Acupuncture
 

I know, I know, I should know better that to ask a bunch crusty curmudgeon's about some new age thing like acupuncture.

My sis-in -law and wife go for treatments... so at my wife's urging I gave it a try... can't say I was doing cart wheels leaving the place but honestly it made my wife so happy that I was open minded enough to give it a try it might be worth it to keep going just to make her happy.

Has anyone else here tried it? (slipping on nomex overalls)

I hardly think it is 'New age" .
This treatment is as old as the Chinese people.
By this assessment, the Western medicine and the AMA is the "New Age"

When my wife was in medical school, one of her classmates took a year off to investigate the holistic healing art of acupuncture. As afterburn 549 already stated, this has been around for thousands of years.

Had a couple of treatments on my right knee three years ago.
I'm not sure how it helps, but it seemed to.

Best
Les

I'm sorry, yes I know the art is Chinese and thousands of years old... I meant "new age" in the sense of the 70's, 80's, 90's movement that adopted and merged many of the ancient Asian forms of mysticism.

I had a friend who was having terrible back problems. Went through some conventional treatments....and then one day decided to try acupuncture. Afterwards he was a new man. That's all I have.

If I ever have a health issue that could benefit from Acupuncture, I won't hesitate to try it.

So far I'm in perfect health though - knock on wood.

Acupuncture is hardly new age... as mentioned previously..

I've had treatments in China and the US...My MIL ( a western educated Dr) set me up with "the best" acupuncture practitioner in Beijing.... problem is the longest time I spent in Beijing was 6 weeks.... the acupuncture chick told me it would take months to take care of my sciatica...treatment cost about $10 US for 30 minutes..

In all the treatments did seem to ease my sciatica, and I got a great laugh when my wife gasped at when the Dr stuck a needle about 5 in long in my butt cheek...

Then there was the time I got treatment here in NY for gout... and they forgot one needle.... needless to say I was pissed when I found out while pulling my socks on..

pics for your amusement...

Didn't even feel the needles going into my dome..


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This is Xi'an they burn this cigar like thing they call Ai grass... stick it on the end of a needle... they say its good..

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My step son helping out with cupping....

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needles and cups...

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Your mileage may vary

Look up "placebo effect".

"Acupuncture" doesn't work any better than someone randomly sticking you with needles. Stop by the house and I can save a lot of money with some stick pins I have in my desk drawer.

Some fun reading:

Acupuncture - RationalWiki

Years ago I had some major back pain. Sciatica nerve issues as well. On a recommendation I visited a local acupuncture guy. First visit was pretty good - minimal needles combined with amazing massage and some manipulation. Second visit a couple days later the real needle stuff began and I left there basically crippled. The table was soaking wet with perspiration from the pain. My wife had to help me to the car and all I could manage the next couple days was to lie on my back with my legs propped. The guy was perplexed and said to come back a couple days later for a free session (they were $125/each). No thanks man.

I have it on a regular basis, the only thing that has helped me with my COPD and some nerve issueshttp://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1412208825.jpg

http://youtu.be/OAMaraChKEg

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Look at the length of that NEEDLE coming out of my back..
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/OAMaraChKEg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

i'm chinese and i have never heard of any of my family members trying it.

that is some accurate needle stabbing to hit target nerves..

I have tried it and it worked great with me.

In today's world with ever-increasing importance placed on evidence-based medicine, the biggest knock on acupuncture is the dearth of long-term studies demonstrating its benefit.

I have nerve damage if both feet. Went through six different prescription meds with no help and side effects nearly killed me. I was so hoping acupuncture would be the answer.
After 4 months of treatments.....I wish I had all the money back!

I did some work for a Pharmacist who worked for Kaiser and got talking about medicine a bit one day. When he's has issues, the first people he goes to is his Acupuncturist. I have never been and am not a real big fan. But then again, some people don't believe in Chiropractors neither. Now those Cup thing with the rubbing alcohol or whatever magic holy water they spray in there to create a little fire / heat do wonders for my back. It relieved the tightness around my shoulders, neck, and back for about a week.

I think there may be an element of placebo to acupuncture, however it has worked for me in the past. I shattered my ankle about ten years ago and was left with chronic pain after it was re-constructed. Took all sorts of painkillers, nothing worked until i tried acupuncture.

Whatever it does, it works. Electroacupunture is amazing as well.

I remember growing up as a kid my mom would get terrible migraine headaches. As long as I can remember she had them. I'm talking headaches so bad she would lay in bed for two-three days straight just crying in pain. Tried every traditional remedy known to man, went to every shrink etc. etc. it was so bad that ANY time she felt one coming on my dad would driver her to the hospital and they would just put her out with meds. Early 70's our small town in N.Y. had an article in the local paper that a acupuncture office was going to open in the area. My dad read up about acupuncture and told my mom as soon as this guys office opens we're going to try this. I kid you not she had 10 treatments ( I think ) and from that last treatment to the day she died 10 years ago she NEVER got a migraine again ! She would get a " normal " headache like anyone else but take two aspirins relax for 30 minutes and the headache was gone. It literally saved her life so yes I am a believer. It may not work for everyone but it worked miracles for her.

I was heavily into martial arts in the 80-90's and competed at a fairly high level with torn rotater and no ACL in either knee. I couldn't have kept it going without acupuncture. However, the guy who used to needle me would place needles and use a flame to deaden the nerves at least for a while longer.
I've never used it for the "well being" thing but rather to kill pain... and it works without a doubt.

Exactly my story. If I were a guy who had done the treatments after a car accident or such, and still had issues, I would try this. It isn't mysticism, it is tapping into nerve pathways. It isn't going to fix a torn meniscus. It might stimulate your liver, or relax something that is locked up.

