Acupuncture

[sqbr]

I went to my first acupuncture appointment yesterday. It was ok, impossible to tell if it's had any long term effect given how variable my condition is but I certainly didn't feel much difference straight after.

I normally wouldn't touch alternative medicine with a ten-foot pole but black_samvara said it worked for her chronic fatigue, and my current approach is to try anything that has been specifically recommended by people who've gotten over chronic fatigue (or a specialist I was similarly recced) This approach has the benefit of giving me an excuse to choose not to take the well meaning advice of people who want me to try random stuff that helped them with stuff that was not chronic fatigue syndrome (no offense to people who mention stuff that helped them, since sometimes if it sounds plausible I will try it, it's the "You should do *blah*!" that's annoying)

Anyway, I was first made very worried by Transperth saying I'd have to walk 2km each way to get there (I pondered a taxi, but I'm going to have a few of these appts) But looking it up on google maps it's like 100m from Canning Highway, hardly an obscure backroad, in fact (as I saw using Streetview) it's just near my old swimming school, near a set of shops I always wanted to check out but mum wouldn't let me. By asking transperth the best way to get there from Perth (rather than my house) I found a decent route, I got to take the midland train to Canning bridge, nice view. The shops turned out to not e very exciting, though the Farmer Jacks has some nice looking gluten free snacks I may try out another time.

According to the business card I picked up, it's Roy Jenzen, Chinese Medical Centre, 22 May street, East Fremantle, 9339 8988. No eftpos, $64a session.

The centre is in an old east freo house (steps and no ramp :/) It feels like the house of some neat, middle class person who like chinese ornaments, and there were some interesting books in the reception area, it was all very un-doctory. Before me were a pregnant woman and another with cancer.

The acupuncturist has a fairly extreme stutter so tended not to talk unless he had something specific to say, but despite that was very self assured (it did make me reluctant to ask questions since the answers took so long) Part of me was squicked by all the touching (holding my wrists while asking questions, for example(*)) but he had a professional manner so it was as ok as it could be. He got me to lie on the bed-thing and "get relaxed", which I did until he came back in and my brain suddenly went "OMG NEEDLES THIS IS GOING TO SUCK" :) I resolutely looked at the ceiling, it actually didn't hurt more than say an ant bite and didn't set off my needles squick(**) too much. I had one in each ankle and wrist, and I think two near my belly button (I didn't look :)) Then he left me to rest some more and I had a nap(***), and then he came back, pulled them out, asked how I was (better for having had a nap but otherwise much the same...) and left again. And that was it.

(*)"Your arms seem very ..........tense" "Yes, I've been playing a lot of Guitar Hero" "I.......see"
(**)Yes, I am squicked by both needles and touching. Then again, it was still all much less traumatic than giving up gluten. I had sad dreams about cakes and bread last night :(
(***)I eventually realised he was probably seeing two patients at the same time

Comments

[flyingblogspot.livejournal.com]

I've had great results with acupuncture - don't know why it works, but it seems to work nevertheless. The very wonderful lady I used to see when I worked in Freo gave me points in my ear and on the back on my neck to help me relax if I wanted them, and I always left appointments feeling all floaty and de-stressed - might be worth asking if your guy can do something like that for you.

xx

[alias_sqbr]

Thankyou, though Guitar Hero and "Oh god needles" aside I'm not that stressed :)

[col-ki.livejournal.com]

I did a little googling, the only clinical trial I found (in about 5 minutes :P) noted improvements for both placebo and real acupuncture, though significantly better results for those getting the real deal.

http://www.chiropracticuniverse.com/Acupuncture-Research-127.html

To be frank, I was expecting results more along the lines of the trials treating fibromyalgia with acupuncture - that there is no difference between placebo and actual. So suprising for me, good news for you.

[alias_sqbr]

Where did you hear about fibromyalgia thing?

[col-ki.livejournal.com]

Google has a cool "scholarly articles on..." feature
(scholar.google)

http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/abstract/143/1/10

http://rheumatology.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/46/5/801

[alias_sqbr]

I have to say, those match my skeptical expectations more closely than the other one :)

[black-samvara.livejournal.com]

Good luck :)

I'm always a bit reluctant to recommend alternative medicine despite being sure this was responsible for my recovery. I lack surety that it is reproducible.

