Acupuncture Association

30/08/2026

Can acupuncture help with everything? Not quite, and we think that's worth being upfront about.

What we see, again and again, is acupuncture working well, sometimes on its own and sometimes as part of a bigger picture of care. It's well known for pain and headaches, but many of our members also use it to support people through quitting smoking, sleep troubles, hay fever symptoms and low mood, often alongside other treatment where that combination is what someone needs.

The key is proper diagnosis. Acupuncture isn't one technique applied the same way to everyone, it's tailored to what's actually going on for that person, and it usually takes a course of sessions rather than a single visit to see the benefit.

Have you tried acupuncture alongside other treatment? We'd love to hear how it fitted into your care in the comments.

27/08/2026

Is acupuncture safe for children? It's one of the questions we get asked most, and the short answer, when it's carried out by a properly trained practitioner, is yes.

At UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital, the Integrative Pediatric Pain and Palliative Care service has been treating hospitalised and outpatient children for years. Its team reports acupuncture cutting chemotherapy-related nausea by up to 70% in some patients, and delivered over 200 consultations in a single year. For children anxious about needles, they use laser acupuncture instead, with one of their trials on children recovering from kidney biopsies showing a 50% drop in pain medication use and anxiety.

The wider evidence backs this up. A Cochrane review of seven trials involving 727 children found acupuncture reduced the risk of post-operative nausea. A large case series of 913 infants with colic reported significant improvement in the majority. Across reviews, serious side effects are rare, with most reactions limited to minor bruising or short-lived discomfort at the needle site.

One thing many parents don't know: children and young people often respond more quickly to acupuncture than adults do. Their bodies tend to react faster, likely because they're already growing and changing so rapidly, so sessions are often shorter and children usually need fewer of them overall.

As always, this should be with a properly qualified, ARA-registered practitioner experienced in treating children.

Have you brought your child to acupuncture? We'd love to hear about your experience in the comments.

24/08/2026

At Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, one surgeon says he can tell which knee replacement patients had acupuncture before their operation, just from the look on their faces in the recovery room. That's backed by research from Dr Stephanie Cheng, whose study found patients given ear acupuncture ahead of knee surgery were far more likely to need little or no opioid medication afterwards, 65% compared with 9% in a comparison group, and every acupuncture patient had come off pain medication within 30 days.

The evidence is building in other types of surgery too. A 2023 pilot study in Langenbeck's Archives of Surgery found that a single session of targeted acupuncture after abdominal surgery cut patients' pain scores by an average of 86%, with more than half reporting their pain had gone completely. A large randomised trial now underway in China is testing whether acupuncture can help mobility and swelling for people recovering from hip fracture surgery too.

None of this replaces the surgical team's own aftercare. But worked out together with your surgeon and a qualified acupuncturist, it's a growing part of how recovery is being supported.

Have you used acupuncture as part of your recovery from surgery? Tell us how it went in the comments.

24/08/2026

One of the easiest ways to register with ARA is to join Acupuncture Association, the independent association for acupuncturists with any valid classroom-based acupuncture qualification.

ARA is the largest independent group of acupuncture organisations in the UK, and we take on the issues that affect your ability to practise.

From removing the four month blood donation deferral to challenging licensing rules in Wales, we act for the profession, not just talk about it.

Registering with ARA through your member organisation gives you a voice in this work, along with shared standards, codes of practice, and support built specifically for acupuncturists.

Find out how to register: https://acupunctureregulatoryauthority.org.uk/how-to-join/

20/08/2026

Before a patient even sits down for treatment, they've already formed an opinion about your clinic. 🙂

Here's what tends to stick with them:

- A clean, well looked after space
- Professionalism from the first hello
- Attention to detail, right down to the paperwork
- How easy it was to book in
- Calm, welcoming staff who explain what's about to happen

What patients are really weighing up is whether everything feels professional, friendly and clear. Small things, big impression.

https://acupunctureassociation.org.uk

17/08/2026

Ever choose a therapist because someone you trust recommended them? You're not alone.

A national survey found that most people who see a complementary practitioner, like an acupuncturist, get there through their own network, a friend, family member or colleague they trust, rather than a formal referral.

And with NHS waiting times still a real challenge for many, more people are saying they'd turn to complementary treatments if they were facing a long wait, or if their current treatment wasn't quite hitting the mark.

Trust matters, wherever the recommendation comes from. That's why it's always worth checking a practitioner is properly qualified and registered before booking in. Look out for ARA registration, it's a simple way to know you're in safe, professional hands. 🙂

https://acupunctureassociation.org.uk
https://bjgpopen.org/content/2/4/bjgpopen18X101614

13/08/2026

Did you catch this earlier in the week? 👀 It's a big one.

ARA, working with all its member organisations, including AA, has secured a huge change to blood donation rules in the UK. After six years of work, JPAC has formally agreed to remove the waiting period for blood donors who've had acupuncture from a registered, qualified practitioner.

It's not live everywhere just yet, JPAC's website updates on 11 August 2026 and each UK nation will confirm its own implementation date, but this is a genuine milestone for the profession. 🩸

Read the full story here: https://acupunctureregulatoryauthority.org.uk/blood-donation-update-2026-the-four-month-deferral-removed/

11/08/2026

Ever picked up a research paper and felt your heart sink at 18 pages of dense text? 😅 Here's the good news, you probably only need to read about two of those pages properly.

A few quick questions can help you decide if a study's worth your time:

- What does the abstract tell you? It covers what the researchers wanted to find out, how they did it, and what they concluded.
- Does the conclusion actually answer the question? Are the authors confident, or cautious?
- Who took part? 25 people is very different to 2,500, and it matters whether they're similar to your own patients.
- What was it compared against? Usual care, sham acupuncture, or acupuncture alongside standard care all tell a different story.
- Don't just read the headline! Media coverage often overstates what a study actually found.

You don't need to become a statistician, just a practitioner who can spot strong evidence when you see it. 📚

06/08/2026

We are SO proud to be an ARA member organisation. Our team works REALLY hard! And look... we make a difference in the wider world. More lovely blood for the donation service on it's way!

The ARA can confirm a significant and long-awaited change to blood donation policy in the UK. JPAC, the Joint Professional Advisory Committee to the UK Blood Transfusion and Tissue Transplantation Services, has formally agreed to remove the deferral period currently applied to blood donors who have....

06/08/2026

Research continues to shape our profession 📚 As practitioners, it's important that we stay engaged with emerging evidence, even when it raises new questions.

A recently published systematic review and meta-analysis looking at acupuncture for chronic low back pain found greater improvements in both pain and function compared with usual care. The authors were clear that the certainty of evidence is still low, and that guidelines around the world don't always agree, a good reminder of why ongoing research matters.

Keeping up with the latest evidence helps us:

Have informed conversations with patients
Reflect on our own practice
Support the profession's development
Promote evidence-informed acupuncture
Research doesn't replace clinical experience, it strengthens it.

Read the full study here: https://www.sicot-j.org/articles/sicotj/full_html/2026/01/sicotj250093/sicotj250093.html