Evaluation of a group acupuncture service in a National Health Service outpatient physiotherapy department

A large number of patients suffer from ongoing musculoskeletal pain, and a significant proportion of this population report that they find acupuncture helpful. However, this form of treatment can make demands on the UK National Health Service (NHS) that are often difficult to satisfy. Therefore, group acupuncture sessions were introduced in an NHS physiotherapy department in order to provide a maintenance therapy service for this population. The service was evaluated using a patient questionnaire and the feedback received was very encouraging. Respondents reporting benefits not only in terms of pain relief, but also with regard to peer support. In the future, this type of group treatment could also be offered to patients with other chronic problems such as rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia