Acupuncture has been used to treat patients with various complaints for thousands of years.  It is widely acknowledged to have a beneficial effect on pain, and even the NHS use acupuncutre for pain relief. 

How this treatment works has been little understood.  Some professionals have regarded acupuncture treatment as a placebo, but recent research suggests that this is not true.  Ian Sample, the Science correspondent in 'The Guardian' recently described research wshich had unfortunately been carried out on mice.  It suggested that there may be much more to the relief of pain, through acupuncture treatment, than merely psychological appeasement.  It has been suggested that the insertion of fine needles, which are then rotated, could cause adenoline, a natural anti-inflammatory and pain killing chemical, to be released from the cells.  Most pain is caused by inflammation.  Maiken Nedergaard, a neuroscientist from Rochester medical centre in New York, discovered that mice felt less discomfort in their paws after they were given a half hour treatment.  He apparently said to The Guardian, "We can benefit from what has been learned over many thousands of years". 

It is sad to acknowledge that animal testing is done in order to reveal how an ancient system of medicine, which has worked for thousands of people over thousands of years, is effective.

Traditional acupuncture can help with pain relief in many disorders.  It can also have a beneficial effect on the emotional well being and outlook of the patient.  If treatment can improve the quality of life then it is really very valuable