Do You Do Acupuncture?
I’m mostly just curious and feel like rambling because I went last night for the first time in well over a month and I feel great! Which means I’m inclined to evangelize…
What I love most about alternative and complementary medicine, and acupuncture in particular, is that it can be used to treat such a wide range of issues, both preventively and therapeutically. Got a cold? Feeling blue? Back sore? Period MIA? Acupuncture may actually help with all that, and more. There’s some decent science behind some of its applications, but mostly I love it because it’s full of surprises.
Also—and this might feel like a bit of a stretch, but walk with me—it reminds me of natural beauty in the sense that one simple thing, like a box of baking soda or a jar of raw honey, can be used in so many different ways, depending on the needs of the person.
That’s because natural beauty, and acupuncture, treat the whole person, not just the “condition.” Which is important, because as our homeboy Deepak Chopra likes to say: Once an ailment has presented itself in the body, it’s been festering there for quite some time. To get to the bottom of it, you have to treat more than just its symptoms.
Anyone who has struggled with their skin, for instance, knows that you can’t just use a topical and produce miracles. Unless you root out the causes and address contributing lifestyle issues, you’ll never have the skin you want. It takes work, but the work…well, works. And while you try to treat one thing (skin, say) you may find there are other things that need some TLC even more (maybe it’s your hormones, or your emotions, or your relationship with omega 3s). Address those things, and poof! Your skin rewards you.
Acupuncture kind of works the same way. You could go in for one thing—sciatica, say—and end up sobbing in the dark to chanting-monk music only to emerge an hour later feeling like a brand new person. (And I’ll bet your sciatica will be better, too.)
Anyway, I’ve been doing it for several years now—initially for the aforementioned sciatica, which is now loooooong gone—and I’ve used for all kinds of other ailments, both real and imagined, with terrific results. It helps to have a very skilled healer, to be consistent, and to be invested in the process, of course.
But since we don’t talk much about alternative medicine in the book or here, I thought I’d open the floor.
Do you get acupuncture? And if so, for what? And if you haven’t, is it because you’re scared of the needles? (Because they’re as thin as a hair…. You know that right? :)
Yes, I get acupuncture occasionally. I have an unusual condition called aesophageal spasms, where the muscles at the bottom of, yes, my aesophagus (sp?) go into violent spasms. For no obvious reason. It’s “harmless”, but intensely painful and can come on really suddenly, cause anything from mild nausea to vomiting & 4 hours of intense pain. Then it stops, but I’ll be prone to more attacks for weeks, and the muscles often don’t release completely, leaving me aching & hunched. Heavy duty muscle relaxants help IF I take them in time, but often it hits too quickly.
3 acupuncture sessions & they stopped. After they were cleared away that initial time, I was able to start noting what triggered them (stress, fatigue, & now over-eating), and take care of the root causes better on my own. If they build all the way up again, I go back & get them sorted out in a single session. I haven’t been in a couple of years!
Oh, & the same acupunturist cured my guy’s life-long stomach troubles with acupuncture & a basic intro to Ayurveda!
My fear of needles had caused me to avoid acupuncture like the plague until one day….
I had travelled in India and was staying at an Ashram where we had been told the food was being prepared in a clean environment. One day my belly suddenly felt as if it was being repeatedly punched. My friend discovered that same day that the “clean environment” was actually a fire pit in the dirt, outside with wild dogs running through the area regularly. Needless to say, my poor digestive system was somewhat barraged for the next few days. I recovered enough to continue traveling and having a fabulous time in the beauty of India. Upon my return, however, my belly became fully distended. I sought immediate medical attention and went through various tests but no pests were found living in my system. I still did naturopathic treatments and munched the probiotics as if they were going out of style. For months though, my stomach remained frighteningly poofed. One day, an acupuncturist friend of mine offered to give me a session for this. I relinquished my fear of needles in the hopes that is would work. She worked on me for a couple of hours and then something amazing occurred….
All through the night I released ridiculous amounts of gas and then, the next morning, clothing that I could not wear due to my extended belly suddenly fit me again. I had miraculously returned to my natural state.
Ever since then , I have been a strong advocate for the power of those blessed little needles.
