Acupuncture- and for what?

[karen z]

Hi. I tried acupuncture for the first time today (my doctor trained with Andrew Weil so I felt pretty comfortabl. I have to say I enjoyed the procedure!! I know that acupuncture is used for different reasons. I am wondering how many of you:

(1) have had acupuncture
(2) for what reason
(3) do you have it regularly
(4) has it helped (with the issue in question).
Please respond to all four parts of the query so we can compare results.
Thanks,
Karen

[Bunty]

Hi Karen - I'm a believer of the benefits of acupuncture, so below are my answers to your points! My acupuncturist always made it clear to me that they can't cure cancer, but they can help with the side effects - and he always warned me not to believe the 'quacks', and that chemo etc was the best way to manage cancer - the acupuncture would just keep my system 'cool'.

1. Yes - I've been having it now on and off for about 23 years.
2. In recent years it's been to help manage the 'heat' of chemo in my system, and when not having chemo for general well being and boost for my system.
3. Since my mets diagnosis nearly 4.5 years ago, I try to have it every week (except for about 3 months when I was hospitalised after a motorcycle accident).
4. I believe it has helped me get through long bouts of chemo - 8 months of Taxol in 2008 and 5 months of Abraxane in 2011). I was able to live quite a normal life, with no neuropathy issues, and if my WBC seemed low, I would let my acupuncturist know and he would give me a boost to ensure I could get my chemo.

Hope this helps!

Cheers Marie

[ElaineM]

Go for it !! I have been getting accupuncture for various health problems and injuries by a licensed accupuncturist and naturopath physcian for 13 years. How often I get it depends on my needs. Accupuncture can help with pain, orthopedic issues and various other health problems.
The needles do not go as deep as injection needles and if the accupuncturist is well trained there should be no pain from the needles. Make sure the person doing accupucture is licensed, well trained and a member of a professional accupuncture association.
Take care.

[NanaJoni]

Several years ago - I had a constant cough that was driving both my husband and I crazy. I tried everything - cough suppressants, antihistamines, muscle relaxers, etc. Finally, someone in the college of medicine (where I worked) told me to ask one of our researchers who was Chinese and a master acupuncturist if he would treat me. He did and the cough stopped within a day. Have never had it come back like it was at that time. I'm a believer and would be trying it immediately if I had worsening neuropathy.

[JennyB]

I have had it a few different times firstly for backache/shoulder pain and more recently to try to move my baby from Breach position when I had to have him induced for starting chemo - it worked. I would also have it after each chemo last year to help with general well being.
I would highly recommend it - even if you just want to de-stress it can really help.
Jenny x

['lizbeth]

Love it, I had terrible back pain and accupunture was the treatment that eliminated it. I had visited the chiropracter for 2 years and was taking 10 advil per day. Six visits with my Chinese doctor and I was cured.

Another doctor used it to take away the terrible pain from an infection at my drain site after my node dissection. Amazing, within an hour the pain was gone.

My regular accupunturist treated all us cancer patients weekly. I felt so much better with the treatments.