Acupuncture – Do you have pain that is unbearable?

You may want to give acupuncture a try. Acupuncture is an alternative approach to conventional medicine. People today are reading more about alternative medical treatment as it is so much better for the body. More and more programs on the television are talking about acupuncture and alternative therapies in western medicine. I have even found a few friends at work who are very interested in acupuncture.

In acupuncture you would spend a considerable amount of time with your doctor who thoroughly evaluates you systemically.
This is a wonderful feeling knowing that someone genuinely wants to listen to what you are saying about your pain or injury, as this is how an acupuncturist works with his patients to understand their pain and its origin.

Check with friends and family to see if anyone is seeing someone credible in your area. Upon deciding on which doctor of acupuncture you will see, you need to first make your initial appointment. The doctor will ask why you need to be seen. Now you can explain what pain you are having and further elaborate on this pain when you meet your doctor on your initial visit. Although this appointment is your initial appointment, the acupuncturist will most likely treat you on this visit.

He would ask you to fill out paperwork about your physical history as well as areas of pain that you are experiencing in your body presently. After reading your answers, he would proceed to ask you many questions about your history and your reason for seeing him about your pain. He would ask more specific questions about your pain and exactly where and how pain is being felt within your body.

Not only does the acupuncturist listen to you, he will continue to ask questions to clarify your statements about your body before and during and after your treatment.

He will take several notes and decide on a plan of treatment for you.

You would then be asked to possibly disrobe (depending on where your pain is located) and put on a hospital gown and lay down on a medical table. The doctor then begins using thin acupuncture needles on specific areas, which he defines as meridians.

During this time the acupuncturist would begin putting needles into the front side of your body depending on where pain is felt in your body.

After lying down on your back for twenty to thirty minutes or so, the acupuncturist removes the needles and cleans the area where each needle was. You might be asked to lie on your stomach after all needles are removed. You then lay face forward with your head in open area on the medical table.

Again, at this time the acupuncturist would begin putting needles into different locations on the backside of your body. You then would relax again for twenty to thirty minutes during this procedure. Next, the acupuncturist would remove all needles and clean the area where each needle was.

After your treatment with acupuncture needles, you would finally be asked to get dressed to speak with the acupuncturist. At this point, your doctor would let you know how long you should be in acupuncture treatment for your pain and discomfort.

You would then schedule another appointment if needed to treat your pain.

You would pay a little for this treatment, however, I feel that it is worth every penny and so much more. The hardest part for me is not being able to go as much as I would like to go for treatments because of the cost out of pocket, as I feel so much better after an appointment.

I feel that you don’t really think and talk about your pain the way a doctor would, however, when you see an acupuncturist, you will not only feel relaxed after a treatment – you will also know that your body was treated holistically in that many areas of your body that correspond to your pain now feel noticeably better.

Here is an experience that has been such a wake up call for me.
One summer, I was working particularly hard, school and all and I continued to get chest pains. I just could not figure it out. I didn’t want to think the worst, however, that is exactly the way things went.

So I decided to see a cardiologist. I waited almost a month to see him. When I arrived, he talked to be for about five minutes. Following this, I took a stress test on a treadmill and I found out that I passed. The doctor also looked at an electrocardiogram and said it was fine.

I was quite happy, however, I still had pains in my chest. He recommended I see someone in digestive disorders. That doctor could possibly give me medication to help my pain.

I thought about this for a while and thought – could I have a digestive disorder?
Somehow, I didn’t think this could be the problem. I knew I didn’t want to see a doctor for my problem, at least not a conventional doctor. I did not want to take medicine because all medicine has a negative effect on another part of your body.

I decided to call an acupuncturist. The day I call the acupuncturist, he gave me an appointment that very day in the afternoon. I waited a while in his office and while there; I filled out the questionnaire and my medical history.

The doctor had me lay on the table and asked me questions while inserting the acupuncture needles. I waited for about thirty minutes and then all needles were removed.

The acupuncturist proceeded to do the back side of my body. It was a very peaceful and relaxing atmosphere in the office with music so soothing. And the lighting was minimal to help with the relaxation response.

After the needles were removed, I turned over again and lay on my back. The doctor then inserted smaller acupuncture needles that were gold in color and stuck them in the center and left side of my chest. Each needle was then covered with a small adhesive. I felt an immediate relief – pain was still present but in a lesser intensity.

He proceeded to tell me that the needles would stay in for one week until the next visit.
This procedure did in fact lessen my pain and make me feel relief – relief in the hope that the pain would soon go away completely.

I listened to the instructions that I was given from the acupuncturist about diet and about taking time to relax and enjoy each day. I followed them almost completely (once in a while I had a coffee with cream).

Well, I can tell you that the pain did go away over the course of three weeks, which was a fantastic feeling, and I know now that foods that you eat and stress can have a profound effect on your health.

From my first two statements in this article saying you may want to give acupuncture a try and acupuncture is an alternative approach to conventional medicine I just wanted to note that yes, it is an alternative approach, however, I wish it were the norm and hopefully someday you will be able to walk into a doctor of acupuncture’s office and have your medical coverage pay for treatment. Treatment, which I feel, is preventative especially for further injury as well as a natural way to treat your body that feels so right.

Seeking someone in alternative medicine as in this case, acupuncture is such a wonderful healing experience that you most likely will want to experience it again and again when the need arises.

Doctors of acupuncture struggle to be recognized and they remind me of years gone bye when doctors of chiropractic medicine were treated similar. Who would have ever thought that today you are now allowed to see a Chiropractor about a dozen times per year and you are covered by many medical plans.

Just a suggestion if you feel pain, check out an acupuncture doctor because you may find that is all you will have to do!

Note: This article is for information purposes only. It is not meant as advice or treatment. If you have a medical condition, please check with your physician regarding your problems.