If you ask most people about their experience of acupuncture, there are basically two answers. Either they’ve had it done, in which case they tell you it’s fantastic and they can’t recommend it enough; or they know nothing at all about it, except that they think it sounds ‘a bit weird’ and never want anyone sticking needles in them, making them into some kind of human pin cushion.

Even if this is you, then neither description represents a completely accurate picture.

For one thing, those ‘needles’: they’re not exactly needles, just very thin pins, no thicker than a human hair and not much sharper. Far from being jabbed brutally into your flesh, they merely cause mild pressure or sometimes a brief dull ache when inserted, which doesn’t sound so bad after all. So, while you may feel uncomfortable with the idea of having needles pushed under your skin, the fear that stops many people from trying acupuncture in the first place is soon overcome once the first session begins. For Acupuncture Gloucester, visit //www.purelandsacu.co.uk/acupuncture-gloucester

Some people might describe acupuncture as an ‘alternative medicine’, but it’s a bit simplistic to see it as belonging in the category along with crystal healing or homoeopathy. As well as personal testimonials about what acupuncture has achieved for people, there is a great deal of research that shows how it works on different aspects of our physiology, such as the nervous system, inflammation and pain signalling. None of this relies on someone’s belief or faith in it being a ‘placebo’.

And even if you don’t believe in ‘ancient Chinese medicine’, don’t be put off. You certainly don’t need to have a room filled with incense or be someone who enjoys mystical experiences. But, if you can open your mind to the fact that it just might work, albeit differently than what you’re used to, then acupuncture could really help you.