"The acupunture treatment has improved my life by 75%... it's helped me a lot and stopped me becoming a zombie on drugs... I can only praise the project."

Sixty-seven year old Michael has had widespread osteoarthritis for the past 15 years, which is painful and affects his mobility. He has also had severe headaches for 2 1/2 years. As a result, he has needed to take multiple tablets to relieve the pain.

Michael found out about Get Well UK through leaflets at St Luke’s, and accessed the service easily. He asked his GP to refer him for acupuncture at a morning surgery and was contacted that evening about an appointment.

He had never had acupuncture before and was a bit sceptical to start with. But, he found the practitioner very friendly and informative.

About the first treatment, he said, "We had a good relationship, she put me at ease and the treatment was first class. I have no complaints whatsoever".

Michael had a course of 12 treatments, at the end of which his headaches had stopped and his arthritis had improved. Also, with his GP and the acupuncturist, Michael underwent a planned programme to cut down his medication, and now doesn’t need any painkillers for either condition.

"At the end of treatment, I was off the major headache drugs that were making me like a zombie" he explained, adding "at the moment, the pain is still held at bay and my mobility is a lot better".

In fact, the treatment results have enabled Michael to take up a voluntary job driving a passenger ambulance, and he gets no ill effects from this work whatsoever. The treatment has had another beneficial effect too. Last October, Michael needed an operation on his brain, which affected his sleep. Since the acupuncture, his sleep pattern is normal.

His acupuncturist also reports that Michael responded well to the acupuncture treatments. In conclusion, Michael said that he had been very pleased with the experience, and that the service had been first class.