Yes, if performed by a suitably trained practitioner, acupuncture is very safe when compared to other treatments such as pain killers or injections of steroids or anaethetics. When treating mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety or stress, acupuncture is far better tolerated than antidepressants or anti-anxiety medications. I have undergone many hours of training, including hands on practical experience to be competent at acupuncture. My medical background gives me a thorough understanding of anatomy, physiology, disease and therapeutics. The British Medical Acupuncture Society (BMAS) provide rigorous education programs and you must maintain these high standards to remain a member.

I trained in acupuncture because in so many areas of my GP work, the treatments I could offer were simply not good enough. I was frustrated at seeing patients with chronic conditions failing to improve and living miserable lives. Chronic pain is probably the biggest area which modern medicine was letting people down. There is large body of peer reviewed evidence supporting the use of acupuncture in countless common conditions. Often it is more effective and better tolerated. The treatments I offer are grounded in this evidence base. If the evidence says that acupuncture won’t help your particular case, I will tell you straight.

I generally use the Japanese Seirin brand of needle for their high quality materials -Japanese surgical steel. Acupuncture needles are not like hypodermic needles used in blood taking or injections. These are hollow and have a bevelled cutting edge whereas acupuncture needles are solid with a perfectly pointed tip, like a sewing needle. This type of tip pushes tissues apart rather than cutting them, therefore causing less trauma. There is a range of sizes for different jobs. The thinnest one I use is just 0.18mm diameter, but the most commonly used needle is 0.25mm diameter. Lengths range from 15mm to 95mm. The size doesn’t make much difference to how the patient experiences the acupuncture.

Some acupuncturists will tell you that it won’t hurt at all, but that is disingenuous. The short answer is very little – most people experience no “pain” at all. The long answer is that it depends on several variables such as how we define pain, how we feel about needles and our general anxiety levels at the time. We actually want the patient to feel a sensation from the acupuncture which is variously described as aching, burning, tingling or just an unusual feeling in the targeted tissue. These sensations, if strong enough, can be perceived as “pain” but it is not the aim of acupuncture to produce such a strong senation. Occasionally a needle insertion will hurt and a good acupuncturist will remove it immediately and resite it. This is usually due to hidden structures beneath the skin such as small blood vessels or nerves. The nature of ours bodies is that these cannot always be predicted. Resiting a needle just a couple of millimeters away can solve the problem. An acupuncture treatment should never be an unpleasant, painful experience – if this happens then the acupuncturist needs to respond to improve things.

An initial assessment takes one hour. Follow up sessions are between 30 and 45 minutes.

As an example, to successfully treat a case of osteoarthritis of the knee, I would offer 6-8 weekly sessions and once the pain has settled a top-up session might be needed every 2-4 weeks. At the opposite end of the scale, some muscular conditions, such as myofascial trigger points, can be resolved instantly with one needle. It depends on your response. Some people respond well to acupuncture, some do not. There is no obligation to continue a course of treatment once you start it with me – it is pay-as-you-go.

Hopefully the symptoms of your condition are improving! Sometimes patients have a great initial response but then become worried when symptoms return after a few days. This is usually just the short term effects of the acupuncture wearing off. But don’t be concerned as there is an additive effect with each session and long term effects start to make a difference. Many patients also feel a general improvement in their wellbeing, energy and mood.

Complications from acupuncture are thankfully rare but the safety of my patients is always paramount. I will always use techniques that minimise any injuries. The commonest adverse effects are slight bleeding or bruising which require pressure only and some aching from the needled tissues. Fainting can occur which is why I will always treat the patient on a couch. Patients with a bleeding tendency caused by haematological disease like haemophilia or the taking of anticoagulant drugs like clopidogrel or warfarin can usually still have acupuncture, but it will be assessed at the first appointment. Using electroacupuncture across the chest is not a good idea if you have an implanted cardiac device like a pacemaker, but is not an absolute contraindication. Likewise, having replacement heart valves theoretically puts a patient at risk of bacterial endocarditis, but it is only a relative contraindication. There is no good evidence that acupuncture is harmful in pregnancy but extreme caution, as ever, would be observed.