Struggling with arthritis or persistent pain and looking for a drug-free approach to symptom management? Pain is one of the most common reasons people come to our clinics.
NICE guidance recommends considering a course of acupuncture for adults and young people aged 16 and over with chronic primary pain, subject to specific conditions around delivery and cost. This guidance applies to chronic primary pain, rather than all types of arthritis or pain with an identified underlying cause.
Relief during a session can be immediate, but pain like this rarely shifts for good in one visit. Most patients come for a course of treatment, and over those sessions they tell us they move more easily and think about the pain less. Individual results vary.
Not sure where to start? Take our free 2-minute health assessment for personalised recommendations. When you’re ready, book your first appointment online. This includes a full consultation and treatment, looking at your symptoms, lifestyle and health history.
The Get Well Clinics makes acupuncture affordable, at £42 a session.
★★★★★
“I started feeling the difference after one visit. My arthritis pain has reduced. I feel more like myself again.”
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” Long standing issue with my knee. I continue going back regularly. I can see the benefits each time.” André
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“I have been having acupuncture for a year. The treatments have really helped my osteoarthritis. The Get Well Clinics is my go-to for well-being.” Tom
★★★★★
“I had chronic pain for months. The treatments and health advice helped me so much with the pain and my general well being. I now recommend it to all my friends!” Carmen
Individual patient experiences. Results vary.
What Causes Arthritis and Chronic Pain?
Arthritis and chronic pain affect millions of people. Arthritis brings joint inflammation, stiffness and pain that can limit day to day life. Chronic pain can involve muscles, connective tissue and even internal organs, leaving you exhausted and frustrated.
Pain becomes chronic when it outlasts the injury or condition that started it.
In arthritis, joint inflammation and wear drive the pain directly. In other cases the nervous system itself becomes more sensitive, so pain continues even when scans look unremarkable.
What Usually Causes It
- Osteoarthritis, where joint cartilage wears over time
- Inflammatory arthritis, including rheumatoid arthritis
- Old injuries that never fully settled
- Sensitisation of the nervous system, amplifying pain signals
- Poor sleep and stress, both of which lower pain tolerance
- Reduced movement, which stiffens joints and weakens support
What You May Be Feeling / Experiencing
- Morning stiffness that eases as you move
- Aching that worsens with weather or activity
- Pain that is worse at night and disturbs sleep
- Swelling or reduced range in a joint
- Paying for activity the following day
Please speak to your GP if a joint is hot, red and swollen. If you have unexplained weight loss or fever, or if pain follows a significant injury.
Acupuncture works well alongside medical care, not instead of it.
Source: NHS, Arthritis; NICE guideline NG193, Chronic pain
How Acupuncture Works for Arthritis and Chronic Pain
The results we see in clinic are increasingly reflected in the research.
A meta-analysis of 39 randomised trials involving 20,827 patients found acupuncture provided greater pain relief than sham acupuncture across several types of chronic pain (Vickers et al., 2018).
As to why acupuncture works for arthritis and chronic pain, researchers point to several mechanisms:
- Reduce pain, improve mobility: a multicentre randomised controlled trial found acupuncture more effective than sham treatment or medication for reducing pain and improving function in patients with knee osteoarthritis (Liu et al., Chinese Medicine, 2022).
- Influence inflammation: a rheumatoid arthritis review looked at inflammatory markers including pain scores, joint counts and morning stiffness (2025). A review of trials in musculoskeletal pain examined cytokines such as IL-6 and TNF-alpha (Muscles, 2026). Results are still emerging rather than settled.
- Increase local circulation: a systematic review found acupuncture increased local blood flow in muscle and skin, particularly in muscular pain conditions (Kim et al., 2016).
- Releasing endorphins: research points to the release of endogenous opioid peptides, including endorphins, the body’s own pain-relieving chemicals (Han, Neuroscience Letters, 2004). It examined the effects acupuncture has on the brain regions handling pain and stress alongside the neurotransmitters that affect mood, including serotonin, noradrenaline and dopamine (Han, Neuroscience Letters, 2004). These are proposed mechanisms rather than settled conclusions.
Patients often describe feeling lighter after treatment, as though the body has finally let go of something it had been holding.
Over a course of treatment the aim is to soften the tightness and change how your body carries stress. Long-standing pain is rarely only physical either, and being worn down by it, or braced against it, tends to keep the body tight. Treating both together is often what allows things to settle.
Individual results vary. These findings are not a guarantee of outcome for every patient.
Lasting Changes
- Support the whole body: we use pulse and tongue diagnosis, alongside a review of your diet and lifestyle, to work out what’s going on, then treat it with thin needles.
