Acupuncture for Chronic Pain
Easing the Burden of Pain
Chronic pain is more than just physical sensation; it is a heavy weight that affects your mood, your sleep, and your ability to engage with the world and your connection to self. Whether you are living with the sharp intensity of a Migraine, the discomfort of Osteoarthritis, or the "invisible" and widespread exhaustion of Fibromyalgia, pain can make you feel like your body is an unsafe place to be.
There is an Ancient Chinese saying: "Where there is flow, there is no pain; where there is pain, there is no flow." My work is to find where your Qi (vital energy) has become stuck—whether through injury, postural habits, or emotional stress—and gently encourage it to move again. We don't just treat the site of the pain; we treat the person living with it, helping you move from a state of protective contraction back into a place of ease.
Acupuncture is now widely integrated into conventional pain management (including NICE guidelines in the UK). According to the British Acupuncture Council (BAcC), acupuncture can be a powerful tool for interrupting the cycle of chronic pain.
What to Expect
When you are in constant pain, your nervous system is often stuck in a state of "high alert." - your session will be an opportunity for you to relax and let go.
As acupuncture is a body-based therapy, we can talk as little or as much as feels comfortable—ultimately it is the needles that will do the work. During your Initial Consultation, we will talk about your pain - when it started, how and where you are experiencing it and chat about other parts of your lifestyle like your diet, stress and any movement patterns you find painful or help ease the pain. Following treatments will then begin with a brief update on how you’ve been and any changes you’ve noticed.
We look for subtle shifts in your health that signal a return to a healing state. Sometimes these changes aren't immediately related to your primary pain, but they indicate a restorative nervous system response—the essential foundation from which physical healing can occur.
Every individual responds to treatment differently. While long-standing symptoms can sometimes take longer to resolve, this is not a fixed rule. Your progress is also supported by lifestyle factors outside the clinic, such as restorative sleep, nutrition, and how you move your body between sessions.
The Science Stuff :
Clinical studies show that acupuncture triggers the release of the body’s own endorphins —which act as natural "opioids" to dull pain and reduce inflammation.
Evidence indicates that acupuncture can lower pro-inflammatory markers in the body, helping to ease stiffness and improve mobility.
Neuroimaging studies suggest that regular acupuncture can modulate the pain centres in the brain. This is particularly relevant for chronic pain with no known cause, as it helps the brain "unlearn" its habitual response to pain signals.
Systematic reviews have found that acupuncture can be as effective as prophylactic drugs for migraines, reducing the frequency and intensity of attacks with fewer side effects.