Does acupuncture work?

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Ultimate Geek

#1098461 30-Jul-2014 10:50

nakedmolerat: Osteopath
Acupunture
Chiropractor

All 3 have placebo effects only.

and of course.. Homeopathy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMGIbOGu8q0

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wasabi2k

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#1098464 30-Jul-2014 11:02

JWR:
nakedmolerat: Osteopath
Acupunture
Chiropractor

All 3 have placebo effects only.

and of course.. Homeopathy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMGIbOGu8q0

Homeopathy is the only one that actively explains exactly why it has no effect at all when describing how it works.

I have had a lot of success with osteos with back pain. Acupuncture no experience sorry.

jeffnz

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#1098473 30-Jul-2014 11:13

I've found acupuncture very good over the years. The last time was a broken collarbone and the Chinese Doctor used massage, heat , cups and needles (not all at once) worked a treat.

if it works who cares if its placebo

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meesham

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Ultimate Geek

#1098526 30-Jul-2014 12:20

JWR:
and of course.. Homeopathy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMGIbOGu8q0

There's also this resource: www.howdoeshomeopathywork.com/

networkn

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#1098538 30-Jul-2014 12:35

nakedmolerat: Osteopath
Acupunture
Chiropractor

All 3 have placebo effects only.

100% agree with this. I have had a back issue since I was 13 years old. For the first 15 years after that I had recurrent "attacks" 6 weekly more or less on the dot. I have spent 10s of thousands of dollars over the years on all manner of assistance and not once has anyone managed to relieve me of my issues.

My squash coach actually helped more than anyone watching me play and suggested I should deal with what he felt was a weak core. A specialist program involving a million dollar machine and a core program helped me most of all. I still get issues but now every 5-6 months at most. Having kids helped as lifting small weights that gradually increase over time has been good for my core.

I know a very well known physio, well respected, since retired. He said his job consisted largely of keeping people busy/amused whilst nature took it's course.

timmmay

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#1098541 30-Jul-2014 12:37

In my experience phyisios either actually do harm, or do nothing of value. Their testing to see what's wrong aggravates the problem, as does their treatment. I've had it for hand, rotator cuff, back, etc.

networkn

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#1098543 30-Jul-2014 12:39

timmmay: In my experience phyisios either actually do harm, or do nothing of value.

I'd put acupuncturists in the same category.

meesham

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Ultimate Geek

#1098545 30-Jul-2014 12:42

timmmay: In my experience phyisios either actually do harm, or do nothing of value.

After years of back problems and seeing various doctors, an acupuncturist and chiropractor (as a skeptic I thought they were quacks but figured I'd give it a try) it was a physio that finally identified that maybe I had a prolapsed disc that hadn't healed properly. I had a microdiscectomy last year and it's made a major difference to my life.

timmmay

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#1098546 30-Jul-2014 12:42

networkn:
timmmay: In my experience phyisios either actually do harm, or do nothing of value.

I'd put acupuncturists in the same category.

Possibly. Worth a shot while it's on ACC, I have no problem with placebos and I'll give it a go to see if I can knock the long term injury.

Batman

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#1098579 30-Jul-2014 13:38

Apparently it works. Why don't you try it and get back to us

nakedmolerat

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#1098582 30-Jul-2014 13:47

timmmay:
nakedmolerat: Osteopath
Acupunture
Chiropractor

All 3 have placebo effects only.

IMHO osteopathy isn't just a placebo. They work with muscles and bones, stretching muscles, putting things back in place. My wife has some semi-serious condition with her back, since she's been seeing a good Osteo she's much better. He said he didn't know if he could help, but he did. He's done great things for me as well, on the odd occasion I hurt myself he fixes me up. I've tried waiting and seeing if it'll fix itself, I've tried going in immediately when I hurt myself, the recovery time is much shorter when I see my osteo.

Chiro's though, in, crack, out, they've never done a bit of good for me.

LOL!

A couple of people I knew who went to study osteopath felt guilty and end up looking for job in a completely different filed. From what I have been told, there is no science behind it and they don't feel like ripping off people.

timmmay: In my experience phyisios either actually do harm, or do nothing of value. Their testing to see what's wrong aggravates the problem, as does their treatment. I've had it for hand, rotator cuff, back, etc.

If you think physiotherapy will do harm, you better off not going to osteopath at all. Physiotherapist learn their basics way more organized and evidence based than osteopath hogwash! Physiotherapist will never make nonsense claim.

geekiegeek

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#1098584 30-Jul-2014 13:48

Haven't had acupuncture but have had a lot of dry needling. Dry needling is great for tight muscles that may be causing imbalances in other areas. I had a pain in my knee recently when running which was actually caused by tightness in my quad. The needling released the tightness and the knee was all better.

I've also had a lot done around my shoulder as I have a torn rotator cuff which means that the muscles around my shoulder end up doing more work to compensate and get a bit tight, it increases my mobility and range of motion so I can carry on training without having to get surgery.

Just last week I strained my upper back in the gym and ended up with a knot in one of my back muscles, physio hit it with a needle and I was all good.

The pain isn't that bad IMO and is better then putting up with an injury.

KiwiTim

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Ultimate Geek

#1099003 31-Jul-2014 09:19

I have had trouble with left shoulder and thoracic spine pain for nearly 30 years. I did try acupuncture and it did reduce pain, but that is all it did. What I found was that I would more vigorously use my back and shoulder because I felt less pain. When the acupuncture pain relief wore off, after 2-3 days, I was actually in a worse condition. In my case feeling an increase in pain stops me from aggravating my shoulder and back further. In this respect pain is protective.

Batman

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#1099023 31-Jul-2014 09:31

i have lots of points i don't know where to start. why don't we start with the basics.

1) different people that have pain in the same spot has a different cause. fix the cause fast usually fixes the pain. different cause needs different treatment. some things cannot be fixed. some pain have no cause found.

2) if you take 100 people that have exactly the same degree of problem on xray, some have no pain, some have some pain, some have unbearable pain.

3) ok i won't get started with cochrane reviews but if you read every line the word probably appears. every line.

Batman

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#1099029 31-Jul-2014 09:34

SO. in my opinion, if there is a medical diagnosis, get one. then see if it can be fixed.

usually when people come to these forums, they (hopefully) have been to a doctor who would have (probably) concluded there is nothing medically wrong they can find or they find but cannot fix, so the person is disappointed and tries to find an alternative therapy that may or may not work.

remember, take everyone with the same condition, some have no pain whatsoever, some have some pain, some have unbearable pain. if you can get whatever voodoo to get them to a manageable level, go for it.

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