Alternative Therapy - Accupuncture - NF

[ccmtcanada]

I know it's not fishing related, but I thought I'd share something with everyone. For the past year and a half, I've had muscle pain between and under my shoulder blades. It started out as general stiffness, and then pain. The pain was relieved with anti inflammatories and massage therapy temporarily.

 

I already see a chiropractor, and adjustments also helped out for about a day or two, then it would come back. Recently it's been so bad that if I put my arms over my head and look straight back, I would feel numbness down my arms.

 

My wife suggested accupuncture and at first I was like....stick pins in me?? I dont think so!! I read up on it and it talked about energy and channels etc.... Seemed like a lot of hogwash to me, but I decided to take the plunge.

 

The Doctor put about 9 needles in me....my shoulders, back and arms. I was lying there thinking, this will never work. He took them out and asked me how I felt. At the time I felt the same...no change, so I drove home. About half way home, I realized that my shoulder felt relaxed for the first time in over a year. I had another treatment a few days later and now the pain/stiffness is completely gone! I cant explain it, but it is. He wants me to go for another few sessions to make sure everything is ok.

 

So if there is anyone who is on the fence about accupuncture, I'd urge you to try it out....it cant hurt! Anyone else out there swear by accupuncture? Post your story!

 

That's it...thanks for reading!

 

PS...now I can fish without pain...LOL...so I guess it is fishing related after all.....

[Darrell]

Well ccmtcanada im with ya on this one, shoulder pain , cronic headachce. Went to a highly recomended acupuncturist and havent taken a Advil in months, and havent need to go back to see the acupuncturist also.

[Eddyk]

Is this covered under most health benefit plans or do you have to pay for it?

[Terry]

I would be on pins ans needles, thinking about going for Accupuncture....

 

pins and..ah never mind.......lol

[snag]

Thanks CCMT,

 

Before our son was born, my wife suffered chronic back pain. If it returns, we'll definately go to the pin man.

[ccmtcanada]

Is this covered under most health benefit plans or do you have to pay for it?

 

Eddyk...it is covered by my work's group benefit plan....up to $500 per year. You should check yours out....with mine, it's under the same category as massage therapy and chiropractic care.

[Eddyk]

Thanks CCMT. Ill check it out. My wife has shoulder pain and the Chiopractor only releives it for a couple of days.

[Headhunter]

If your considering Accupuncture, just be sure that the practitioner is viable! What I mean by this is as follows;

be sure they are using BRAND NEW NEEDLES and not re-using old ones

use a reputable practitioner, preferrably one that is attached to a larger clinic.

You can pick up some really nasty stuff form a fly by nighter!

HH

[ccmtcanada]

If your considering Accupuncture, just be sure that the practitioner is viable! What I mean by this is as follows;

be sure they are using BRAND NEW NEEDLES and not re-using old ones

use a reputable practitioner, preferrably one that is attached to a larger clinic.

You can pick up some really nasty stuff form a fly by nighter!

HH

 

Great advice. The person I go to uses "one time" disposables only. He has to open each needle from a sealed package one at a time. He is attached to a larger clinic as mentioned in your note. He was telling me that in the 80's, with the AIDS scare, you couldn't give accupuncture services away, but in the last 10 years there has been a phenonemal comeback. He himself was a non-believer in it until a friend treated his tennis elbow and it disappeared after one treatment. He then went to school and has been practising both Chiropractic and accupuncture for years.

[douG]

Please try Active Release Therapy for your nagging shoulder pain. It is not chiropractic, but often done by chiros. 90% success rate is nothing to sneeze at.

[Bitsmith2k]

acupuncture is fantastic. a couple summers ago i had some serious shin splints (to the point where it was almost unbearable to walk).. did all the physio exercises to no avail. someone suggested i try acupuncture although i'm terrified of needles, i gave it a shot.. shins havent bothered me since..

[irishfield]

No more pain because your body is terrified they're be more needles if there is.

 

I'm with Doug...less invasive measures first. Yes Doug..I'm getting there. My new RSP advisor's Husband is ART Certified and in Stayner. She's bumping me in for an appointment.

