Care Team: Acupuncture
One of my acquaintances told me that acupuncture might help with reducing inflammation. I think I stated earlier in this blog that I wanted to try anything that might delay the progress of my IBM, so I found an acupuncturist with a strong background in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). She was in my neighborhood, and although that is why I chose her, it is not the reason I keep returning.
She began our relationship with a lot of questions and then measured my pulse and looked at my tongue. I then had an acupuncture treatment. The needles are so small I did not feel them at all except when she put them in areas that were already painful (which she was good at finding, as they needed the most help).
I have had seven visits. Each time, I am getting better at lying still for 40 minutes, and the results are cumulative, so I have improved in several areas. I cannot look into my muscles and see if the inflammation is reduced, but my muscles feel better, and my digestion has improved measurably. The acupuncturist said I needed to have better mitochondria and improve my gut health, so the treatments were at first directed toward that end.
The locations of the needles changed when I started to suffer from what I thought was sciatica. I did this treatment laying on one side with the needles in the painful hip and back. This helped for several days, but it really started to improve when I combined massage with acupuncture and added cupping.
My acupuncturist also recommended some TCM herbs for improved health. I always researched them thoroughly and then either said “no thanks” or started taking them. None have been miracles, although some have temporarily helped with particular symptoms or test results.
While this doctor does not believe Western Medicine has all the answers, she does not claim to know all of them herself. This is a little-known and very different disease than she has worked with before, but she has done some research online about it, which I appreciate. I take her the results of my Western Medicine blood tests, so she has the advantage of all the information. She then suggests a specific treatment strategy. The acupuncture part has been extremely helpful. When I first started, I was constantly constipated, and that has been relieved. Her treatment of the sciatica was also helpful in conjunction with the massage and sped up the healing I have gotten so far.
I now go every three weeks and will continue to do that until I no longer get the relief I am currently getting. While there, I listen to relaxing music. I have also found that YouTube has high megahertz music, and now I listen to that as background music at home most of the time.
I have submitted all the bills to my insurance but so far have no assurance they will pay anything. If you have really good insurance or can afford these services on your own, I highly recommend all three in the same timeframe. Another alternative is to take advantage of community acupuncture, which almost all major cities should have. The treatment is the same, but it does not happen in a private room. Rather, you meet with the acupuncturist, and they determine your needs, then you sit in a comfortable chair and receive the treatment in a room where others are also receiving their treatment. The cost is usually quite lower than having a private room, for obvious reasons. Just do a web search for Community Acupuncture where you live.
Every treatment has advantages, but when you combine several, you get more than double the relief. If and when they come up with a medication or treatment that will give me fewer symptoms or slower progression, I will be the first one in line. But until then, I will give other treatments that are not recommended in Western Medicine a try and keep doing the ones that help me feel better.
“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”
This blog post is based on personal experiences and is not meant to provide medical advice.
Always consult your healthcare professional for personalized guidance on your health journey.
