Acupuncture?

So I’m not the most spiritual person out there, and I don’t like to believe in things that don’t have hard evidence or science behind it, so when my doctor suggested I try acupuncture, I blew him off at first.

The Wikipedia definition says, “Acupuncture is a form of alternate medicine and a key component of traditional Chinese medicine involving thin needles inserted into the body at acupuncture points.” The Chinese believe that acupuncture balances the flow of life energy in the body… It is said to have several benefits such as improving blood flow and relieving pain and stress. Western scientists seem to scoff at it.

In America, acupuncture is seen as like a spa treatment that rich and famous people do. However, in Japan, it is a common medical procedure that people think nothing special of, like taking an aspirin when you have a headache.

I’ve been going to a clinic once a week for several months now (Japanese healthcare makes it dirt cheap) for my chronic back and shoulder pain. I’ve had pain since high school or earlier. Now that I can finally afford it, I thought I might as well take advantage of the services here! My weekly routine involves electrical stimulation (which I’m very familiar with due to my experience working as a physical therapy technician for a little bit in America) and a massage from a licensed therapist. These are things I understand and trust. Not only has it helped with my back pain but with stress relief as well. I look forward to my massage (which lasts about 10 or 15 minutes) each week.

However, these things don’t completely relieve the pain. A week of strain on my back from work, exercise, and such, often brings be back to where I started. Not always, but often. There are good weeks and bad weeks. My treatments seem to just give me temporary relief. I didn’t think that acupuncture would help, but when I started to have trouble sleeping from anxiety and stress, my coworker and doctor suggested that I try acupuncture. My doctor had been saying from the start that I should try it for my back, but when my coworker recently said he thought it’d help relieve my stress so I can sleep, I figured, “What the heck, it’s worth a try, and it’s cheap enough.”

So this is what the treatment consisted of. First, the woman doctor made me take off my over shirt (I had a tank top on) so she had access to my back. First she felt around with her hand for the strained muscles. It’s amazing how she pinpointed them with her fingers. She would push on a small spot and say, “Wow, you’re really stiff here.” Damn, I could feel it when she pressed. After sanitizing my skin with alcohol wipes, she started to put in the needles on different spots on my neck and upper back. It didn’t hurt too much. It was actually more like an ache that a stabbing feeling. I wouldn’t consider the experience to be pleasant, though. It’s not like it felt good, and I didn’t feel particularly relaxed, but then again, maybe it’ll take me a few times to get used to and embrace the experience.

Acupuncture.

Another thing that often accompanies acupuncture is “moxibustion,” which is another Chinese technique where the doctor burns moxa (aka a dried herb called mugwort) on you. It smells kind of like incense, and the little cones of it that they put on you (in my case my lower back), get pretty hot…almost uncomfortably hot. From what I read briefly, it’s a type of heat therapy. It Japanese, moxibustion is “お灸 (okyuu).” The process of having both acupuncture and moxibustion done together is “鍼灸 (shinkyuu).”

Acupuncture and Moxibustion.

After the process, which took maybe about 20 minutes, I stood up and felt really dizzy and lightheaded which surprised me. I thought perhaps it was because I had my forehead resting on a somewhat stiff foam pillow which cut off circulation to my head or something… but when I asked if it was normal to feel this way, the doctor said yes. She also said I may experiences some hot flashes from increased blood flow, but that never happened.

So the real test was when I tried to sleep (mind you it had been a few days since I had a good night’s sleep). When I got into bed I fell asleep instantly. When I woke up the next morning, I was shocked. My back also felt great; however it usually does anyway after just the massage and electrical stimulation. Me being the skeptic I am, I attributed the good night sleep to just being exhausted from not sleeping much.

Now, I am writing this post more than two weeks after getting acupuncture done, and I am happy to say that I have slept very peacefully every single night since! Was it the acupuncture? Is it a placebo effect? I have no idea. My back is hurting a bit now, but I have to say that it felt great for an entire week and a half after the acupuncture, which is longer than usual. I’m still skeptical of it all but admittedly intrigued. If I start having trouble sleeping again or my back gets really bad, I plan on trying acupuncture again. If it works a second time, then perhaps I’ll become a believer. Until then, maybe give it a try!