When patients try acupuncture for the first time, they are usually amazed by how much it DOES NOT hurt. Most patients will arrive expecting a similar feeling to that of a hypodermic needle, the needle doctors’ use for injections or withdrawing blood. However, acupuncture needles are much thinner, and non-hollow. Thus, they do not cut out a section of the skin and tissue, but rather smoothly divide the tissue, allowing for much less pain. However, as this is a medicine based on muscle and nerve stimulation, some sensations should be felt to yield maximum results.

Acupuncture is one of the oldest and most commonly used medical procedures in the world. It is a key component of traditional Chinese medicine that originated in China over 4,000 years ago. The intent of acupuncture is to promote health and alleviate pain and suffering. The method by which this is accomplished, though it may seem strange and mysterious to many, has withstood the test of time and continues to be validated today. Acupuncture uses fine, slender needles to stimulate areas along specific channels of the body. There are over 500 specific points, or “acupoints”, located on our body. Each acupuncture point elicits a different response to our nervous system, endocrine system, hormonal system, and vascular system. In this manner, it can re-program any malfunctioning organ or signalling system.

Of course, there are several researches in the world demonstrating the effectiveness of acupuncture in this problem. At that moment, I have two patients undergoing treatment with excellent results. 

Look at this piece of research: "The study showed no effect of acupuncture on outcome measures, including acute phase markers. However, a fall in EVA in both groups was observed, mainly in the acupuncture group (ES = 4). It should be noted that all patients were on NSAIDs / analgesics without the use of biological drugs despite their recommended and well-established use. The fact confirms that the protocol is a study of superiority, not inferiority. In addition, the selected patients had lost regular medical follow-up in the Rheumatology department.

It has been proven that acupuncture blocks pain by repeated stimulation of algogenic receptors, spinal cord and mesencephalic gray matter. Other mechanisms may be involved, such as actions in specific neuronal groups and the activation of both the sympathetic neurovegetative nervous system and the hypothalamus hypophysis-adrenal axis. Prolonged needling response corroborates the hypothesis of the therapeutic effect of acupuncture, as opposed to analgesic acupuncture with transient duration (involved in mechanisms of long-term depression, placebos effects and descending inhibitory analgesic system). In the literature, studies on acupuncture are scarce, and include uncontrolled trials with samples of varying sizes.11,12 Our study suggests the likelihood of a beneficial effect of acupuncture and is original.

Of course, there are several researches in the world demonstrating the effectiveness of acupuncture in this problem. At that moment, I have two patients undergoing treatment with excellent results. 

Look at this piece of research: 

"The study showed no effect of acupuncture on outcome measures, including acute phase markers. However, a fall in EVA in both groups was observed, mainly in the acupuncture group (ES = 4). It should be noted that all patients were on NSAIDs / analgesics without the use of biological drugs despite their recommended and well-established use. The fact confirms that the protocol is a study of superiority, not inferiority. In addition, the selected patients had lost regular medical follow-up in the Rheumatology department.

It has been proven that acupuncture blocks pain by repeated stimulation of algogenic receptors, spinal cord and mesencephalic gray matter. Other mechanisms may be involved, such as actions in specific neuronal groups and the activation of both the sympathetic neurovegetative nervous system and the hypothalamus hypophysis-adrenal axis. Prolonged needling response corroborates the hypothesis of the therapeutic effect of acupuncture, as opposed to analgesic acupuncture with transient duration (involved in mechanisms of long-term depression, placebos effects and descending inhibitory analgesic system). In the literature, studies on acupuncture are scarce, and include uncontrolled trials with samples of varying sizes.11,12 Our study suggests the likelihood of a beneficial effect of acupuncture and is original.