regarding acupuncture for negativity - body/mind balance

[Guest guest]

Hi there - I thought I would chime-in, my name is Kristan. I am a

lurker. I am a grad student of acupuncture and oriental medicine.

I just wanted to comment about your acupuncture experience....

 

I first want to tell you that acupuncture should NEVER be as painful

as you described. I don't know how experienced or what the training

of your practioner is - but I am not sure that none of my fellow

students or profs at my school would *ever* let a patient walk out

saying that sessions were a " net loss " .....I am cringing....So sorry

you had that experience.

 

See, there are many acupuncture techniques, and huge differences

(per state - per profession) as to how much training and what type

people need. The more extensively someone has studied chinese

medicine - the more experience and better they are at needling and

avoiding painful experiences. (not just being a chiropracter or Md

taking 200 hours to learn WHERE to needle) Japanese needles, for

example can be the width of a human hair- and you can barely feel

them .....We use techniques such as toya hari which are totally non-

invasive. Ear seeds (which adhere to the ears) can be great for pain

as the ear is a microcosmic system of the body. Qi Gong is also

wonderful for helping to balance energy.

 

I am going through a similar negative personal pattern. I receive

acupuncture and take chinese herbs that help me TREMENDOUSLY to

sleep. Chinese herbs are wonderful. I can feel them kick-in at night

same way as I would tylenol PM or a chemical sleeping pill. I really

notice a differnce in my peace of mind....

 

As far as price goes ---- see if you have a school in your area -

our clinic fees are 35 for a session. The Student practioners are

observed by teachers and usually a few fellow students too.

Otherwise, if you have healht insurance they are starting to

reimburse.

 

Please give it another chance, Chinese medicine can really help what

you are describing....

 

Best wishes,

Kristan

[Guest guest]

Kristan,

 

Thanks for your feedback. The acupuncturist was trained in

China and has been practicing in this area for decades. I have

a rare neurologic disorder which involves nerve damage and

pain sensations in various parts of my body. She placed dozens

of tiny needles in the top of my head, down my spinal column,

and down the back of my legs. Frequently, the needle would

hit a nerve. Other times, in areas where I have lost sensation,

she was a surprised that I didn't feel the needle. What made it

even harder was lying on my stomach with my head face down,

with a rolled up towel under my forehead. I also tried the metal

clip on my earlobes over a few weekends. Each session felt like

an endurance test and after 8 sessions, we agreed it was not

doing enough in terms of pain reduction to make it worth my

while. Net loss is my phrase. I know several others who found her

treatment very helpful for common ailments. So I've simply

assumed that my disorder was just too complicated. Traditional

neurologists essentially say the same thing. I am in the tradeoff

situation in which I have to decide whether to take certain drugs,

which reduce one symptom, but produce side effects or interfere

with other symptoms. All things considered, I am a pretty positive

guy. But these days, I feel immersed in difficulty. It is difficult to find

enough pleasure or comfort in a given day. I have been lurking

on this list for awhile until this thread was started.

 

 

--- Joe ---