By Kati Schroeder on Thursday, March 21, 2002 - 01:08 am:

Hey everyone!

I have been having acupuncture done once a week for about a month and a half now, and I am starting to see great benefits. Though it varies from person to person, I noticed that it helped with the pain after the second and third treatments. Now, I can notice a fairly dramatic reduction in the level of pain for about one to three days after the treatment. The pain is normally worse after the treatment, such as that night, but over time, the extra pain will be worth the days of less pain that follow. The more treatments you have, the longer the results last. Also, I always feel better over all after I have it done. Most health insurances do not cover it if you go to an acupuncturist who only does acupuncture, but sometimes it is covered if a registered doctor does it. My pain specialist does the treatment and labels it as regular follow-up visits. You should give it a try - although it may not take away all of your pain, it certainly will help.

Kati

By Karin on Saturday, March 30, 2002 - 01:55 pm:

Hi Kati,

For about a year now I'm in treatment with
prolo injections for laxity and joint pain.
For the longest time now I'm considering acupunt.
Do you think it would help me with muscle spasm
and just general pain? Thanks for any reply. Karin

By Kati on Saturday, April 06, 2002 - 12:19 pm:

Hi Karin!

I can't promise anything, but I bet it would help you some, if not a lot. I'm just having it done for pain right now, but if you go to a good acupuncturist they would probably be able to reduce your muscle spasms and joint laxity. If you go to a certified acupunt. as opposed to a doctor who is also certified to do acupunt., they will usually reccomend specific herbs and foods that you should be eating. For example, the acupunt. I used to go to (am going to a doc. right now to get insurance to cover it) said I should eat warm foods like stews and lentils and things like that instead of cold, expanding foods like salads, sweets, and cold liquids. All foods have a different effect on the body, and cold foods tend to have an expansive effect while warm, spicey foods tend to contract. Because of the laxity of all of the tissues and ligaments and things that we have, it is best to eat foods that contract. This method is based on Chinese priciples, as well as ayurvedic methods. In my experience I've found that I feel better if I don't have too much milk products like ice cream, rich salad dressings, and fruit juice, not to say that I don't consume these foods at all. My acupunt. also suggested that I take asragalus (sp?) and also drink a ginger tea made from about a teaspoon of powdered ginger, one cup of boiling water, and a spoonful of honey. It's tasty too!

Hope this helps, Kati