If there’s one thing I’m unable to get over, it’s my undeniable fear of needles. I’ve been struggling with this since I can remember, passing out after getting the simplest of shots and refusing to get blood drawn unless it’s completely necessary. Unfortunately for me, I have hypothyroidism, so I’m supposed to have my blood drawn every 6 months. Ugh.
So why am I telling you all of this?
Well, today I decided to give acupuncture a shot (HA!) and see if it could potentially change how I feel about needles.
Before I really get into it, here’s what acupuncture’s all about:
According to Wikipedia, Acupuncture is a collection of procedures involving penetration of the skin with needles to stimulate certain points on the body.
By stimulating specific acupuncture points, it helps to correct imbalances in the flow of qi through channels known as meridians.
Acupuncture dates back to over 2,000 years ago, where the Chinese believe the practice began during the Stone Age when stone knives or sharp edged tools were used to puncture and drain abscesses.
As acupuncture has developed over time, needles of stone and pottery began being used, which is how we got to the metal needles that are commonly used in acupuncture today.
Now I’m ready to talk about MY experience —
First off, when I sat down, the acupuncturist (Sam) from High Peak Acupuncture had me fill out a variety of questions, many focused on my body and previous injuries or pain I’ve experienced.
Immediately I told her about my muscle spasms in my shoulder blades which I developed when I was 15, as well as my knee issues from running, ballet and everything else I did growing up. It’s not great that I have these problems, but it is great that acupuncture can help to combat them, and eventually even remove them my body completely.
***Prepare yourself for some graphic photos. And no, I’m not referring to the needles, I’m talking about my feet.
Aside from the fact that I’m in serious need of a pedicure, you can see that I had needles in my feet, ankles and hand.
Honestly, the needles in my hand hurt like a mofo when they were first put in. Okay, it really wasn’t that bad, but if you don’t like needles, it was definitely the most difficult part of the whole thing.
After the first 5 minutes, I started feeling a little bit of tingling in my hand and arm, which continued throughout the 45 minute session. Once all the needles were in, Sam turned the lights off and left me to relax, which I certainly did.
When it came time to remove the needles, my entire body felt rejuvenated, and the removal didn’t feel uncomfortable whatsoever. As I sat up, I tried to communicate with Sam to let her know how I was feeling, and I couldn’t help but notice the fact that I couldn’t stop smiling.
If you’ve ever had a really great massage and then afterwards had this weird/awesome euphoric feeling, that’s exactly what it felt like. I couldn’t control it – I just wanted to smile.
When it comes down to it, acupuncture isn’t for everyone. But I will say this. I went into the session HATING needles, and leaving the session, I still hated them, but guess what? I’m going back. I’m going back once a week actually, and I can’t wait to feel that happy, totally relaxed feeling all over again. With that said – it was so worth it. Give it a shot and see for yourself!
Have you ever had acupuncture? What is/was your experience like?
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5 Comments
I tried acupuncture over twenty years ago for acute, sudden onset back pain where I could not walk. After four treatments in five days, I could walk and was no longer in pain! The treatment also included these glass suction cups that were placed on make back in conjunction with the needles. I can say that although the needles can hurt sometimes, they are much thinnner than they used to be, and for the most part, don’t hurt me, although sometimes I have experienced a dull ache…
I highly recommend acupuncture but if you absolutely cannot get past the needles, I know of some energy practitioners that work with the body’s meridians without the use of needles…
Thank you so much for sharing that experience. I was really intrigued when the therapist yesterday told me if I committed to acupuncture, that I’d eventually be muscle spasm free. What a relief that would be! I think there is so much to natural healing like acupuncture that a lot of people have closed themselves off to just because of the needles. Coming from a girl who hates needles though, it was a very pleasant experience and I can’t wait to go back!
Thank you for sharing your experience, Ashley! I know of another person who found acupuncture solved their problems with back and neck degeneration. It is definitely worth exploring as an option, and I think, at least some insurance companies or plans offer to pay at least part of the cost. I have suggested it to my father-in-law as a possible means to alleviate pain for spinal stenosis, but he recently had surgery so we hope the pain issues will go away. If not, though, it might be worth exploring acupuncture.
You’re welcome Kathy, thank you for reading! Although I’ve only tried acupuncture once, I’m really looking forward to being able to show my readers how it works as time goes on. I’ll be going once a week and hopefully my muscle spasms will no longer be an issue by the end of my treatment! 🙂
Very good article. I will be going through a few
of these issues as well..