Ooh, very glad of this post! I’ve been for acupuncture once, many years ago. I found it nothing sepcial and felt kind of ripped off. NOT because I don’t believe in the theory of it, but I think I went somewhere a bit dodgy and don’t believe it was done by anyone truly skilled in their work. I am so interested in the “alternative” treatments (quotation marks because I believe that, if practiced properly, they can be more effective than pills & the likes of most of modern medicine, but don’t take that as a slur against the whole medical profession because it’s not at all what I mean) and I love the idea of treating my ailment as a part of a larger entity (my whole body & mind and I DEFINITELY believe wholeheartedly in the tight relationship between mind & body).
Oops, I’m given to run on sentences…
So I would love to try again, but really am only interested if I can get a recommendation from someone and I don’t know anybody out here (I moved to Manhattan last year) who has any suggestions to offer. Any chance NMDL or a fellow NMDL fan can offer some thoughts for a good acupuncturist in Manhattan, please?
Another thing I read about lately is a shaman – to cleanse the energy field, sort of thing. Any chance one of the fabulous NMDL gals has had an experience in this area they can share???
I love acupuncture and it definitely works!!!
I have pinched nerve in my shoulder which causes unbearable pain in my arm and hip. I do yoga twice a week but without acupuncture my pain is excruciating. Yoga definitely helps but acupuncture is the answer. I do acupuncture once a week for couple weeks and then take a little break.
I also treated heartburn and digestion problems with acupuncture. I have had heartburns for years and nothing helped but those little needles. I ask my practitioner to also hit some spots to reduce my stress level as well and, believe me, it works.
I know it is almost impossible to stay motionless for one hour but try to meditate (which I still cannot do) and/or divert your attention to something else. It’s easy to say because every time I am stuck in that room I just cannot wait to get out:)
Yes, I visit my acupuncturist every week to treat my eczema for 6 months now. I think it works, but at the same time, I’m still trying to figure out what’s causing me to have reaction. :(
Hmm. You ladies have inspired me! A very good friend of mine is a vet and does acupuncture therapy on dogs and cats in his practice with a lot of success. And since you can’t really “convince” them via placebo effect that they’re better, I’m a believer.. I’m just really not good with needles. But.. you’ve really got me pondering the possibilities!
I too would love some NMDL/ NMDL fan recommendations in Manhattan…so much of the experience has to do with the practitioner and I’m nervous to go somewhere without knowing the reputation. A lot of high end luxury spas now offer the services as well but I am suspicious.
Oh gosh, I wouldn’t do acupuncture at a spa. I think it’s important to have a relationship with your practitioner and to go to someone who really knows what they’re doing. These are powerful energy channels and I wouldn’t want someone triggering them willy nilly. I’d be happy to share who I go to if you email me. Will check with him first, of course. If fine with him, I’ll share.
I had terrible needle phobia until a few years ago when I found a practitioner whom I felt really safe with. Now I LOVE it. Most recently, I was having some issues with a disappearing period and a certain very intense acupuncture session actually (and unquestionably) got me to ovulate. TMI? Maybe. But it was such a powerful experience that I had to share.
Okay, comments alone, I quite very much must need to try this. Anyone have any tips for an acupunturist in the Wichita, KS area or close? (heh, lol)
YES!!!
Acupuncture is one of my favorite things to talk about!
I have been going since 2008 when lots of things started acting weird in my body. I always get amazing results, and most of them are immediate.
OK, results time: my period is always regular now (i’m 29 & it has never been regular), got rid of a very large ovarian cyst, quells my anxiety so that i do not have to take any pills, eliminated excessive dreaming that kept me from resting, gets rid of headaches, opens up stuffy nasal passages, helps with TMJ, ugh i am trying to think of more stuff.
OH YEAH – the biggest one for me was my energy was super low, like i’d come home at 5 and pass out on the couch. But he made it so that I don’t feel that way anymore.
I have probably had around 50 sessions, and only twice have I felt the needles.
I really want to find an ayurvedic doctor here, but since we only have two acupuncturists, i’m thinking we may not have any ayurvedic docs… The South ain’t much for alternative anything.
