I have been lurking and learning here the past few months, but have had great success with acupuncture so decided to join the site to share my experience.

I was told I had interstitial cystitus in 1997, believed to be an auto immune disorder/disease of the bladder. I was experiencing EXTREME pain and bladder spasms and was miserable.

At the time there was only one drug to treat the symptoms that had just received FDA approval, and it took about 3 months to kick in. I decided to go the natural route, so I changed my diet and eliminated all acidic foods that irritated the bladder.

This worked for a few years, then even with the diet I started having problems. Then I started acupuncture. The key was, I found a GREAT acupuncturist. He had treated someone with my illness before, and he really researched what he was doing and spent a lot of time on me. At first I went 2x weekly, then after a month 1x weekly, then after about 6 months I went every other week, then after a year 1x monthly. After a few years I can say I was totally healed - I am now back to eating like a normal person and no one else can give any reason for my healing from such a debilitating physical ailment.

I am fairly conservative, but was willing to try acupuncture as I think the history of it really gives it some creed - and I was in so much pain I was willing to try anything.

Also, my father had tried acupuncture when I was a teenager totally out of desperation as he was faced with spinal surgery with a 50/50 chance of paralysis or taking pain meds forever - and he went to acupuncture for about 12 times and it totally took away his pain for the rest of his life.

I have been doing some research on acupuncture for MS out of curiosity, as I am not officially dx with MS but thinking I will try it if dx. The key with MS is you really need to get someone experienced with it, or willing to research well. Because you do NOT want them to stimulate your immune system - as that will aggrivate the MS. And many times in order to help patients they are also working on the general immune system, but with MS that is the no no. They also need to know what herbs and natural supplements to recommend as again, nothing that stimulates the immune system should be used.

Good luck. I would be interested in hearing your experience if you decide to go for it. And no, it does NOT hurt. Sometimes they can accidentally hit a little nerve with a small needle and it can be uncomfortable for a second, but most of the time it is just a minor little pinch as the needle goes in.