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Acupuncture for pain, headaches, migraine and fibromyalgia
Acupuncture is perhaps best known for pain relief, and pain and headaches are where the evidence for it is strongest.
Headaches and migraine
NICE (the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) recommends a course of acupuncture as an option for preventing chronic tension-type headaches. It also recommends it for preventing migraine when some preventive medicines haven’t worked or aren’t suitable, with a course of up to ten sessions over five to eight weeks.
Many of the women I see have migraines linked to their menstrual cycle, or that changed during perimenopause, and I look at those patterns as part of treatment.
Fibromyalgia and long-term pain
Fibromyalgia causes widespread pain, often with exhaustion, poor sleep, stiffness, and problems with memory and concentration sometimes called "fibro fog". It is one of a group of conditions known as chronic primary pain: pain that has lasted more than three months without a clear underlying cause. NICE guidance includes a course of acupuncture as an option for managing chronic primary pain.
I adapt treatment for people who are sensitive or easily flared, starting gently and building up as you’re ready. For long-standing pain I normally recommend six to ten weekly sessions, after which some patients come in every four to six weeks.
Muscle and joint pain
I also see patients with back and neck pain, shoulder problems, carpal tunnel syndrome, repetitive strain injury (RSI), sports injuries and other muscle and joint pain, whether it has come on recently or has built up over years. For people with hypermobility, widespread aches are common, and I adapt treatment accordingly.
“Sharminee treated me for pain from RSI. Her friendly and professional nature means that she is very approachable. She is very good at answering questions and clearly explaining the treatment.”