Acupuncture, why?

Wow, I received quite a bit of email with questions about acupuncture.  Funny, most of them start out with "I have always been afraid.....".  Well, I can tell you about my experiences, and the growing number of my friends who are going, but first check this out....

I was in the military, and then a cop.  During that time I was injured in the line of duty and sustained a bend in my spine.  With both of those professions, my body was not treated well.  I worked out hard and constantly, to stay in peak physical shape.  This working out trained my body and muscles to relearn the changes in my back and I was able to live with the problem for some years.  The problem began to show up with increased pain, all the time.  I had been used to that pain on a daily basis, but began losing mobility.  I even lost a little height due to not being able to straighten my spine.  My primary doctor told me that I would probably have to have a rod placed along my spine.  This surgery would not be easy, and every 3 to 4 months the rod would have to be moved to keep the spine straightening back up.  He told me it was very complicated, and painful, but would work.  He also told me that was our last resort.  He referred me to a chiropractor (Dr. F), who took me as a client.  He is the one that referred me to acupuncture as a part of his plan of action.  The plan was to correct the spine through chiropractor, breakdown the muscle memory through therapy, and then use acupuncture to re-train the muscles and to deal with the pain.  So, long story short, I found a fantastic place for acupuncture.  She "C" answered all my questions, no matter how silly or stupid they seemed to me.  She quickly gave me control over both my back pain and the migraines that I used to suffer almost weekly.  She even took a few days off to fly to south to research my specific case with specialists.  C and Dr. F never knew each other before I came along, but together with a mixture of western and chinese medical practices prevented the need for that rod. 

I started out going to each of them 3 days a week, and am now down to once every two weeks.  I have not had any surgery, and even my primary doctor said "Wow, that is a big f@cking change!"  My Chiropractor and Therapist put up my first x-ray next to my latest x-ray and I have to say "Holy Shit"!  Oh, and I am now the correct height!!  (You know how we men are, we have to make every quarter inch count!!!!).  Also, I have not had a full blown migraine in over a year.  I made the right choice.

What does she do?  I go in and sit on the edge of a bed (more like a massage table) and she takes my pulse, looks at my tongue and asked me about how my body is doing.  She then asks me about sleep patterns, stress levels and how I have been eating.  After that, I take off my shirt and lay face down on the table.  She begins by feeling the muscles in my back.  Are they tight?  Do they relax?  Are there any knots or tender spots?  She also looks for any reactions to my chiropractic visit.  Did I tear any muscles?  Did I pop a rib?  (My Chiropractic visits have sometimes been quite rough) 

The last thing she does is ask me about my neck, my head and my pain level.  I have a very high tolerance to pain, which is a concern to both her and my Dr. F.  I have refused all offers for pain management drugs because they all seem to have the letters "oxy" in them.  No go!  Besides, one gin and tonic takes away the pain when mixed with a nice hot bath, and the second G&T puts me to sleep!

On to the needles.  The needle is very thin, and is tapped in by her finger through a little tube.  Each needle is packaged alone, and is sterile.  You can see from the video how it works.  I don't remember ever feeling them go in, but I do feel the "chi" that is referenced.  She uses two types of needles with me.  A longer one to cause muscles to release and a shorter one to help my energy flows and muscle memory.  I think we are down to less then 15 needles a session in total now, but it used to be a whole lot more.  I am usually in a deep, drooling sleep before she leaves the room.  About an hour later she comes in, takes out the needles, and does some massage to finish up.  I then come home, make a drink, jump in the tub and sleep incredibly well!!!  I love it.

Enough about me.....I have friends that have gone for weight loss, quit smoking, headaches, pain management and some just to relax!  The first time seems to be "a little weird" across the board, but the second and third times really reflect some benefit.  It is not an instant fix, but it is much better then some of the alternatives!

If anyone calls it "quackery" or "fraud" or "mumbo jumbo" then I am guessing they have never tried it.  I WOULD RECOMMEND ACUPUNCTURE TO ANYONE AND EVERYONE.  Try it!