Acupuncture involves inserting and manipulating needles into specific points on the body with the aim of relieving pain and for therapeutic purposes.

More Info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acupuncture

I have had an extensive amount of acupuncture done. I went for anxiety/depression, lower back pain, and to reduce drug cravings for a certain illegal substance. I've also gone just to balance my energy and remove any blockages so that energy can flow freely and naturally.

Sometimes you are given Chinese herbal medication to take for you condition and I have found these to be very powerful and effective. It works, but you have to keep going back for the changes to become permanent. In many places it is rather expensive but some places have a generous sliding fee scale.

I posted about EFT, which is based on acupuncture, in a couple of other threads. I just wanted to post here that acupuncture has not been shown to be more efficacious than placebo treatments.

http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/20...cupuncture.php

My opinion on acupuncture is that it works if you think it is going to work. its really all in your head. I dont really believe in "energy" and and that poking a needle in your toe is going to relieve back pain. I had this treatment several times and it did absolutely NOTHING!!!! dont waste your money on it

i remember one time i had a headache but after I lifted weights in the gym for some mysterious reason the headache went away. I think maybe this had something to do with the concept of accupuncture where putting pressure on one part of the body gets rid of pain in another part.

The thought of that really gives me the shivers however it is a well known method and I would try it.

I am actually an Acupuncture and Traditonal Chinese Medicine student (who also happens to suffer from social anxiety). Acupuncture is very effective, and does have a biochemical basis. You don't need to believe in "energy" for it to be effective. In fact, we get lots of patients who tyr Acupuncture as a last resort, because nothing else has worked for them, not even standard biomedical treatments. In fact, these patients are often the most skeptical. Yet, they are consistently amazed by how effective it is. And "the placebo effect" simply refers to the mechanism which allows the to the body healing itself. It does not mean that the treatment is ineffective. Quite the contrary. I persoanlly have no problem with a treatment that allows the body to heal itself naturally. SSRI antidepressents have been proven by the Journal of the American Medical Association to be no more effective than a placebo, in most cases. But doctors still continue to prescribe them and they are still the "standard" treatment for depression, precisely because of the placebo effect they induce. Personally, I prefer a treatment that induces a placebo effect with NO side effects (like Acupuncture), as opposed to one that produces weight gain, metabolic changes, inorgasmia, and a host of other side effects. Just an opinion.

I'm going for a treatment next week.. I'll post about how it goes.. never tried it before. In the meantime, it would be nice if more people who have tried, could share their experiences.

I have had acupuncture many times for many different conditions. It worked for some, not for others. It also depends on the acupuncturist. I started studying it in order to become an acupuncturist, and treat myself with magnets instead of needles and I have to admit, it is extremely effective.

I used to worry about travelling in trams and trains, but not anymore. I have more stamina so I can really increase my level of exercise, which helps with a lot of mental conditions. I seem to be a lot less depressed too, but that was even before I started exercising.

My suggestion is to try it if you can afford it, because it will improve your health in many ways, and may really help with SA.

Well, acupuncture is one known method of relieving pains in the body. Also improves the health of individual who undergone such method. It is either depending on the acupuncturist or the patient himself. Anyways this method won't survive this long if doesn't produce good effects on anyone trying it.

Maybe you didn't go to someone that knew what they were doing. My dad went to one and he solved his bad shoulder pain. His pain was so bad he was on major pain killers to treat it. He found this one guy that studied it over in China. My dad went and got a few treatments and the pain went away. The only side effect was sometime my dad could feel the sensation of the needle still in his skin. Maybe you are right. It could be mind over matter. I think in my dad's case the acupuncture ended up killing the nerve ending so it wouldn't send the pain message to the brain.

I am going to do acupuncture to see if it releives my anxiety attacks. It worked great for me with eery other injury like spain ankles to lower back pain. It work and works great. The time of healin is so much fast than regular western medicine in my opinion. I've been usin meds prescibed by my doctor but I don't know why I never thought of doin acupuncture since it worked great in the past. Can't wait. Good luck to you all.

Finally went acupuncture,it totally helped! I went 2 days in a row and goin back for one more treatment on th. the dr totally recognized my symptoms jus by lookin at my tongue, she siad my heart was very tense and was not allowing it rest normally therefore having blockages in my body causin me to have panic anxiety attacks. So true! Anyways last night I went sleep with no problems. Then today my dr. Asked how was my sleep. I told her jus fine, she said (see), then today she opened up some channels in my body and I'll let ya know more later as I keep going back, but for reals I feel soo much better! Aloha

I fully believe this, on behalf of me there is nothing wrong in making an attempt the treatment. Acupuncture helps. Treatment is typically worn out five treatments it helps heal the body quicker and higher than pumping chemicals in your body. After two years of suffering I felt better very quickly, now I am fine since without medicines.

Bfriend21 is right the healing from acupuncture is in peoples minds. The mind is a powerful healing tool and it's ability to resist healing as well. I am considering acupuncture because I may benefit from it. I didn't know I had a social anxiety but had dealt with it pretty well when I realized normalcies in society are unnecessarily overwhelming me. I have overcome many of theses overwhelming experiences just by facing day to day life even if it bothered me. The past 10 years I changed the way I think about things, it was a forced and deliberate thing. It's working and there are still things I am working on.
I agree with thetherapist, there is a reason this type of healing has survived, it must have worked for many over the centuries.
In response to Sakura81, I heard once that western medicine looks for treatments and eastern medicine provides cures. I would try a cheaper cure any day over an expensive life long treatment. You are right a cure would not cause side affects (otherwise you are not cured) but of course a treatment does cause side affects.

Have you guys heard of Tinnutis?

Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicines are of great help in providing your body the raw materials it needs for health. It proved to be beneficiary for me as earlier i was suffering from arthritis problem but just after one month i was feeling good.There are many acupuncture Fairfax VA in VA,US. They all suggest and treat you well.Acupuncture is not only limited to stress booster but it also relieves from pain and drug addiction.Its worth a try.

I've been going through Klonopin withdrawal for 6 months now so I decided to try acupuncture. Let me tell you, it made things worse! For a week my tremors increased, I was nauseated, it felt like a tight band was wrapped around my head, & increased tinnitus. My central nervous system was riled up & it took forever for it to settle down. The acupuncturist claimed that all of this meant that I was 'healing' & that I should come back so I could pick up these Chinese Herbs that she wanted me to try.

Needless to say I never went back & I won't be doing it again. Let me add that I had it done 2x and the 2nd time was the nail in the coffin for me.

I've done Reiki

I've been going to acupuncture for over a year, and I am so glad I did.

Early 2012, the social anxiety had gotten so bad in every aspect of life that I finally caved and went on medication. While it calmed me down it also made me so tired, and sick to my stomach all the time. 2 months later, I went to a women's expo and saw a table for acupunture which said it treats 'depression and anxiety'. I knew it would not be a quick process, and I was hesitant on how well it works but I stuck it out. They weaned me off the medication, improved my energy, and now i'm doing so much better. It's not gone, but I've improved so much in the past year.

Where I went also taught me about acupuncture and how it works and what to expect. Yes, it was expensive, but I looking back, I don't want to be where I was a year ago. It was one of the best decisions of my life.

If you are unsure, try it and give it a few treatments to really see if it's working for you.