scrap metal that the nhs want to forget about. I would appreciate your honest opinion tyhanks

[Hope264 in reply to harding_diane]

Hi I'm sorry to hear you've had a knock back of surgery and are having difficulty navigating system. I can relate.

I came across midfulness when accessing an employee support program for something else. Then I sought it out after reading about it there, as I do live long term now with pain. I would like to do more as it gave me tools for times I was feeling overwhealmed like when in traffic etc or a really bad pain day. For me it was like finding a way to see gaps in the pain and get a break by seeing it differently when your body is not giving you a break.

I agree those surveys are silly sometimes. I liked my mindfulness therapy lady but not the silly generic surveys either.

I hope they are not using it to fob you off or withhold other treatment, but of various things I've tried this one has been helpful for me, not on it's own, with other things to manage pain. Good luck with it if you try it.

[harding_diane in reply to Hope264]

Hello,

Thanks for your reply, GP referred me back to pain clinic now and swapped one of my medications, and recommended a osteopath x

[Hidden]

Hello, I have MS and suffer from a lot of neuropathic pain which I take so much meds to keep it at manageable level. I found acupuncture no help what so ever. But I did find reflexology helpful.

[harding_diane in reply to Hidden]

Hello Kal1972, I don't suffer from MS but have a prolapsed disc with the bulge pressing on the S1 nerve, did you research the reflexology yourself or referred by gp? Also what does happen when you have the reflexology treatment/sessions?

[Coastwalker]

jaybrody, neuropathic pain can also be linked to B12 Deficiency.

[jaybrody]

Thank you very much for your honest, responses. I do agree on mindful therapy, I had that for another reason but helped. I will look into reflexology and consider Vitamin B shots

[Blakejess]

Like most procedure s that not invasive, I found they only tend to give short term relief. Specially this

[Rosepetal60]

I have found the traditional style Chinese Acupuncture to be invaluable for osteo and Arthritis joint pain, back pain, 6 or 8 sessions will make a difference and then go back for top ups. There's also dry needling Acupuncture which I had at a private Physios some years ago after a rear shunt and that worked very well as well as the trad style. But there again majority of people can manage with 6 sessions but I need 8. The dry needling goes into the muscles, but the Traditional style Acucupuncture goes into the meridans. So you do need to see a very experienced and well qualified practitioner for this. Some practitioners have only done a short course so you need to research before you find a practitioner for treatment, I've never been for NHS Acupuncture. You would definitely have to check on how many years training they had done as I have been told. We'll never mind, just check as it should be years.

[lovenothate]

Hi,

I tried acupuncture for a decent trial period of twice a week for 3 months, but unfortunately it had no positive impact on my neurological pain.

Good luck with whatever you try,

Will 😃

[johnsmith]

There have been a number of posts of people giving their experience. For some acupuncture was effective for others not so. This response is to be expected because the same symptoms can a have a number of different causes. So for one cause acupuncture is good for another acupuncture will not work.

All you can do is to try it and see if it is effective or not.

Another approach is to investigate to see if the neuropathic pain is caused by muscle behaviour. So an approach would to see if a McTimony chiropractor can make any difference to what you are experiencing. An Alexander Technique teacher can help to be more aware of muscle control behaviour can could make the pain better or worse.

It is important to make sure you get enough sleep for poor sleep interferes with the ability to the fine tuning of muscle behaviour and thus could lead to greater pain.

Hope this helps.