Does Acupuncture work?

I have had on and off pain in the middle of my calf for about two years now and im desperate to get rid of the pain. I did physical theorpy a few times and it still hurts. I heard that acupuncture can heel pain permanently. Does acupuncture work???????????

Well, the truth of the truth is that acupuncture is deeply rooted in old chinese magic and mysticism. Moxibustion--a close cousin to acupuncture--is as old as acupuncture (almost 5,000 years) but employs heated herbs applied locally on the spots where the needles are inserted.

The general idea of acupuncture is to induce physiological changes in the body through needles that supposedly block or unblock--or re-direct--the energy flow consequently with the condition being treated. But, does it really work that way?

So far, the only two demonstrated benefits acupunture may offer any patient are: analgesic and anesthetic effects. Besides that, there is NO WAY acupunture might help you, let's say, with diabetes, or gastritis, or cancer, or any other organic and/or degenerative diseases. The biochemistry of these illnesses are so complex that the mere fact of contemplating acupuncture even as a complementary therapy for them would fall short of insulting well-educated people's intelligence.

Most of my patients that follow a acupuncture treatment for reasons other than the ones outlined at the begining of the previous paragraph, end up dissapointed and frustrated because they can only find kind of palliative support. Doesn't matter how romantic, or appealing, or magic, or overpowering to your senses acupuncture may be, the truth is that it would require far more than a dozen needles attached to the surface of your skin to halt, say, lupus, leukemia, rheumathoid arthritis, etc.

For those fascinated with chinese medicine, a word of caution: it will still need a couple of decades to go before it completes its transition to a more rationalized understanding on how it works and how it can be applied in the management of certain health conditions, and only after quantifying it from a cost/effectiveness approach.

And... it's always more attractive to people to have someone specialized in a quasi-professional health modality to insert needles on the sking, imagining his/her energy being empowered tot he point of reversing the very causal or underlying factors of disease, than making the appropriate lifestyle changes and modifications in order to bring the body under subjection to its harmonious and natural laws that govern it.

Good luck! :)

I had several treatments of acupuncture for severe back
pain and it didn't help me at all. Sorry

Yes. Acupuncture definitely will help ease your pain. But don't just do it once....continue a few times onward you will feel the pain gone....

It worked for me, but you might need to have 10 sessions or so. it doesn't work overnight, but it will work after a few sessions.

Yes.

yes, but it is not magic. You must adhere to the advice and the schedule outlined for you by the acupuncturist.

Ah, the old question "does acupuncture work?" This is like asking "does medicine work?" The answer is probably, but maybe not. The effectiveness of acupuncture depends on many factors: What is causing the pain? What is your general health otherwise? How competent is your practitioner? And so on.

So, can acupuncture help you? Yes, probably. Will it work right away? Maybe, maybe not. Most likely, you will need several sessions at least. In any case, if nothing else has worked, what do you have to lose (other than pain)?

Good luck. And if your first experience doesn't help, keep trying. Sometimes a different practitioner will get results where the first could not.

It can help. Whether it helps you permanently, temporarily, or not at all will depend on the nature of the pain. Have you had any sort of diagnosis regarding the source of the pain? If so, bring your chart from your doctor's office to your first acupuncture visit (should you choose to go). A good acupuncturist will be able to ascertain the situation. I usually ask my pain patients to move the painful part around after a treatment to compare pre-and post-treatment pain levels. The direct effects of acupuncture will last from about 12-72 hours. In many cases, this is enough to begin to reset a faulty pattern within the body (such as a cycle of inflammation and pain). It will likely be necessary, especially considering that you have been experiencing this problem for some time, for you to make return visits to your acupuncturist. You will want to ask your acupuncturist about herbal treatment and qigong (Chinese energy exercise) as well to address the problem more aggressively.
Good luck!