I’ve had acupuncture but a white physiotherapist. It didn’t do anything. I’m not against it and I’d very much want to try it with someone who has an actual Chinese medicine background. Not sure if it’s a mental thing, but I’m sure having a young Australian girl put needles in your arm in a busy physio clinic doesn’t do the actual practice any good.
Exhale Spa in NYC actually has an amazing, reputable, CLEAN acupuncture program with incredible therapies such as an acupuncture massage or an acu-organ detox. It’s all run by a successful acupuncturist (so it’s separate from the spa but still situated in the comfortable setting), who hires only qualified practitioners.
Most Exhale spas offer acupuncture and with the same quality of care.
I’ve done acupuncture for a few things, most notably pain in my shoulder so that I could barely lift my arm. After a series of treatments, I had one particular session where a needle went in, it felt like a knife went completely through my body, and then the pain was just…gone. Hasn’t come back either, that was several years ago.
I also took my old german shepherd for doggie acupuncture for pain due to really bad arthritis. It definitely helped her, though as she neared the end of her life we had to increase her pain meds. But for a a couple years acupuncture was all she needed. She’d jump up and down like a puppy after a treatment.
As far as being scared of needles/pain…some people are sensitive and some don’t feel a thing. I’m one of the sensitive types, but that gives my acupuncturist a way to assess how things are going moment by moment. Any fear or pain is totally worth it.
I agree with Jdg! If anyone has any great recommendations for manhattan I would absolutely love to know! I struggle with eczema and mild to severe breakouts and have been trying to figure out the underlying cause(s) for ages. Also I would love to try out some ayurvedic methods. Please dish on ny contacts, ladies!
My older sister has been a massage therapist for over five years now, and she recently completed an acupuncture certification. Even though I trust her, I was totally weirded out to try it.. like really freaked! She even put a needle in my scalp! But the truth is, for the most part, you can barely feel them. And acupuncture combined with massage = mega awesomeness. Massage therapists are already super knowledgeable about the body, muscles, and nerves, so adding acupuncture to that really does result in a whole-body-mind-epic-treatment. When I seriously pinched a nerve and couldn’t move my neck, my sister fixed me up with some acupuncture and I was endlessly grateful. I only wish she had more free time to poke me!
Anyone who wants a rec for NYC acupuncture can email us at our email and I’m happy to share. For ayurveda I’ve been many times to see Pratima in SoHo. Ends up being pricey, though.
@Alexis Thanks for sharing that! Good to know.
@ Alexis – thanks for sharing! I’m happy to pay for something good, but forking out $100+ for a disappointing experience (can’t tell you the number of bad facials I’ve had!) just leaves me annoyed, not to mention poor…
@ Siobhan – thanks for the ayurveda tip! I’ve e-mailed the NMDL address for your recommendation on your acupuncturist, too!
Thanks so much for this post, Siobhan. Acupuncture seriously changed my life, and I love telling my story to convince skeptics to try it out.
Throughout my late teens and early twenties, I was plagued with terrible digestive problems that no Western medicine practitioner seemed to be able to understand. It was totally unpredictable and really super lame to deal with. Always having a stomach ache obviously colored my outlook on life and my ability to go with the flow of being a young city girl. I couldn’t drink alcohol, had to eat a really boring bland diet, etc. Not exactly zestful living.
I started going to acupuncture when a friend opened a private practice after finishing her Chinese medicine degree. I initially went in to help with computer neck (as I like to call it) and within only a couple of sessions, my stomach issues were significantly better. Now, four or so years later and consistent monthly appointments throughout that time, the combination of acupuncture and herbs has completely healed my stomach and a myriad other random issues I’ve had from hormonal stuff to carpal tunnel to periodic depression to asthma. Every session leaves me feeling better than when I walked in, even if I was doing pretty well to begin with.
Honestly, I can’t say enough good things about it. I agree with Siobhan that finding a practitioner who you really connect with is the key. If anyone is interested in San Francisco referrals, I’m happy to help.
I am actually going to my first appointment for acupuncture on Monday! My Doctor suggested it to me last summer and I had avoided it due to cost but now I am frustrated with the lack of help from “modern medicine” and want to see if acupuncture helps as much as everyone says it will. I can’t wait!
