Acupuncture, Does It Really Help For ......

I haven't tried it personally, although I have considered it too, so I will be interested in others' responses, but the few people that I do know who have tried it (for other things) had a very positive response to it. I believe that Eastern medicine works. There is a lot of interesting science behind this specific technique and I would go for it if i were you!

I have two nephews who both had SEVERE allergies to nuts and animals. They were treated with acupuncture and both are now allergy free. If that's not proof that it works I dont know what is. Best of luck!

I tried accupuncture for sciatic and low back pain with no pain relief- and since my insurance didn't cover it I'd spent a ton of money! I tried a chiropractor and he took away pain nothing else helped in years! I'll give you his name (in Chicago) if you're interested. Best of luck! Pain is such a difficult thing to deal with but can be easily helped!

I used it for migraines and it worked for me.

My husband is an acupuncturist so I'm obviously a biased supporter, but I have to say... I have slipped vertebrae in my lower back so I've had horrible sciatica since I was 12 years old. I'm now pregnant for the second time and it gets truly awful when I'm pregnant. Acupuncture is THE ONLY relief I can find, and it often solves it almost entirely in one treatment (results last a week or so, or until I do something stupid). I know he's also treated anxiety, but I can't speak personally to that. He gives $35 treatments (low cost because he has a home office so no overhead) evenings and weekends at our home in Prospect Heights (NW burbs). Check him out at www.SassackAcupuncture.com. Whomever you go to, make sure they're been to a 2.5 year accredited acupuncture program and are licensed and board certified in acupuncture. Most chiros who offer it have just taken a weekend workshop or a couple quick courses and they treat very differently, and usually much less effectively (chiropractic is great, I'm just not a fan of chiros going outside their scope and training to do acupuncture). Good luck!

I had acupuncture treatment for sciatica, the treatment was successful for me. The rule of thumb is that if your ailment has not improved or been resolved within 6 visits, it's time to stop. Personally, I recommend trying a different practitioner, before giving up on this treatment. Not all practitioners are created equal. Thankfully, I had excellent results within 6 or 7 visits.
I'm sending you my best wishes for resolving pain.
A.

Updated

I had acupuncture treatment for sciatica, the treatment was successful for me. The rule of thumb is that if your ailment has not improved or been resolved within 6 visits, it's time to stop. Personally, I recommend trying a different practitioner, before giving up on this treatment. Not all practitioners are created equal. Thankfully, I had excellent results within 6 or 7 visits.
I'm sending you my best wishes for resolving pain.
A.

I can't tell you how much specific response you might get from an emotional discomfort or an inflamed nerve. You should definitely ask your intended acupuncturist when you call for an appointment whether he/she thinks you might expect relief from those particular symptoms. One of the great things about acupuncture, in my experience, anyway, is that the practitioner is usually happy to talk directly to the patient-to-be over the phone when you call to make an appointment.

The modality can and does deal with specific illnesses and symptoms. But overall, Chinese medicine doesn't so much go after a particular symptom as to use your pattern of symptoms as sort of a map to determine how your energy (chi) might be out of balance. And, once chi is moved into better balance in the body, symptoms can often be relieved, sometimes including symptoms you didn't realize you were dealing with.

I have had impressive results from two different acupuncturists for chronic problems that had, over years, resulted in various difficulties including poor sleep and breathing, which further spilled over into other areas of life and resulted in emotional difficulties including a long period of chronic anxiety. Western medicine wasn't able to offer me anything more than pills to suppress symptoms; Eastern medicine goes after the root causes, based on an understanding of how the body's chi is flowing.

So, and this may depend in part on your overall symptoms and life patterns, AND whether your acupuncturist knows his/her stuff, you may end up feeling much more comfortable and physically "confident" in your body. This in turn reduces your experience of pain and anxiety. Acupuncture has the added benefit of helping us to find a quiet, contemplative space in our busy lives, which alone can help with anxiety or mood problems.

Good luck. I hope you get some notable relief.

i think acupuncture is totally worth a shot(and i am typically not into alternative meds or chiropractors and such)... none of my human family has ever tried it, but my doberman did! she had a minor spinal injury that caused some pain, but couldn't tolerate her pain meds very well - so our primary vet referred us to a more holistic vet that had received specialized training in veterinary acupuncture - and she did GREAT. she went three times a week at first, and we slowly dwindled down to once a month. it made a believer out of me - couldn't hurt to try it for a few sessions and see if you get some relief. good luck!

Yes for both. I woke up after having baby with a left leg that was barely functional. I had issues with sciattica during my entire pregnancy. I did massage and muscle relaxers to manage the severe cramping in the leg. It was the acupuncture that finally did the trick.

I have used acupuncture for many things, and it's always helped! My sister is doing it now for anxiety and back pain, and it's helped her a lot in four visits already. The best thing for my sciatic pain is chiropractic though, a lot when it was happening a lot, and now probably once a month or more if it hurts more. And massage once a month too. I love it all! Good luck!

YES - it has helped my severe neck shoulder and back pain and my husbands sciatic pain. Just make sure you go to the right person.... get references. Mine is downtown at Michigan and the River