- Chinese medicine has never separated the physical from the emotional, so how you are feeling, sleeping and coping is part of the picture.
- The aim is to support your body’s own healing systems rather than override them.
Lasting change often comes through small shifts so we also offer support through:
- Diet & lifestyle coaching: removing food triggers, improving sleep, and moving your body more, at a pace that works for you.
- Stress-management tools: easy breathing exercises, mindfulness, and relaxation techniques you can use daily without feeling overwhelmed.
Flavio Cabral
3 months ago
The service I received was unhurried, kind, personal, as well very educative from both treatments I had on full body and head only (ear). I strongly recommend it.
Mdm Pleguebyrne
3 months ago
I first came to the Gate Well Clinic last year, and it was a fantastic experience. I'm now back again to help get myself back on the healthy path I was on before.
I feel that we live in a very different world compared to a couple of generations ago. Life moves at such fast pace, and much of our food has been depleted of its nutrients or replaced with ultra-processed alternatives, making it increasingly difficult to maintain good health.
Coming back to the clinic is helping me regain control of my health. The acupuncture treatment with George, together with the guidance and natural supplements he recommends, have given me the support I need to feel better, more balanced, and more in tune with my body.
I'm truly grateful for the care, knowledge, and support that George and the whole team provide. I would highly recommend the Gate Well Clinic to anyone looking to take a more natural approach to improving their overall health and well-being.
Tom Tom C
5 months ago
I have been seen by the fantastic Luke Warburton for a year for acupuncture & bodywork. He combines both skills in treatment at the get well clinics in Paddington. His knowledge really helps me maintain my health conditions like Fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis and anxiety. The get well clinics is my go to comfort zone for well being. Tom
Vincent Crooks
5 months ago
It's so good to have a place like the getwell clinic which for me is acceptable,affordable, clean and pleasant, with experience and professional practioners ,with the knowledge to read and diagnose ailments,
Vincent Crooks.
Emma Williamson
6 months ago
Marion is an excellent acupuncture therapist - I have really benefited from her treatment and highly recommend her.
Daria
8 months ago
Very good services at affordable prices. Acupuncture treatments have been helping me to balance my energy - either to bring it up or down depending on how I was feeling. Sheree is very helpful.
Fiona Blakeman
9 months ago
I couldn’t recommend this highly enough and I’m very grateful that this service is available in my local community. I’ve had a lot of experience receiving acupuncture, and despite the heavily discounted cost, the level of care, attention, and quality of treatment is exceptional.
The initial consultation is carried out privately, with treatments taking place alongside other patients. The setting is calm and peaceful, and I felt very safe and supported by both the practitioner and the environment overall.
Lucy Brook
11 months ago
This was a first time trying acupuncture, in a welcoming and tranquil space that's affordable to have professional treatment in a community clinic. I have several issues with my spine and I came initially with my sciatica pain at a 10 so severe for months struggling to walk and cope with daily functioning using mobility aids. I felt a major difference in pain relief after the first treatment and by the third session it has drastically reduced to a 2 and sometimes no pain on good days.
George is excellent and I feel so thankful, his knowledge and recommendations has been helpful and I've slowly been implementing. I come away from the sessions feeling relaxed and able to sleep better. I look forward to continuing my journey of pain relief, health and wellbeing, plus getting some normality slowly back in my daily life and functioning.
Elisa R
11 months ago
I went for several sessions this year to help with an extra heartbeat caused by stress. I also changed my lifestyle slightly, but acupuncture definitely made a difference. It takes time and trusting the process, and since I’m not used to slowing down, having this dedicated ‘me time’ was exactly what I needed.
John and Marion are knowledgeable, kind, and genuinely take the time to listen. I love how welcoming the community clinic is, and I always felt in very good hands.
Thank you to both of them, I’d definitely recommend it to anyone looking for support with stress or overall well-being.
Lucia Krupova
6 months ago
If you are preparing for IVF or struggling with back pain, you need to book an appointment with John.
I was a little bit worried about sharing room with other people but the place is incredibly peaceful which is exactly what you need when dealing with the stress of fertility treatments.
I came in for fertility support and a bad back, and I am amazed at how quickly it worked.
It only took a few sessions for my back pain to disappear entirely, and my periods are now perfectly on schedule. It has given me so much peace of mind and physical comfort heading into my IVF cycle.
Camilla Cooper
8 months ago
Get Well Community Acupuncture clinic is absolutely incredible. I’ve had really healing and helpful treatments with both Phil and Luke who are both exceptional & extremely caring practitioners. I can’t recommend this clinic enough for all your Community Acupuncture needs.