[alias_sqbr]

Don't worry, I'm not expecting a guaranteed 100% cure, it was just worth a shot :)

[nico-wolfwood.livejournal.com]

Good to know it didn't set of any alarms, I was kind of astonished that you were okay with the needle thing to be honest. I sympathise with your sad cake dreams by the way.

[alias_sqbr]

I knew it wasn't like getting REAL needles, and was fairly sure it wouldn't totally set off my squick, which it didn't.

[nico-wolfwood.livejournal.com]

Cool, you know yourself really well. BTW, thoughts of your cake-less existence sparked an extremely surreal conversation with my husband over lunch... (you can see my lj for more details if you want them. which y'know you might not...)

[shehasathree]

i've had dry needling done (different from traditional chinese medicine acupuncture in that the needles aren't inserted as deeply and the locations of the needles are chosen using western scientific ideas about muscles and fascia) and found that it can really help with the chronic myofascial pain i experience (as expected). i've also found that it tends to help with my energy levels, though (perhaps because i don't spend so much energy on being in pain?)

[alias_sqbr]

I hadn't heard of that, I'll have to look into it, thanks.

[(Anonymous)]

Keep away from this guy he's slezzy ..

Check him out on google...

http://members.boardhost.com/xinyi/msg/1222489631.html

Go to a real Doctor

[flyingblogspot.livejournal.com]

I've had great results with acupuncture - don't know why it works, but it seems to work nevertheless. The very wonderful lady I used to see when I worked in Freo gave me points in my ear and on the back on my neck to help me relax if I wanted them, and I always left appointments feeling all floaty and de-stressed - might be worth asking if your guy can do something like that for you.

xx

[alias_sqbr]

Thankyou, though Guitar Hero and "Oh god needles" aside I'm not that stressed :)

[col-ki.livejournal.com]

I did a little googling, the only clinical trial I found (in about 5 minutes :P) noted improvements for both placebo and real acupuncture, though significantly better results for those getting the real deal.

http://www.chiropracticuniverse.com/Acupuncture-Research-127.html

To be frank, I was expecting results more along the lines of the trials treating fibromyalgia with acupuncture - that there is no difference between placebo and actual. So suprising for me, good news for you.

[alias_sqbr]

Where did you hear about fibromyalgia thing?

[col-ki.livejournal.com]

Google has a cool "scholarly articles on..." feature
(scholar.google)

http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/abstract/143/1/10

http://rheumatology.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/46/5/801

[alias_sqbr]

I have to say, those match my skeptical expectations more closely than the other one :)

[black-samvara.livejournal.com]

Good luck :)

I'm always a bit reluctant to recommend alternative medicine despite being sure this was responsible for my recovery. I lack surety that it is reproducible.

[alias_sqbr]

Don't worry, I'm not expecting a guaranteed 100% cure, it was just worth a shot :)

[nico-wolfwood.livejournal.com]

Good to know it didn't set of any alarms, I was kind of astonished that you were okay with the needle thing to be honest. I sympathise with your sad cake dreams by the way.

[alias_sqbr]

I knew it wasn't like getting REAL needles, and was fairly sure it wouldn't totally set off my squick, which it didn't.

[nico-wolfwood.livejournal.com]

Cool, you know yourself really well. BTW, thoughts of your cake-less existence sparked an extremely surreal conversation with my husband over lunch... (you can see my lj for more details if you want them. which y'know you might not...)

[shehasathree]

i've had dry needling done (different from traditional chinese medicine acupuncture in that the needles aren't inserted as deeply and the locations of the needles are chosen using western scientific ideas about muscles and fascia) and found that it can really help with the chronic myofascial pain i experience (as expected). i've also found that it tends to help with my energy levels, though (perhaps because i don't spend so much energy on being in pain?)

[alias_sqbr]

I hadn't heard of that, I'll have to look into it, thanks.

[(Anonymous)]

Keep away from this guy he's slezzy ..

Check him out on google...

http://members.boardhost.com/xinyi/msg/1222489631.html

Go to a real Doctor