accupuncture

[memelaina]

Thursday I had my first accupuncture treatment. It was recommended by my massage therapist and I did it with an accupuncturist who works with her office. I had no idea what to expect, but was fairly open to trying. My presenting problems were a LOT of carpal tunnel pain (I've been crocheting a baby blanket for the grandchild due in November) and fairly continual sinus problems. The pleasant young Chinese woman talked to me a little, and then had me lay on a table. I'm wide and the table was a little narrow so she worked quite carefully to position two small tables at the side with pillows on them so my hands could lay out relaxed beside me. I kept my eyes closed through the whole thing, and tried to breathe deeply and say my mantra, but was really too nervous to relax well. She started with my feet and lower legs - which surprised me a little. The needles went it with a little pricking tap. I could feel them as they went in, but not much afterwards in most places. The exception was my left hand and arm, where some of them went in with what felt like an electric shock along the nerves and stung from quite a while. She moved from left to right and left to right until she had both arms done, then she put several on my face and in my scalp. She told me to lay quietly and breathe deeply and she would check back on me in 10 minutes. When she did, I asked her how long this would last as I really had no idea. She said another ten minutes or so, asked if I was okay, and left. She returned, took out the needles, placed large rectangular patches of something like band aid adhesive on my wrists and told me to leave it on for 24 hours (which I did). I think they were meant to be theraputic in some way - not a dressing.

So anyhow, I didn't understand much of it, but I did find that my arms were much better over the weekend and I'm going back tomorrow for a second treatment before worldcon. I did note that I had more than usual trouble sleeping the night after the first treatment and that when I did sleep I had dream images of lightnings running up and down my arms and through my body. Xi or imagination? I've no idea.

Comments

[lisajulie.livejournal.com]

Acupuncture is cool! My western mind is dubious, but my body says that it works for me so western mind should just shut up.

I shed my seasonal allergies through acupuncture, so I'm a fan.