Thumbs up for NHS acupuncture

I am so very pleased with my acupuncture treatment for my frozen shoulder. I've been visiting our local hospital physiotherapy department since before Christmas. Initially I rejected the offer of that dreaded injection and asked if I could have acupunture as it had worked a few years back when I tore my Achilles tendon and also when my left shoulder froze.

My physio has been brilliant. He is the triage physio at the hospital and has been trained in acupuncture for many years. I wasn't able to go every week due to the fact that he was often away on courses for frozen shoulders, but he tried what he had learnt on the courses on me. No more gruelling exercises or tugging and pulling  just gentle massage and acupuncture needles, that are so fine you can hardly feel them.

He has been so very amazed at my quick recovery as he said that he had rarely since such an intensely frozen shoulder before.

Last week I only had one needle and that was put in my right lower leg, strange I know but afterwards I could fasten my bra at the back for the first time in many months. I thought that this week he would dismiss me but he offered me two options. The first was to go away and let nature continue with the healing and the second one which I chose was to have an acupuncture patch. It is a tiny plaster only 8mm diameter and in the centre is a little metal ball which I have to place on a trigger point on my right leg. I have to press it occasionally until I feel the pain. I go again to see the progress made but he think that if I wear one every day for the next few weeks the healing process will be complete.

I can't tell you how relieved I am to be out of pain all day and not to wince every time I stretched out of my comfort zone.

I have written this post because I firmly believe in acupuncture because it is holistic but mainly because I have first hand experience that it DOES work. ALLyou have to do is follow the instructions given.

Of course the best thing is that it is absolutely free on the NHS

I don't suppose for one moment that my physio reads my blog but someone may and tell him.So a big thank you to Andrew at the Queen Victoria Hospital Morecambe.