The first time I had acupuncture, I had strained my hip doing something dumb which lead to a hobbling stage of my life I never want to revisit. I did stretching, rolling, pain meds for two weeks and still could barely walk. Never having acupuncture, it didn't dawn on me to even try it, even with having an acupuncturist at my disposal! You can say I had a moderate fear of needles, getting shots or having blood taken wigs me out enough to cause some anxiety, but I never openly cried.
So, laying on my side, ready to get pricked by who knew how many needles, I took some deep breaths and braced for the pain. But the pain never came. Before I knew it I had 12 needles in and around my hip, my leg, and my foot. I laid there for about 30 minutes, in total relaxation mode mind you, before the needles were removed. They didn't hurt coming out either! I was told to lay there a few more minutes as the clearing of the Qi (pronounced "chee") could cause a light headed state. I got up slowly feeling a little light headed, but I was more excited about running down the hall and jumping around as the pain should be gone! Well, It wasn't. It was lessened, yes, but still hurt to walk enough to revert me back to the hobbled walking state.
I went home and contemplated how long I would be laid up after my replacement hip was installed, dreading the next 8 months of my life. I propped up some pillows and fell asleep. Waking up the next morning, mad that I knew I still couldn't work out, feeling the roll on my belly getting a bit more pronounced, I got out of bed and walked to the bathroom. Still a bit groggy, I didn't even notice that I got there hobbling but my hip pain was COMPLETELY GONE!! I mean, I kept walking around, down the stairs, up the stairs, waiting for some pain to return, but it never did. I was in complete awe that the treatment worked.
Speaking with my acupuncturist, she stated that the Qi clearing happens differently for everyone and is dependent on the severity of the condition.
Acupuncture dates back to at least 100 B.C., which is when an organized system of diagnosis and treatment using needles was first described in writing in China. However, the practice likely precedes this written history, according to Dr. Edzard Ernst, a research physician specializing in the study of complementary and alternative medicine.
Kylie Study, an acupuncturist and traditional Chinese medicine practitioner at Beaumont Hospital, agrees that current research shows that acupuncture probably excites the biochemical responses in the human body via the nerves. Acupuncture itself doesn't directly release feel-good chemicals that can aid in inflammation, stress, and so forth, according to Study, but it works higher up the chain such as affecting the pituitary gland to produce the extra hormones.
The proof is simply that it does work, as attested by many other people than me!
Acupuncture can be used to treat a multitude of conditions:
- Pain
- Insomnia
- Depression
- Stress/Anxiety
- Nausea
- High blood pressure
- Migraines
- Digestive issues
- PMS
- IBS
- Stop smoking
- and many more
Come in for a free consultation to see if acupuncture is right for you.