Has acupuncture helped?

[wciarci]

I am thinking of going to a Chinese herbal/acupuncture doctor. I don't want to waste my money. Has this helped anyone? I was thinking of working on liver, detox and HPA axis as well as thyroid. Let me know.

Wendy

 

[ixchelkali]

I found acupuncture helpful in relieving the fibromyalia-like pain, which in turn marginally improved my functioning. The herbs he gave me helped a little with the nausea. But it didn't help with the fatigue or flu-like symptoms. So it wasn't a cure, but it did help me feel a little better, which nothing else I've tried did. If I could afford it I would probably still be doing it.

 

[wciarci]

Hi ixchelkali and thanks for the reply. My pain is very minimal at this point, more like stiffness and muscle fatigue, so I am really hoping to get my endochrine system back in line, esp the thyroid and also the detox pathway. I will most likely try it for a few sessions but I am sick and tired of giving doctors who say that they can help me, my money. I did a round of expensive chiropractic adjustments a while back and they didn't do a thing.

Wendy

 

[boomer3]

My daughter has found acupuncture very effective for relieving her pain. she told me he could get her pain centered into one area and then get rid of that. but it doesn't seem to last long. She sees him a few times a week for this which is a hassle for her to travel to see and is expensive. But she has bad pain. The Canadian Government needs to do something. I frankly don't know what they are doing about this disease. The Budget 2011 is coming up in February and I suppose it would be a miracle if they recognize importance to this disease. Write your MPs and tell them you want funding announced in the Budget 2011.
http://webinfo.parl.gc.ca/MembersOfParliament/MainMPsCompleteList.aspx?TimePeriod=Current&Language=E

 

[ukxmrv]

Hi Wendy,

I saw an chinese accupuncturist within the first 3 years of becoming ill. Tried many different treatments through him. Have had accupunture since then. For my ME symptoms it made no difference at all. For pain and mobility issues after a fall, it did help.

 

[moblet]

I've found acupuncture very helpful at reducing general physiological anxiety and fascial tension, things which in my case appear to be coming from chronic head and spinal injuries. It seems to me to be able to calm the central nervous system somehow. I couldn't tell you how effective it might be for what you're seeking, but it's usually fairly obvious in the hours/days after a treatment whether it's made any difference. That difference may not seem directly linked with your symptoms, e.g. an overall feeling of greater warmth and energy. A few things from my experience:
- Chinese medicine has a totally different model of the human body to Western medicine. Even the concepts of "liver" and "blood" aren't the same. It's a comprehensive functional model though, and they can recognise and treat patterns of symptoms that other modalities can't. The medical profession cannot explain my symptoms at all (other than "you're just stressed"), but if I start describing my symptoms to an acupuncturist they stop me after a couple of minutes and say, "that's what we call internal wind coming from the liver or gall bladder", and can then tell me what the rest of my symptoms are.
- That different functional model means they don't classify illness in the same way as the medical profession, nor do they treat medical conditions in specific compartmentalised fashion like doctors do. If you're used to the medical model it can seem like they're initially ignoring what doctors have told you, or you may feel, is your biggest problem, because the treatment priorities of Chinese medicine are different. They are more based around strengthening and balancing body systems.
- Japanese styles are more highly skilled, and gentler, than Chinese ones, so go for one of them if you can find it. Toyohari is the only one I have much experience of, because once I found it I stuck with it. The Japanese ones are also more likely to be able to recognise whether and how they can help you.
- If it doesn't work, it won't harm you.

 

[*GG*]

I am thinking of going to a Chinese herbal/acupuncture doctor. I don't want to waste my money. Has this helped anyone? I was thinking of working on liver, detox and HPA axis as well as thyroid. Let me know.

Wendy

You might want to check out community acupuncture ( http://www.communityacupuncturenetwork.org/clinics#CT ), it is lot less money, but I don't think you will get an offer of Chinese herbs though?! I used to sleep for hours at the place I went to, this was after a full day of work, so some good rest was nice!

GG

PS I found acupuncture to provide temporary relief, that's why I like the Community stuff, but nothing really close to where I live!

 

[silicon]

In my experience, acupuncture does not touch my CFIDS symptoms, but the herbs (the type that the practitioner prescribes and you boil into a tea) help a little with my digestive symptoms, and even have been able to raise my (still perennially low) blood pressure.

 

[wciarci]

Thank you all, for your replies. Yes I am skeptical but I think I'll go a few times. My gut is a mess again, so perhaps they can help with that. We'll see.