Can't sell it in a bottle, if you get my drift.

True, but there are plenty of studies that get done outside the realm of pharma. Just my WAG, but if you pick up most medical journals or attend medical conferences, probably half the studies/abstracts have absolutely no direct or indirect for-profit motivation; just science for science's sake.

That was me 23 years ago. Got into a really bad car wreck and went through multiple doctors, physical therapy, massage therapy, exercise therapy... and my back would only get healed to a certain point. My doc suggested acupuncture and I was really skeptical, but I tried it. A month later I was feeling much better!

When I 1st started, I thought he was only working on my back & hand, didn't know that he was working on my lungs too, then went a week that we didn't work on the lungs (I didn't know this at the time) and I starting having trouble breathing again. Didn't really thing anything of it until the doc asked how I was feeling and I said that I had had a breathing episode , and he said we would work on my breathing again, and low & behold, I have been much better. Point is, I didn't know (or think) it would help my breathing when I started, I had other issues I was worried about at the time.

I had had a nerve acting up, and couldn't straighten my left index finger, my regular doctor wasn't to help, but after a few acupuncture treatments, I had most of the use of the finger back. And I pay for this out of pocket. http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1412290663.jpg
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There's always the other natural pain remedy..

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Depending upon the skill of the provider, it does, indeed, work.

Well, below is something my Sister posted and as I've stated before, it has saved her.

Glad to hear it. it helped my Nana quite a bit too.

Dragging up an old thread here.
I've had trouble with the piriformis muscle in my left hip for years. It started out as sciatica and general low back pain. Through physical therapy and years of daily stretching exercises I've gotten most of the other pain under control. But the pain from the piriformis has been intractable. My doctor is an athlete (running, tennis) and was a skeptic but went to an acupuncturist out of desperation and swears it helped him. He recommended this acupuncturist. He and I are kindred spirits and I'm inclined to take his advice, but I'm still skeptical. But I might do it, again out of desperation.
This is thread is over 8 years old. Anyone had any recent experience with acupuncture?

If I do it I promise no pictures.

Patrick, sit in a stable chair that you can cross your legs

Sit up straight shoulders back. Cross your legs with the curve above your ankle bone resting on your knee, so your thighs are roughly in the same plane. Keep your back straight, head up and bend forward at the waist. You will feel it pulling, deep on your ass, that is your piriformis. Sciatica is pretty common. That stretch will help, matter of how much. Seen acupuncture work too many times to be that skeptical. It channels your chi,or something like that. Maybe it stimulates subcutaneous nerves and causes endorphins to be released. Been doing it a long ass time, I tell you what

A friend of mine survived Rocky Mountain spotted fever . A side affect was he is allergic to all meat . Only thing he could eat was fish or wild game . Last week he completed a 3 week acupuncture treatment on Friday . He decided to put it to the test and made/ate some hot dogs .

Previous to the treatment those hot dogs would have made him violently ill . He was fine all weekend and when I spoke to him on Monday he was feeling great . A small sample size but powerful results .

I've done acupuncture as well as acupressure for pain. I had better results with acupressure but neither one provided permanent relief.

Tobra. that exercise is similar to a couple of the ones I do now. It's not exactly the same though, so I'll add it to the routine and see if it helps. I had my quarterly cortisone shot yesterday - feeling great, but it wears off in 6 to 8 weeks. I'll know if the acupuncture and new stretch is helping in 6-8 weeks.

You will probably know sooner than that. Piriformis is difficult to stretch, that maneuver is the best one I have found. Saw a pt in school and you could see the improvement in her gait after she went to her "Chinese Doctor" for acupuncture. She is the one that told me you had to wait for your chi to recharge before it would work

A high school friend of mine graduated from Harvard Medical School. Later he discovered acupuncture and went into that. He keeps his MD license so he can write some scripts. If he thinks it works, I think it works. My ex found a good practitioner and I saw her for wrist pain from riding motorcycles. The pain was gone for two weeks, then progressively came back. I've tried it with another, but to no avail. So, I think the practitioner matters.

My friend said the "old school" Constitutional practitioners treat the underlying problem vs the symptom. The post-Mao style practitioners treat the symptoms instead. I asked him once if he can treat migranes and he said so far he's had success with every case. He's been in Seattle for a long time, so I haven't seen him for decades.

Maybe someone who believes that positive results from acupuncture are the result of nothing more than the "placebo effect" can explain why it's been used with great success on countless dogs and horses which, unless they're Brian Griffin or Mr. Ed equivalents, have no inkling of the concept.

_

I was shown the "real test" with the very thin Japanese needles:

A). Damaged area=
Skin is puffy with retained fluid.
Skin can't be pulled up and rolled and is stuck to the fascia/muscle underneath.
Skin is warmer.
Needle goes deep into it like butter.

B) Healthy area=
Needle bends and won't penetrate the skin.
Exact same spot on L/R side of the body produced different results. Not a trick.

Went to the acupuncture guy today. I got cupped and scrapped and poked with the needles. He says I have liver and kidney problems :confused: plus the Piriformis issue. Interestingly, he said the same thing about the Piriformis that the MD and the PT technician said - I need to get more blood to flow to that area. He used a massage gun that hurt like hell, but worked the same area that the PT technician worked on. He was really nice, didn't seem like he was just in it for the money (charged $50 for 1:45 minutes) and at least as far as the butt pain issue goes he seemed to know what he was talking about. OTOH I felt like hell all over for the rest of the day.

As promised - no pictures.

When they tell you you might have a headache by the time you get home but in the morning will feel like a different person believe it. Just go home, drink some water and then some more and go to bed.

Acupressure on occipital protruberance can be very therapeutic for migraine, squirting a little lidocaine up the nose works too