Acupuncture for Pain Relief

Acupuncture is probably best known as a way to help people control pain. Depending upon the type of pain and its cause, acupuncture can be effective in relieving pain completely or reducing and controlling it, to allow for a better quality of life.

The main research body for the NHS, The National Institute for Clinicial Excellence recommends acupuncture as an option for chronic pain management, alongside traditional drug therapy (1).

For most conditions of simple pain, relief should be achieved within 3-4 visits if treatable, for example a muscular spasm or a trapped nerve. Sometimes more sessions are required, but it all depends on how you react to the treatment, how significant the problem is and how long you’ve had it for. At the very least, by the 3rd treatment you should be experiencing a significant change if the therapy is to work for you. But I always give an opinion before treatment starts of the likely number of sessions you will require.

Half of my clinic is devoted to pain relief and management. It’s a great pleasure to see people relieved of the effects of pain, because I see first-hand how it affects people’s lives. I always say, “Pain is a Drain. It drags you down, making you feel tired and lose sleep; it quickens tempers and darkens moods. It can affect your life in so many unhelpful ways, while also impacting upon others around you. It’s a nasty viscous circle.”

The good news is I’ve been successfully treating pain since 1995, and have a wealth of experience and knowledge to draw upon. To see how I could help you, please click on the topic headings which refer to your pain condition.

  • Arthritis
  • Sciatica
  • Back and neck pain
  • Facial Neuralgia
  • Gout
  • Non Specific Joint pains - knees, hips, shoulders & elbows
  • Sinusitis and/or Forehead pain
  • Headaches and Migraines
  • Trapped Nerves
  • Muscle Spasm
  • Post-operative pain from surgery
  • Inappropriate pain from accidents/illness that never healed up properly
  • Non Specific pain with no obvious cause
  • Sports injuries or accidents
  • Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
  • Tennis Elbow
  • Golfers Elbow
  • Shingles
  • Plantar Fasciitus
  • Morton’s Neuroma Temporomandibular joint dysfunction

How Does Acupuncture Work in Relation To Pain Management?

  • By stimulating nerves located in muscles and other tissues, ‘natural painkilling’ and ‘feel good’ hormones like endorphins are released.
  • Helps to reduce inflammation, therefore encouraging the body to repair.
  • It improves muscle stiffness and joint mobility by increasing the local blood supply in the affection region.
  • Reduces and clears Swellings, assisted by an increased blood supply.
  • Increases the levels of serotonin and noradrenaline, hormones which can help to reduce pain and repair damaged tissues. It changes the way the brain processes pain.
  • It beneficially changes the way the brain processes pain.

Acupuncture is always worth a try, and I love to help – so if you would like some honest, friendly advice, please call me or drop me an email or text (07515 410420). I try to respond on the same day as your enquiry.


(1) NICE WEBSITE (as of December 2014)

“The goal of treatment for chronic pain is to make pain tolerable and to improve functionality and quality of life. It may be possible to treat the cause of the pain, but usually the pain pathways are modulated by a multidisciplinary approach (described as conventional medical management [CMM] in this document). This may include pharmacological interventions such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, tricyclic antidepressants, anticonvulsants, analgesics and opioids. Non-pharmacological interventions, such as physiotherapy, acupuncture, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and psychological therapies, can also be a part of CMM.”