Maria del Mar Arranz Martin
11 months ago
Excellent service and professionals
John Watson
12 months ago
Very sympathetic and thoughtful treatment from Marion. I like the no-nonsense (and affordable) approach of having a communal treatment room. You still get plenty of attention and then lie and relax with the needles in whilst other people are attended to.
Vicki Zhang
1 year ago
Marion is super attentive and skilful - would highly recommend her to anyone considering acupuncture.
Sehr schön
2 years ago
I landed at Paddington location in Marion Rolling’s magical hands at the end of Jan 25.
I had high anxiety, heart palpitations and frequent migraines. I was always on high alert expecting a catastrophe at every corner and on the verge of tears at all time.
After a few Acupuncture sessions with Marion, my anxiety is manageable , I have more energy and I go for days without my previous symptoms. Also have not had a migraine since then.
I’m looking forward to seeing Marion a few more times this spring to help me with my hayfever.
Can’t recommend them enough. Thank you 🙏
Isabel Pitcaithly
2 years ago
Recently I attended The Get Well Clinic in Paddington where I had 3 accupuncture sessions a week apart with the very knowledgeable Marion Rollings. I did my homework before choosing Marion who has trained extensively including 7 years in China. I was impressed with how she managed to remember all I had told her in pre treatment forms and lying there relaxing with the needles in place ( completely painless) I could tell she remembered all about her other patients. I felt very relaxed and well cared for.
I had a problem with my ankle/foot which was very debilitating and this has greatly improved. I am so pleased as I was afraid to go out in case I suddenly couldn't walk any more. I no longer have this problem.
I was also concerned about headaches which seemed to take over my life. I can honestly say since the first treatment up to now several weeks down the line I have only had one headache which for me is amazing !!
To anyone considering a treatment with Marion go ahead. You will not be disappointed !!!
I plan on further treatments for my back when I have finished work in the garden. Isabel 76
Common Questions Answered
NICE recommends considering a course of acupuncture for chronic primary pain, and trials in knee osteoarthritis found it reduced pain and improved physical function compared with sham treatment. We are not talking about curing arthritis, it is a condition that gets managed rather than fixed, and the aim is to keep you doing what you want to do. Chinese medicine treats it by how the pain behaves, so travelling pain, swollen joints, cold joints and hot angry joints are each approached differently. It all works alongside your GP or rheumatologist, never instead. Individual results vary.
Yes. Acupuncture is intended to be used alongside conventional treatment, and many patients have it while taking prescribed medication or having talking therapy. Never stop or change your medication without speaking to your GP first, and do tell us what you are taking so we can plan around it.
A wide range of arthritis-related and chronic pain, most of it musculoskeletal: head, neck, shoulder, elbow, wrist and arm pain, chest pain, back pain and sciatica (see our sciatica page), general aching and stiffness, hip, knee, ankle, foot and leg pain, and stomach pain. We also treat fibromyalgia (see our fibromyalgia page). If you are not sure whether your pain fits, ask us.
Acupuncture works by building change slowly over time, small shifts that add up, rather than one big fix. Everyone is different, but most patients start to notice a difference after several regular sessions rather than a single visit.
Why Choose Our Low Cost Acupuncture Clinics in London?
Expert
Our highly qualified acupuncturists, without the private clinic price tag.
Whole-body approach
We use traditional acupuncture diagnostic principles to look at your symptoms in the context of your whole health, not just the area that hurts
Convenient locations
Our clinics in Camberwell and Paddington are close to bus, train, and Tube lines, so getting here is simple.
Acupuncture Articles
You don’t need to understand how acupuncture works for it to work. But if you’re curious about the science, we’ve linked some articles below, with more on Traditional Chinese Medicine in our Articles section.
Acupuncture can be difficult to study. Researchers use sham acupuncture as a control, with needles placed away from recognised acupuncture points, but these “fake” points can still have an effect. Many studies are also small because research funding is limited. This means some conditions have not yet been studied at the scale needed for firm conclusions. That is not the same as acupuncture being tested and failing.
Where high-quality, large-scale research has been carried out, the evidence is much stronger.
Does Acupuncture Work for Arthritis?
A multicenter RCT found acupuncture more effective than sham treatment for pain and function in knee osteoarthritis. Liu et al., Chinese Medicine, 2022.
Acupuncture for Chronic Pain
Vickers AJ, et al. Acupuncture for chronic pain: update of an individual patient data meta-analysis. The Journal of Pain. 2018;19(5):455-474.
NICE guidelines
NICE guideline NG193, Chronic pain (primary and secondary) in over 16s: assessment of all chronic pain and management of chronic primary pain. 2021.