acupuncture experiences?

[ellaila]

Hi,

So I''m wondering if any of you have ever tried acupuncture, and if you have, what you think of it. Did it work? How many sessions did you have before you felt a difference? What was your overall experience like?

Here''s my story:

I went for one place for a "consultation" three days before my wedding, and it was an awful experience. The woman hardly asked me any medical questions - or any questions for that matter! - didn''t look at my tongue, which I know they''re supposed to do, and basically made me feel as though I HAD to get the acupuncture done that day in order to feel good on my wedding day. Long story short, I got it done, and I hated it -- not the needles themselves, but rather that I could hear everything that was going on in the entire ofice, so it was impossible to relax! Also, I had told her that I needed to be out of there by 6:00 the latest because I had an appt. I had to get to, and she kept me on the table till 6:15 so I was anxious while I was lying there because I knew I was running late. Also I was worried about bruising (whcih I told her initially, and of course she swore up and down that I wouldn''t bruise) right before the wedding. I know you''re probably sitting there going, "Well why did you do it then if you didn''t want to?" but she was pretty adamant about me getting it done before the wedding to de-stress me (hah! quite the opposite!), and I really was curious about it, so I caved in. All in all though, an unpleasant experience.

BUT I was not ready to give up on it just yet! I have many friends who swear by it for various things, and I mean, it''s been around for thousands and thousands of years so I sort of think it must have some validity, right?? So I made an appt. for last night with a different woman (someone recommended to me this time, rather than someone I chose off my health insurance Web site!), and WOW what a different experience!! She interviewed me for close to an hour, asking all about my life, my medical history, my diet, my sleeping, everything! She explained to me what acupuncture does and why it works. The actual process itself was actually really relaxing last night -- just like everyone says it is! The needles don''t hurt, the heat lamp warmed up my belly, and I intermittently got the chills/goosebumps! My proof that it truly does something is that after 30 minutes, I started to get this sensation in the back of my head -- where I had no needles! -- of first almost a pulling (sort of like someone was pulling on my scalp) and then heat. I mentioned it to her when she came in and she explained that that was a reflow of the energy from the needles behind my ears!

I figure I''ll give it a shot for a month (once a week) and then see if I feel any better or if I think it''s a waste of time and money (it adds up!). The main reason I went is that I get vertigo sometimes, but also I am looking for just a general lifting. I''ve got low energy (both acus told me that!), so I def. want that to improve! Also, she told me that with my qi imbalance, I will be prone to a very nauseous pregnancy when I get pregnant someday -- ugh! So I DEFINTELY want to fix that beforehand!!

OK, your turn! Anyone have any experiences to share?

 

[ammayernyc]

I don''t have a personal experience, but my mother got accupuncture when she was going through chemotherapy. It didn''t cure her, but she lived much longer than she was told (they gave her 6 months and she lived a year and a half) and she barely lost any of her hair. She also had very little nausea.

She got it done by a woman who was also a medical doctor.

 

[curlygirl]

I had acupuncture many years ago and I LOVED it!!! I was going through a rough patch in my life--boyfriend cheated on me, I hated my job, totally depressed--I definitely don''t miss the angst-filled early 20s! Anyway, a friend recommend acupuncture as a way to calm me down, help me eat and sleep better and just for my overall well being. It changed my life!! I went to a place here in NYC called the Pacific Institute of Oriental Medicine and was totally pampered by a doctor and 6 students. They paid so much attention to me, asked me every question under the sun, made me feel really important! Then they put me in a room and the doctor inserted the needles while the others watched. It didn''t hurt at all, I think the anticipation was worse! Then they dimmed the lights and left me in the room for half an hour. I didn''t know what to expect and it took me a few minutes to relax but by the time they came back in, I was in a dream-like state. So I went back once a week for about 2 months and I have to say that the results were immediate. I was eating better, sleeping better, felt more balanced overall. I was also taking Chinese herbs at the time to help cleanse and detox my body. I really felt healthy! I can''t remember why I stopped going but I would definitely recommend it to anyone! I have a friend who is an acupuncturist and her specialty is fertility for women and she said her success rate has been amazing. I''m really fascinated by alternative medicine!

 

[ellaila]

Oh Amanda, I''m so sorry to hear about your Mom''s illness. But I''m glad that she seemed to find some peace and comfort through acupuncture -- sounds like it was a real godsend for her (and for you and other family members).

Curlygirl, your experience is just what I was hoping to hear about! I actually just emailed my acupuncturist/herbalist to find out what type of herbs she think would be good for me, so I can do some research on them. Do you remember what you took? Also, yes, I know three people that have gone for fertility and swear it helped them to get pregnant! I also know two people who went for back pain who also say it helped them.

I''m still amazed that I could actually feel my energy moving during it!

 

[movie zombie]

good experiences:

opened sinuses which reduced facial puffiness, headaches, and sinus congestion;
reduced swelling which was the result of a broken ankle [within one hour you could see the difference],
relaxing when i''m been ''on edge''.

i have it done every 3 weeks ''just because'' to help keep me balanced and healthy. the acupuncturist takes my pulse, asks me questions, and we decide what if anything needs to be concentrated on. btw, i find an acupuncture facial to be quite relaxing.....

movie zombie