While I’ve often considered acupuncture, I have never actually gone through with it. I do not have a fear of needles, but i do have a fear of unsanitary conditions with regard to needles. I am also reluctant, because I would be quite upset if I received acupuncture by a quack and it didn’t actually work. No one likes to feel they’ve been duped or ripped off.
I’ve had some very successful massage therapy, so I believe acupuncture and pressure point therapy, in genneral, work. I do have issues with so-called alternative medicine/therapies and regard most of them as pure rubbish.
I started getting it for an old back injury and for arthritis this last winter. It works wonders and truely gives me an amazing “attitude adustment”. I know very little about why it works, but it works! I’m sold.
I LOVE how many people are commenting that acupuncture changed their life! It’s changed mine too….
I developed a condition in fall/winter of 2004 called Vulvodynia. Essentially, the nerves in my vulva region (YOU were worried about TMI Alexandra?) fire constantly, it feels like millions of needles poking my “down there” when there’s nothing touching me. And to have sex?!?! Excruciating. I lost 100% of my libido, didn’t even THINK about sex and had a hard time even kissing my boyfriend. I agonized and searched and researched treatment options but, in my mind, there were none. All the research though, led me to discover about all the nasty ingredients in our products and that’s how I ended up on my clean path today.
The turning point for me was when I started acupuncture in Sept. 2009. I had sex for the first time in 2 years December 2009 and it didn’t hurt!!! (not til the 3rd round *blush*) Since then, I’ve been able to live a happy and “active” life, I have my libido back and I feel like I’ve got something to offer (weird way to look at it…). I attribute ALL of this to acupuncture. I was put on herbs too at one point and I think they helped, but my initial progress was made just with acupuncture. I recommend it to anyone and EVERYONE who feels at a loss medically.
I don’t “relax” unless I’m asleep, maybe it’s my type-A personality, but on that acupuncture table??? Oh boy…it’s heaven!
Thanks for this post Siobhan!!!
My acupuncturist is also an MD – she practiced family medicine for 20 years then had the Chinese medicine training. There must be other practitioners out there like that, it made the whole experience more firmly in my comfort zone.
I really believe that it probably does a lot of good for people and want to embrace acupuncture, but my first and only experience was a bad one, so I haven’t tried again. The acupuncturist hit a nerve in my hand (in between my thumb and pointer finger, in the web) with one of the last needles which caused my arm to shoot up off the table, pain raced up to my shoulder, I yelled out in pain, cried on the table and my entire arm ached very badly for about a week afterward. Needless to say, a very stressful experience.
I do however distinctly remember how I felt an electrical current running through my body and so I knew it was doing something. Not sure what exactly, but I remember thinking that something was happening. Without moving anything else, I recall being able to look to the left, and the left side of my body would get warmer and I would feel the current more intensely and then I would look to the right and the right side of my body would be warmer and I’d feel the current there more intensely. I really wish my bad experience hadn’t tainted my view of it because it sounds like something that would be right up my alley. And I don’t believe my experience was the norm because I’ve never met anyone else who had the type of experience I did.
Glad it’s working for you :)
@ Stancie – my first (and only, to date) experience was similar but to a much lesser extent. All the needles were fine, felt nothing, really, except the one in the exact same spot you detailed. (Perhaps that’s a tricky spot & where we can really test the skill of the acupuncturist?) The pain was more of a “nervous hum” than what you described, but definitely more than uncomfortable. I hope you are either inspired to try again with confidence or else have found another solution to whatever issues you had to seek help from acupuncture in the first place.
@ Natalie – your story is exactly the sort that makes me so excited to try this out! I have a variety of complaints that, overall, affect my general quality of life in a non-serious but nonetheless annoying fashion and the idea that something could work to improve my body as a whole really appeals to me. Especially when it doesn’t involve pills!
My sister went for “cosmetic acupuncture” a few years back and i swear, it melted years off her face! Stress lines, wrinkles, dark under-eye circles all disappeared. She looked fabulous and a good decade (at least) younger. Unfortunately she had been able to get this through her insurance and for me paying out of my own pocket it just couldn’t be managed on my budget. Siobhan has generously shared a few recommendations in my area that are all good options – I’m going to give the pins a go!
