Acupuncture is the bomb!

[Buckeye]

About a month ago, my mom coughed while she was in the wrong position and tweaked something in her back. She was in constant and significant pain and it showed. She was not eating enough, not sleeping enough, seriously crabby, depressed and no longer taking walks or going out much at all. My impression was she was beginning a death spiral and I was very concerned.

Her health had been improving since her hospital stay in November (bronchitis) and her quitting smoking (improved oxygenation, improved strength, increased stamina, decreased breathing/asthma related issues) and this turn for the negative had a huge effect on her.

My guess is she was having back pain issues prior to moving to live near me in Florida 4 years ago, but the back pain (between the shoulder blades) has definitely been an issue in the last couple of years. She always moderates her activity and usually needs to take at least two Tramadol per day. I'm sure 60 years of smoking has done no favors to her bones, including her spine.

During her last doctor visit in January, even before the increase in back pain, she was complaining to her PCP that Tramadol was not relieving her back pain. The PCP's response was basically, "Too bad, so sad." Mom only weighs about 110 pounds so I think both the PCP and I were both thinking she's too tiny to withstand anything more powerful.

Mom decided to try acupuncture and it has worked miracles. She did one visit with a male Doctor of Chinese Medicine but didn't go back because he gave her the creeps. A friend referred her to a second doctor (female) and that went very well. Today was her 8th visit and she is a new woman!

Counting the time for her doctor visit, we were out and about for about 4 hours today and she held up! This level of activity without being in significant pain (even if she had taken a pain pill) was unimaginable even before she tweaked her back.

She feels so good she amazes even herself! She has one more therapy visit on Friday with the acupuncturist and then she will meet with the physical therapist again. Her improvement has been amazing and may have saved her life.

 

[Tortoise]

That's great to hear. My wife has been suffering debilitating back pain. She's been to the doctor and they arranged for physical therapy that apparently helped, but did not cure. My wife then bought a back massage chair that also helps, but she still suffers.

I just sent your story to her. It could definitely be worth a try.

Thanks for posting. I am happy for you and your mom.

 

[Buckeye]

Mom paid out-of-pocket for her first visit which was acupuncture, heat therapy (trying to soften up the hard knots in her whole back) with a huge, moist, heat blanket, and a short massage by the Dr. of Chinese Medicine. I think we were in there over an hour and the charge was $70. Mom was wrung out by the time she left but she was feeling better the next day. This visit was on a Wednesday.

The Dr. tried to get mom to make an appointment for Friday but she wouldn't agree. She didn't get her second treatment until the following Monday and by then she was in tremendous pain again. After the second appointment, she relented and did appointments Wednesday and Friday and then Monday, Wednesday, Friday of the following week during which she made tremendous progress.

Mom was informed treatment would be covered by Medicare but she needed a referral from her PCP to the physical therapist in the practice. They contacted mom's PCP and got the referral. I was pretty sure mom's PCP would approve the referral since she had denied mom additional meds for back pain during her last visit.

Prior to treatment on the following Monday, mom was evaluated by the physical therapist who prescribed a course of treatment (acupuncture, cupping, massage)...that has worked miracles!

 

[daylatedollarshort]

That is good to hear.

I do acupressure at home for tight muscles. It works wonders. I like yoga, too. We fix all our minor aches and pains with Eastern medicine.

 

[RockyMtn]

Had elbow tendinitis for over a year. Too much golf. Did physical therapy, electrolysis, cortisone, etc. Nothing really worked. Six weeks of acupuncture...three times a week and it was gone. Amazing and it was first time I ever tried it. Recommended by my Doc as last resort.

Fortunately my insurance covered. Love my Dr. Nahn! Fifteen needles in everywhere other than my elbow and a fifteen minute nap and I am still all good four years later.

 

[samclem]

Buckeye, that's great news about your mom. It sounds amazing.
Well, if it works for people (sounds like it does, at least for some) then that is super. One more thing in the toolbag to try when needed, and not much downside if it doesn't.

 

[Turboslacker]

Excellent stories. I'm open minded to try it myself and recommend to others.

 

[marko]

I had terrible, deafening tinnitus episodes (couldn't hear at all in one ear) that would last 6 or 7 months at a time. MRIs, 4 different ear doctors and two visits to the great Mass Eye and Ear in Boston. Was finally told, "well, it's part of turning 50...you'll have to live with it".

ONE visit to an acupuncturist and my tinnitus stopped (went from a 10 down to a 3) within 12 hours!

Highly recommended!

 

[wrigley]

I had terrible, deafening tinnitus episodes (couldn't hear at all in one ear) that would last 6 or 7 months at a time. MRIs, 4 different ear doctors and two visits to the great Mass Eye and Ear in Boston. Was finally told, "well, it's part of turning 50...you'll have to live with it".

ONE visit to an acupuncturist and my tinnitus stopped (went from a 10 down to a 3) within 12 hours!

Highly recommended!

Never thought of accupuncture for tinnitus. I also suffer from tinnitus for about a year now. It came on all of a sudden and I have had ever test known to man ran on me. Docs tell me to live with it also!

Mike

 

[SteveL]

Had terrible pain in shoulder after a visit to a gym. MD says nothing wrong, pain pills don't help. Months passed w/o improvement. Tried acupuncture, and after 10 visits pain gone. I am a believer.

 

[Buckeye]

Excellent stories. I'm open minded to try it myself and recommend to others.

I guess there is some reason this treatment has been around for at least 2000 years!

 

[ERD50]

I had terrible, deafening tinnitus episodes (couldn't hear at all in one ear) that would last 6 or 7 months at a time. MRIs, 4 different ear doctors and two visits to the great Mass Eye and Ear in Boston. Was finally told, "well, it's part of turning 50...you'll have to live with it".

ONE visit to an acupuncturist and my tinnitus stopped (went from a 10 down to a 3) within 12 hours!

Highly recommended!

Interesting. Since one explanation of tinnitus is 'overactive' nerves, I suppose that acupuncture might interfere with some nerve responses ('distract' those overactive nerves?) and provide relief? Here's what the American Tinnitus association has to say (bold mine):

Home Page | American Tinnitus Association sites/ ata.org/ files/ pdf/ pdf_archives/ alternative_treatments/ acupuncture_fact_sheet_sept_05.pdf

Although acupuncture has anecdotally been cited as helpful in relieving tinnitus, there are no well-designed studies of tinnitus and acupuncture that show positive results. This does not mean that acupuncture does not work for tinnitus. One of the challenges of doing Western-style medical research on acupuncture (an Eastern medical tradition) is that it does not take into account the way that acupuncture is practiced. Western researchers try to keep the research conditions identical for each person in a particular study. For example, in a tinnitus and acupuncture study, each person with tinnitus would have acupuncture done on the same meridian points and for the same length of time in order to determine if the treatment works. In TCM, however, acupuncturists focus on the person as a whole, and choose meridians and herbal treatments based on each individual’s health issues. Therefore, no two people would necessarily have acupuncture needles inserted in the same meridians, even if they both have tinnitus

I recall reading about some success with listening to music that had the frequencies removed in the range the tinnitus presented. The idea was that this gave your nerves a 'rest', while keeping other nerves 'busy'. My tinnitus is fairly mild, and not really specific tones (except for very rare, short duration tones) - more of a high pitched whine/white-noise/fan sound.

-ERD50

 

[F4mandolin]

When I was living in Okinawa I knew a number of other teachers who went to a guy for all kinds of things. My last administrator swore by the guy for her back and went every couple of weeks for a tune up. The acupuncture fellow was blind.