 

Cliff...if accu works and you can function pain free, then that's all that really matters.

[fishindevil]

YES IM GOING TO TRY THE NEEDLE MAN TO FOR MY SEVERE BACK PAIN AS IT IS I GO TO THE PAIN CLINIC ALMOST EVERY 2 WEEKS TO BE PUT UNDER AND GIVEN A SERIES OF NEEDLES IN MY TRIGGER POINTS AND SO ON.. ..SO I HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE BY GETTING ANYMORE NEEDLES IN MY BODY...ALSO EVERY 3 MONTHS I GO FO WHATS CALLED A MAJOR CLINIC. ..THROUGH THE PAIN CLINIC IN THE OSHAWA HOSPITAL THEY GIVE ME FACHETTE JOINT INJECTIONS IM PUT UNDER FOR ABOUT 1 HOUR AND WHEN I COME TO I HAVE JUST GOT 30-45 NEEDLES ALL INTO MY BACK ...OH IT HURTS TRUST ME . ..SO IM GONNA TRY THE PIN MAN SOON...CHEERS

[aplumma]

I would like to suggest a book for all to read, it was given to me by dalumma. The book is called " healing back pain" and written by John E Sarno M.D.. It is a book that reveals how the body deals with stress and how to stop it from turning into back pain. Alot of the pressure points and Acupuncture points are tied into stress effected areas that are triggered by your mind. While injury to the back is not cured by anything except healing some times by eliminating the triggers it makes healing occure quicker.

 

Art

[Bitsmith2k]

No more pain because your body is terrified they're be more needles if there is.

 

either way, i'm not complaining..

 

 

anyone ever have spinal decompression treatment? just curious if it really works as well as the radio ads say..

[ecmilley]

compressed some disc in my back and the accupunture really helps to loosen sore muscles, never would have believed how it worked so well at reduceing pain and increasing mobility

[lew]

I herniated a disc in my spine in '99 which compressed the sciatic nerve and caused insane pains in my lower right leg.

 

Before attempting surgery, I went thru physio & chiro to relieve the pain, and when that didn't work I tried several sessions of accupuncture. It did relieve a very small amount of pain, but not enough to really help.

 

They said it did work very well on some patients, but often did nothing at all, as in my case, but I figured it was worth a try.

 

Good to hear it worked well for you Cliff.

[Guest Trophymuskie]

My experience is fishing related. Back on opening day of 2000 and the first year I started my guiding business I developed what turned out to be tennis ( fishing ) elbow. With my other job as a painter and all that casting I could never get rid of it completly.

 

Well a couple of guys I know from work told me to go see this guy and get some accuponcture done as it cured their tennis ( drywall ) elbows. Well after a handfull of agressive treatments ( needles and electricity ) I was almost cured. It still comes and goes but nothing like before it actually is toloratable.

[ccmtcanada]

I herniated a disc in my spine in '99 which compressed the sciatic nerve and caused insane pains in my lower right leg.

 

Before attempting surgery, I went thru physio & chiro to relieve the pain, and when that didn't work I tried several sessions of accupuncture. It did relieve a very small amount of pain, but not enough to really help.

 

They said it did work very well on some patients, but often did nothing at all, as in my case, but I figured it was worth a try.

 

Good to hear it worked well for you Cliff.

 

Lew...sorry to hear it didn't work well for you. I hope the surgery went well for you!! I was close to a herniated disc...there was already compression happening, but with help from my chiropractor, I've learned to feel the warning signs. Sciatica is something I wouldn't wish on anyone. I hope your back is better now...dont need pesky stuff like that getting in the way of fishing!!!

[brickNblock]

CCMT,

hey there Bud.....and the missus!

Ive not done the accupuncture but the3 other that w\as already mentioned.

Every week since '04 I recieve 18-24 trigger point injections into my left shoulder and a further 6-8 nerve block (Epidural spinal-steroid) injections for the Sciatica per visit.

You dont get his type of therapy unless you truly require it.

Approx/. once a month I couple it up with Cortizone in the same areas......

This type of treatment is not for folk in pain..it is for the chronic pain impaired folk...it is not for a nagging a problem. Most folk who recieve these shots are in-operable.........

