Acupuncture

[Guest guest]

Wondering if anyone had a similar reaction...

When I did Acupuncture, I started out 2 x week for 3 weeks. The needles were

mainly around my pain areas - neck, shoulder, & upper back. After the 1st

session I was so dizzy and vertigo that I had to sit for an hour before I could

drive home which was still very difficult. The next session I felt the same

after and this time I had started to swell on my right shoulder. By the 6th

session I had what looked like a softball sitting on my right shoulder from all

the swelling. I then had quarter size bruises where each needle was. A couple of

times they ran an electrical current through the needles.

I had stopped before my 8th visit since I couldn't take it anymore. What I'm

wondering is if I had a poorly educated accupuncturist or if this is how I will

always react. I want to try accupuncture again since my 1st and only try was

almost 8 years ago.

Thank you in advance. For your feedback. I'm always appreciative of this site. I

get such a wealth of info from it.

Hugs!

-Cat

Sent via BlackBerry by AT & T

Acupuncture may help Fibromyalgia symptoms

Nothing new here but worth considering if yuor health insurance

covers it. Mine doesnot. heidi

Acupuncture Relieves Symptoms Of Fibromyalgia, Mayo Clinic Study Finds

ScienceDaily (Jun. 13, 2006) — Evidence suggests acupuncture reduces

the symptoms of fibromyalgia, according to a Mayo Clinic stud

Fibromyalgia is a disorder considered disabling by many, and is

characterized by chronic, widespread musculoskeletal pain and

symptoms such as fatigue, joint stiffness and sleep disturbance. No

cure is known and available treatments are only partially effective.

Mayo's study involved 50 fibromyalgia patients enrolled in a

randomized, controlled trial to determine if acupuncture improved

their symptoms. Symptoms of patients who received acupuncture

significantly improved compared with the control group, according to

the study published in the June issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

" The results of the study convince me there is something more than

the placebo effect to acupuncture, " says , M.D., Ph.D.,

lead author of the acupuncture article and a Mayo Clinic

anesthesiologist. " It affirms a lot of clinical impressions that this

complementary medical technique is helpful for patients. "

Increasingly, patients are interested in pursuing complementary

medicine techniques in conjunction with their mainstream medical

care, Dr. says. But often, such techniques lack scientific

evidence to justify a patient's expense and time.

The study lends credence to patients' belief that nontraditional

methods may improve their health. In Mayo's trial, patients who

received acupuncture to counter their fibromyalgia symptoms reported

improvement in fatigue and anxiety, among other symptoms. Acupuncture

was well tolerated, with minimal side effects.

Mayo's acupuncture study is one of only three randomized and

controlled studies involving fibromyalgia patients. Of the other

studies, one found acupuncture to be helpful, while the other

reported it was ineffective for pain relief.

Dr. says Mayo's study demonstrates that acupuncture is

helpful, and also proves physicians can conduct a rigorous,

controlled acupuncture study. Future research could help physicians

understand which medical conditions respond best to acupuncture, how

to apply it to best relieve symptoms, and how long patients can

expect to their symptoms to decrease after each treatment.

Dr. performed the study at Mayo Clinic Rochester with co-

authors Ines Berger, M.D.; Sletten, Ph.D.; and Brent

.

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