Has anyone tried acupuncture for pain control? I’m 8 weeks out from my 3rd back surgery and had a setback after starting PT. Now PT is on hold and I’m dealing with what I think is a combination of chronic and acute back pain. I’m already taking a pretty hefty dose of meds - hence why I’m looking for something else that might help. Anyone have acupuncture experiences to share?
Love my acupuncture ,you may have to go twice a week, until the nerves have calmed down
Feel better
I’m not suffering from the kind of pain you have, but I’ve had success with acupuncture for a nagging chronic problem with my SI joint.
Ask someone you trust for a referral and go to a practitioner who is board-certified, which means they’ve taken at least 3 years of instruction in traditional Chinese medicine from an accredited institution. Some chiropractic colleges offer their students a six-month course. Not the same thing.
Just tried electro-acupuncture to help with neck/upper back pain. Regular acupuncture did seem to help, so this just seemed like the next step, but too soon to tell if it will help.
mp, I’ve heard good things about this guy. However, I’m not familiar with board certification for non-MD practitioners. This is his education & certification - would you personally go to someone with this background? Thanks for the advice, this is new territory for me.
-Licensed Certified Acupuncturist in New Jersey, California, Oregon, Florida & New York
-Has over 34 years of experience and continual practice in the field of Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine
-Graduated with the first graduating class of The New England School of Acupuncture
-Graduate of the Occidental Institute of Chinese Studies in Quebec, Canada
-Graduate of the International College of Oriental Medicine in Sussex, England
-Studied under Dr. James Tin Yau So, Dr J.D. Van Buren, Dr. William Yu Lin Fan
I have been receiving accupuncture(with electro stimulation) for a chronic achilles tendonitis. Probably not as much pain as you are having, but I was rating my pain 4-5 sometimes higher every day with no relief. I am a nurse and am on feet alot. I knew I needed to do something when I realized I was constantly trying to eliminate walking as much as possible. (like, let me carry 20 things so I don’t have to make as many trips). It was hard for me to walk on uneven terrain (like the pasture), and torture to put my heel down in my stirrups.
I have been going for a little over a year and I realized a couple of months ago that I don’t have any pain even towards the end of the 5 weeks between treatments. The last few times in addition to treating my achilles, he has treated upper, middle, and lower back. I go Friday and he is going to treat my old lady knees. The person who does my accupuncture is an MD who specialized in internal medicine and ER before studying to do accupuncture.
It did work for me prior to surgery, but not for the last half year or so prior to the fusion (possibly because of the increasing mechanical compression of the nerve. - I don’t know).
It certainly can’t hurt, but I’m guessing will take a few treatments. I’m not cleared for physio yet (get re-assessed at the end of June), but I’ve been also thinking of going back to acupuncture prior to physio - just to get me ready.
Sorry to hear of your setback 
I know you have probably tried this, but my favourite treatment was ice (along with the meds) when the nerve flares…I have a feeling you may be beyond the ice addition right now…
[QUOTE=TwinCity;7030415]
I know you have probably tried this, but my favourite treatment was ice (along with the meds) when the nerve flares…I have a feeling you may be beyond the ice addition right now…[/QUOTE]
A little bit beyond ice, yes 
I have found it makes the muscles spasm horrendously. Heating pad helps a little bit - but is the heat increasing the inflammation? Seems like a viscous circle…
I would say the pain is at a steady 6 or 7 WITH meds, peaking to an 8 or 9 when I’m due for meds. I have a pretty high pain tolerance anyway - when your first spinal fusion was at the age of 19, you learn to live with pain - but this is ridiculous. This is the kind of pain that sucks the life out of you… I’ve been in tears more than once lately (heck, more than once a day lately).
My appointment is tomorrow (Thurs) morning, we’ll see what he has to say! Crossing my fingers he is able to help.
Oh, I sooo feel for you. I know the level that you are talking about and my heart goes out to you. I hope he can help… Cyber hugs.
[QUOTE=tarynls;7029001]
mp, I’ve heard good things about this guy. However, I’m not familiar with board certification for non-MD practitioners. This is his education & certification - would you personally go to someone with this background? Thanks for the advice, this is new territory for me.
-Licensed Certified Acupuncturist in New Jersey, California, Oregon, Florida & New York
-Has over 34 years of experience and continual practice in the field of Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine
-Graduated with the first graduating class of The New England School of Acupuncture
-Graduate of the Occidental Institute of Chinese Studies in Quebec, Canada
-Graduate of the International College of Oriental Medicine in Sussex, England
-Studied under Dr. James Tin Yau So, Dr J.D. Van Buren, Dr. William Yu Lin Fan [/QUOTE]
This is the organization that does the certification.
http://www.nccaom.org/about/about-us-home
Their certification exams are used by 43 states to license acupuncturists. You can look up licensed practitioners on their site.
But since your guy has been in it for so long, he may not have gone that route. He sounds like the real deal to me, though.
And that’s the main point I wanted to make. There are chiropractors out there who say they do acupuncture or even “needleless” acupuncture. But they’ve only had a short course that familiarizes them with energy channels and pressure points. They haven’t really studied traditional Chinese medicine. You want to use someone who has.
Please report back after your appointment. Crossing my fingers that you can get some relief.
Very interesting appointment. He spent quite a bit of time talking to me, and did this traditional Chinese medicine “pulse diagnosis” - which showed him the kidney & liver pulses are very weak and “empty” = corresponds to weak spine and weak lower body. So then I became a pincushion - the needles didn’t hurt at all. There were a few points near the top of the incision on the right side where I was very sensitive; he did not put needles there.
Since I’ve been in pain for over a year and have had multiple surgeries (and the resulting scar tissue), he says it will take me longer to feel better than your average pain patient. He wants to see me twice a week for 8 weeks.
I’m willing to commit to that, at the end of 8 weeks, we’ll re-evaluate and see where we are. He thinks I will start to feel better after 3 or 4 treatments. Here’s hoping he’s right!
mp, I did not see my guy listed on the website you mentioned - but interestingly, he is on the State of NJ board of examiners (they license acupuncturists in NJ).
Sounds promising, tarynls.
I figured since he’d been at this for so long, this practitioner might not have done the certification. My niece just graduated with her Master’s in Oriental Medicine, so I’ve been learning the difference between people who talk the talk and those who walk the walk.
Fortunately, it sounds like you’ve got one of the latter. Best of luck to you.