Wendy

 

[*GG*]

Thank you all, for your replies. Yes I am skeptical but I think I'll go a few times. My gut is a mess again, so perhaps they can help with that. We'll see.

Wendy

I think that LDN helped with my digestion a lot, took me a while to realize this, but I think it's the case for me.

GG

 

[Nielk]

It's truthfully very hard to answer your question to your satisfaction.
For me personally, acupuncture which I have tried a few times has helped but for a short period of time.
If I could afford to go three times a week, I think it would make a major difference but my insurance doesn't cover it.

It is also very important to find someone who is recommended highly because I did see a difference between the
different practitioners that I went to.

Some use herbs which some patients have mentioned that it helped them.
the ones I went to didn't give me that option.

In addition, we all react differently and really the only way to really know if it will help you is
to try it for a period of time like six weeks and then evaluate the benefits.

 

[Emmanuelle]

Acupuncture did wonders for my arthritis-- for a week at a time. I think Chinese medicine is really good-- usually takes time, building up the system, etc. Probably would be good for liver and thyroid. It's certainly no cure for ME/CFS. It can be costly, though. Let us know if you try it, if it helps you. Good luck.

 

[wciarci]

Thanks again for the replys. I am just too tired to thank you individually and having a rough time of it. These snowstorms must stop! No more shoveling! I quit! I have lots of food and don't need to leave the house for a month. Oh but then there is the job, guess I can't quit. Rats.

The doctor that I am thinking of seeing charges $80 a visit! I am just a bid jaded as I have spent lots of money on treatments and things that did little or nothing.

Signing off, sore and tired.

Wendy

 

[ukxmrv]

Seen the photos of the snowstorms. Just horrible. Been thinking of all the ME patients there and hoping OK. Sorry to hear about all the shovelling!

 

[moblet]

We're in a record heatwave over here :Retro mad:

Wanna swap?

 

[Tia]

Actually..YES. It helped my anxiety with acupressure behind the ear. Had a little ball stuck with surgerytape to rub when anxiety hit, and it actually really calmed me down, felt like taking a sedative and I'm trying to get this method again sone, it was AWESOME, and u can do it anywhere! No pills, no chemicals added to your body, nothing else that the bodies own sedatives. It was GREAT! Have only positive things to say about it.

 

[Lucinda]

I've tried loads of treatments/therapies over the years, and all of them, with the exception of acupuncture, have either not helped, or only helped a tiny bit then stopped working.

Acupuncture, however, has helped me loads. Ever since I started going I have been gradually, but consistently improving.

It's helped with nearly all of my symptoms, including non pain related ones like nausea, feeling wired/agitated, insomnia, fatigue, etc.

In fact the only symptoms that haven't been helped are my sensitivities (my main one being noise) and my delayed sleep pattern.

I've been going a long time though. I did notice an improvement right from the first session, but improvements have been slow, but then I was very very sick when I first went, and had been sick for a long time.

I would definitely recommend it. In fact, nearly everyone I have come across who have tried acupuncture has talked well of it, no matter what condition they were suffering from.

You have to find a good acupuncturist though. They do vary - I went to one once who wasn't very good. And make sure they are properly trained. In Britain it's best to go to someone who belongs to The British Acupuncture Council, as they are all properly trained. However, I don't know what regulatory bodies to look for in other countries.

 

[undcvr]

B strain probiotics and B strains only will help with gut problems, the Bifidum or Bifidobacteria strains like those present in Jarrow's B. Moringa, Kyolic's Kyodophilus 9 or Renew Life Ultimate Flora. Try and keep the B strain count high too, at least in the billions.

 

[undcvr]

Also this is related to accupuressure, but it is 'accupressure westernised'. Have any of you tried the Seaband ? It stimulates the P6 Nei Kuan accupresure point that relieves nausea and vomiting. They do not know how it works but it is proven, so proven in fact that it is FDA clinically used in hospitals for pregnant mothers that is drugless method and side effect free. It is also used by cancer patients to relieve chemo side effects. For more general use, it is used to prevent sea sickness.

But my point is that in TCM stimulating the P6 point has other uses too. I use it occasionally through out the day to keep me feeling calm. Historically stimulating this point has been used to treat cardiovascular conditions even though it is seldom used alone. If it works for you it will be a wonderful side effect free treatment.

I stimulate that and another one for sleep.

 

[maddietod]

undcvr - What's the second point you stimulate for sleep? I'm tired of waking up every 2 hours.