IE: I have several problems with my shoulder area.......

Bursitus, Arthritus and Tendonitus to start..........Bone spurs in my Rotaor Cuff which cannot be reached.......next, my left shoulder is all made of surgical-stainless steel...........including my collarbone...behind this at the susparitus tendon..Well, it's Torn...cant reach it without removing all the steel...problem is.....bone and marrow degeneration has set in also which is common in advanced injury......kinda like 'Rot'..or 'Mold'..it doest go away......Only gets worse or 'Deteriorrates'

Injections is all there is at this time..............Ive visisted just about every chronic pain clinic there is these past few years.

I could have my shoulder operated on to repair the tendon...but with the degeneration..it wouldnt heal the way it should..so this type of therapy is mandatory.

I freaking hate these needles every week...but it removes the pain and it it is only temporary...........So,

What do you do............well, cant raise my arm enough to brush my teeth in the morning or even steer the truck without the meds on the side.

Lets see,.........

15mg Morphine at sunrise, injected at source.

20mg oxycontin........................x3daily

twice, (2) Tylenol 3...................x3 daily

and,

36-48 Trigger point injections a week and 8-16 spinal nerve blocks/week.

I have cut down on the meds..........it was more severe about a year ago....but the injections...couldnt do anything without them...I'd have no mobility at all.

I DONT BELIEVE IN DRUGS AND ARE DEAD SET AGAINST THEM AND THEIR USE................but, thank the good lord that something is avaialble................

Once you hit 40 everyone experiences pain in their back area,, facets, disc's etc.....but when there is actual damage from injury caused it becomes somewhat more complicated.

I laugh when I hear someone say there back is sore.............most folk it is sore from lack of use or poor abdominal muscles............not the case here...I was a brickNstone mason for 34 years and my body was tough as it gets..exellent shape. These last 4 years have been tough physically and mentally when you see your muscle dissapear..............You could cry, the pain is what it's all about.........How the freak do we rid ourselvle of it.

Ive gone 2 months without meds or needles to see if there was anything different to the routine..................

Well,

Had to leave my place of employment........lost all use of my left arm.....and waklked with a cane for near 3 weeks......................Until, the meds and needles took effect again.

Pain is relative and can be brutal.......I studied martial arts for most of my life and also from being in a tuff trade Ive learned to put pain aside when I need too.

The type of pain that requirez you to go for njections multi-weekly.is crippling and does not get better. It is for soothing the situation only.

I feel for anyone who has to go through this...it is for life as there is no operation/thereapy that can rid your body of this.

I still work my butt off each day as it is routine to do so and my body has alwauys been tuff...it is treuly disheartening to admit/feel this defeat...but pain relief is must ......it is all temporary

Lazor treatments..tried them all..........some folk are just stuck with what they have.

The last large muskullunge I brought in...........made me bedside for near a week and I couldnt possibly work for about 2 weeks.....This is what brings tears to your eyes.

Needles and drugs/drugsNneedles.............=WSIB for life =early retirement.

Not how I envisioned my life at all..............

It's what I got tho..........

AINT COMPLAINING FOLK..i GIVE IT EVERY DAY...........everyday...Im a guy who loves life just like the rest of you.

Here's to hoping that most of you never go through what the recipients of these needles must go through as a part of their lives........Seriously!

I am relatively pain free for the most part save the spasmns at night................and I still work whenever I can.........but Not be able to fish...................Cant even begin to fathom that thought.

I'm OK............I'm on drugs...right!

Thank the good lord or whom ebver else looks after us. for that.

Said too much now.........Gotta leave room for others...........

Hate needles/Love to Fish,,,,,,,,,,,,cant fish without the needles so here we go again.

BTW, I do my Physiotherapy every morning and have done so since the injury.........Ive still a sicx pack gut...but Im losing my bulk of muscle I spent my whole lfe developing and that hurts............BUT

I have a smile on my face, love my wife and kids....love to fish and work when I want to cuz Im good at it............and will get through the next stage of my life.............

Retirement and fishing llunge.............

be safe out there folk..............and Let 'em all Go!