I have tried it twice to turn my son from breech to head down in utero. It worked and saved me from a csection at the last minute so I would definitely try it again.
@Naomi: Oh wow, I’ve never heard of someone even having a similar experience! Thanks for letting me know! I have not wanted to try again since that occured about 10 years ago. I was able to find another solution through food changes and supplementation – thanks for your concern :)
Wow, how weirdly timed things are. I just found out that the Chinese Medicine clinic I go to shut down and the doctor moved to Yellowknife. :’( I’ve come a long way from where I was but she had the only Chinese Medicine practice in town and now I’m feeling pretty devastated. I’m back to square one in finding treatment options for my condition.
Btw, if anyone is looking for a practitioner in LA I highly recommend Abigail at Float Chinese: http://floatchinesemedicalarts.com/
I love acupuncture and acupressure. I had a great experience with an acupuncturist in Park City, Utah (Babbie Lester) when I was ten days overdue with my baby. She did a treatment that was to supposed to help the cervix open up and it helped! I was getting induced the next day no matter what but I had the baby very quickly and without any pain relievers. it also really helped me relax and release some negative emotions.
Any acupuncture practitioner recommendations in the Houston area? I, too, have been interested for quite some time, but have yet to try it because I’m unsure of a reputable place to go. Thank you for this great post!
I also recommend Pratima in NYC!
A great way to get exposed to acupuncture is through a community acupuncture practice. Typically it is done more like acupuncture is practiced in China, with multiple people in a room. Usually the pricing is on a sliding scale based on income, and it is in general less expensive than western-styled acupuncture clinics. http://www.communityacupuncturenetwork.org/
I started going to acupuncture for back spasms several years ago. I still go every few months since it also seems to help me overall, not just my back.
When my father passed away the acupuncturist was absolutely indispensable in my life. The overwhelming grief put me flat on my back and I don’t know what I would have done without her. I would go regularly if my insurance covered it!
Hey thanks for writing a great article.
I too enjoy the benefits of acupuncture. So much so, I transformed my life (and career) and became a Registered Acupuncturist here in BC, Canada.
I love coming to the clinic and watching the metamorphoses of people from when they first come in and how they feel on the way out. I don’t clockwatch or dream of better things to do each afternoon – because I’m already DOING it.
My patients are great and I am happy that I can help.
Feel free to check out my story and blog http://www.stevestonacupuncture.com
Big shout out to Siobhan, who recommended City Acupuncture in Manhattan for me to try. Two sessions so far, already I’ve noticed an improvement in my sleep: both quality and cycle. I’m set to go twice a week for a few weeks and then we’ll re-evaluate (Total partnership between patient and acupuncturist – I don’t know if this is standard or not but thought it worth mentioning.) This particular acupuncture centre is based upon a more traditional Chinese “communite acupuncture” philosophy whereby a number of people are treated in a less formal setting, all in the same large room separated by bamboo screens. It’s not at all creepy or un-private – it’s a very soothing environment and, I undestand, part of the theory behind this is because it makes for good energy. (I’m paraphrasing, but…) Biggest bonus for the patients is the price – they operate on a “sliding scale” and patients pay anywhere from $25 to $50 depending on what they themselves feel they can afford. So while it is still adding up, it ’s a price that allows me to seek the recommended treatment frequency without selling a kidney. I’m very excited to see how my treatment progresses over the next few weeks!
Oh, and for any smokers, they offer a set of acupunture treatments specifically designed to help quit: 10 sessions for $100. I’ve never seen anything comparable in price!
THANKS SIOBHAN!!!
I was so excited to see this article! I am an acupuncturist and my business partner and I started our own organic beauty company http://www.goldenpathalchemy.com
mixing the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine and non-toxic beauty. They really do work together because they both do treat the whole body! Acupuncture is an amazing healing tool and I am fortunate to have found this healing practice both as a practitioner and a patient. You really do have to find a practitioner that you mesh well with and trust. Most people don’t know how much schooling we go through, it is very rigorous and lasts over four years, but you should always feel comfortable with your practitioner. I’m in the LA area (Venice) and practice facial acupuncture as well for specific skin concerns. Feel free to email me any questions. ashley@goldenpathalchemy.com
Can someone recommend some good acupuncturist in NYC?