Acupuncture???

have a slipped disc and the physio has said that acupuncture is the next step forward. slightly scared because i'm not sure what the theory behind it is and not sure whether it will work. no fear of needles though so that's 1 less worry! anyone no anything about how it works or had any experiences with acupuncture?

hello mate. i'm a physio and acupuncture is something i use regularly as it is wonderful for reducing pain. something you probably have a lot of if your in a recent slipped disc situation..

try it, it works in the majority of people.

The theory is either a western pain gate response (look up on google A beta fibre stimulation) ot traditional chinese method (TCM) which works on the concept of moving energy through the body..

Either way it is 90% effective in relieving acute pain

IT IS NOT A CURE FOR A SLIPPED DISC, just to ease the pain.

Make sure your physio is giving you extension exercises for your spine and strengthening exercises for your transverse abdominals (this is if you've a diagnosed slipped disc - i.e on MRI scan not because a doctor or physio has told you you do - they dont have xray vision and back pain can come from many injuries)

Beast of luck

Acupuncture uses very fine needles to regulate the body's flow of energy. Anytime you have pain or illness, the body's energy is not flowing properly, and acupuncture serves to balance it, relieve pain and stress, and helps to heal injury. Many times people say that it doesn't help, when they've only a couple of treatments. For something like this, you need to have at least 6-10 treatments. I love acupuncture. I have had back pain for over 10 years, and it has been the only thing that has helped.

They went into it pretty thoroughly on TV recently. They showed a woman in Spain having surgery with just acupuncture as pain relief, she was fully awake (so not so dangerous, and recovery time shorter).

The conclusion was that it's good for pain relief. So long as you go to a reputable practitioner, it certainly seems worth a try.

my research on it---it works miracles when all else has failed.
http://www.acupuncture.com

Have a friend who swears by it and the only problem is cost. It works on the meridian theory i.e. there are twelve main channels of energy running through the body and 'wellness' depends on clearing these channels of obstruction and making sure they are properly balanced.
Do go to a properly qualified therapist, one that your physio recommends and check that he or she belongs to a recognised body. There is little or no regulation in the UK. The danger lies in things like dirty or reused needles. I am not sure what other damage can be done. The British Acupuncture Council is one such organisation.
Related disciplines are chakra massage, reflexology, acupressure, reiki, energy medicine and shiatsu. Reflexology or acupressure you can do for yourself and may help