Some people claim that Acupuncture is just all in people's minds.

These ignorant individuals think and allege that Acupuncture is just a placebo.

That it only works because gullible people believe that it will do something.

Well, it certainly is not a placebo.

It works whether you believe in it or not...

Chinese Medicine has developed many methods over the last four thousand years not just to treat medical conditions, but to help strengthen the body and bring it into balance, so as to prevent illness from occurring in the first place.

It is often used to boost the energy, blood and hormones within the body to help it blossom and shine forth with good health.

For over a thousand years, many Chinese have also used its treatments to slow down aging. This has been particularly popular with the wealthy and upper classes in China ...

In 2018, a team of Portuguese researchers reviewed thirteen western based scientific studies on acupuncture.  

This review was published in the journal Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice and concluded that

“Overall, there is good scientific evidence encouraging acupuncture therapy to treat anxiety disorders as it yields effective outcomes, with fewer side effects than conventional treatment".

And also that “Pharmacology and psychotherapy stand for the conventional treatment for anxiety disorders but these present limited efficacy, especially in the case of chronic anxiety, with high relapse rates and often causing adverse side effects. Clinical research studies render acupuncture as a valid treatment therapy for anxiety disorders without significant adverse effects”.

In the East, Chinese Medicine – herbs, acupuncture and QiGong have all been successfully used for thousands of years to combat anxiety, depression, mood swings, stress, irritability and psychological disorders. They have been widely used for these issues of the mind and emotions on hundreds of millions of people ...

During menopause many women in Western countries experience negative symptoms;  such as hot flushes, night sweats, anxiety, insomnia, vaginal dryness, poor concentration and memory, nausea, depression, mood swings, irritability, feelings of anger, loss of libido, urinary tract infections, dry skin and hair, thirst, brittle nails, and loss of bone density.

Surprisingly in China, most women do not endure these discomforting symptoms at all. In the West it is estimated that approximately 75% of women are affected, whereas in China it is a mere 10%. The reasons behind this are believed to be from differences in diet and from the use of Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicines.

Acupuncture has been used for thousands of years in China to effectively combat pain and to promote healing.  It is now being used frequently in the West for the same purpose.

For the last 25 years Western scientific and medical studies have been carried out which are proving time and time again the efficacy of Acupuncture in the treatment of many types of painful conditions. Such as lower back pain, arthritis, nerve pain, knee problems, muscle strains, migraine headaches, menstrual pain, tennis elbow and a host of other issues.

Western and Chinese Medicines still have different understandings of how Acupuncture rids pain and promotes healing, but there is now a consensus from all around the entire world that it does do this quite effectively...

Moxibustion is used in Chinese Medicine to help in turning breech babies to their best position for a natural birth.

Western scientific and medical studies have shown its use is effective in accomplishing this.

It can also be used for helping babies who aren’t in optimal positions to achieve them, such as babies who are in a posterior position. This will help to ensure as little medical intervention as possible during the birth.

The simple answer is - No.
 
Acupuncture needles when inserted by a skilled practitioner should not hurt. They are tiny needles. They are a similar thickness to that of a single strand of hair.

You would get about  twenty Acupuncture needles to fit into the opening of one single hypodermic syringe needle, commonly used in Western Medicine to withdraw blood or inject chemicals into the body. 

However, make sure you go to a fully qualified and skilled Acupuncturist for your treatment. There are now unfortunately others in non Chinese Medical therapies who are offering needling treatments to their clients.

It takes years of training to become proficient in using needles safely and painlessly. Most of these other therapists are not properly skilled or fully trained in needling techniques nor in Chinese Medical Theories, so you are taking a chance by attending them for any Acupuncture style treatment.

Sometimes at my clinic in Leixlip, I get nervous patients who due to past bad experiences with western injections are afraid of the needles. Once they have had a treatment and they see it is not just a pain free experience but also a relaxing one, then their fear of needles completely vanishes !