I love acupuncture. Here’s why:

It gives me substantial pain relief. Over the years I’ve it for several bouts of back pain, for pain caused by gall stones and I’m currently having it for hip pain, which was so severe I ended up on crutches for nine months. I’ve been off the crutches now since February and, while I don’t attribute this solely to acupuncture – I tried a whole ‘cocktail’ approach to get me back walking again, read more here – it certainly contributed to my hip’s improvement and helped get me off painkillers.

It can be a great ‘head settler’ and help quiet the mind. Ear acupuncture in particular is a well-documented aid to relieving stress

It can provide amazing support through difficult times; a course of acupuncture I had a long time ago, during radiotherapy treatment for a pituitary tumour, supported me so much that I wasn’t (as predicted) debilitated by tiredness and didn’t have to stop working throughout the treatment (also predicted).

So what’s acupuncture?

This centuries-old Chinese practice involves inserting tiny needles (don’t panic, they are ultra fine – you hardly notice them) into specific points – ‘acupoints’ – on the body to rebalance the circulation of energy. It’s thought that the disruption of this energy can cause illness, stress and pain in the body, rebalancing it puts the body back on track and promotes healing. There is scientific evidence to show that acupuncture has a positive effect treating ailments such as chronic back pain, headache, osteoarthritis and dental pain – other tests are ongoing.

You can read more about acupuncture – and other alternative treatments – here.

Acupuncture is available on the NHS for free, just ask your GP for a referral. You will usually be offered a course of six sessions or so, but be prepared for a long waiting list. Over the years I’ve had many referrals to my local London clinic, and when referrals weren’t available (you generally need to leave six months between referrals – otherwise the waiting lists would be too big to cope with), I’ve paid for private treatments.

For a list of accredited acupuncturists, visit the British Acupuncture Council website

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