Acupuncture

I thought I would share something that has happened over the last few days in the hope it may help someone.

I am sure many of you including myself have tried acupuncture with either no success or limited success. Having reached a point of - I have had enough I cant do this any more, I thought I would give acupuncture one more try.

I chose the doctor simply because she gives discounts to age pensioners. Walking into her house was like getting off a plane in Peking, not your normal clinical white acupuncture clinic. She told me she trained for 8 years at a Chinese university and is a fully qualified doctor and a specialist in Acupuncture. She shared with me that "traditional Chinese" acupuncture is different from Australian acupuncture and people should look for an acupuncture specialist that has been trained in a Chinese University AND use Moxibustion. See extract from her web site below. She told me very few Australians use Moxibustion because of the smell which apparently smells like Marijuana .

The original Chinese term for what we today routinely call acupuncture is ZHEN JIU, which refers to both needling (ZHEN) and moxibustion (JIU). Moxibustion is the burning of herb mugwort over acupoints to activate Vital Qi and then improve body energy. The combination of needling and moxibustion is the Real Full Service of Traditional Chinese Acupuncture (ZHEN JIU) providing the best treatment.

She told me that she understands all about IC and I need intense treatment of 15 treatments close together. I thought this was a bit of a sales pitch until she told me the huge discount she would give as she felt the pain of people with IC and wanted to help.

Unlike other acupuncture treatments I have had this time the needles going in were really uncomfortable and I was told this was because the meridians were blocked . After putting in needles she came back with a box that has smoke coming out of it which she proceeded to put on my stomach for 20 minuets then my back for 20 minuets. On my 3rd treatment a strange thing happened. As I was lying there with this heated box on my back, I suddenly felt an incredible heat running down my legs and all around my lower body. I was told this was a good sigh of the meridians opening up.

After just 3 treatments I was able to do my grocery shopping and drive home with out needing to find a toilet. Normally I get half way through the shopping and have to ask staff to look after the trolley while I go find a toilet.

She has told me she hopes to get a 30 - 50 % improvement by the end of the 15 treatments, and going on how I feel right now I have a great hope she might be right.

Hi Tina

That's really great news! I've also heard that the Australian version of acupuncture is very different to traditional Chinese acupuncture. I'm really happy for you, please keep us up to date on how it all goes and if you're in the Brisbane area, I might need to get the name of your acupuncturist!

Thanks

lak78 I am up on the Darling Downs, this lady has only been in Aus a few months. This is truly amazing and I think having that heat reaction gave me hope as there is no way that could have been faked.
This lady works hours to fit in with what you need, she is even taking appointments at 7pm at night and even Sundays, in fact my next appointment is Sunday as she was so booked up for the rest of the week.
She has suggested I order one of these smoke machines and she will show me how to use it in between appointment, So i have ordered one off ebay. Gee hope no one calls the cops when they smell the Mugwort

I can tell you she pressed on various points and boy did it hurt, again she said it is because the Meridians are blocked. She is such a beautiful gentle lady and her qualifications are up on the wall for all to see.

For anyone in the Brisbane area I found a chinese trained acupuncturist who does Moxibustion if anyone is interested. I am still having treatment and getting positive results
http://www.naturaltherapypages.com.au/connect/glacuherbalclinic/service/25725

and here is on in Adelaide SA http://www.naturaltherapypages.com.au/connect/herbalpower/about_us/about_herbal_power

Well I thought I would give you all an up date - and sadly it is not good news. 4 treatments now and I felt SO much better in myself and the frequency and pressure paid was improving, but now it looks like yet again my body is fighting back and the discomfort and frequency is back. SO disappointed.

Why oh why does nothing work.

Oh that is disappointing Tina2

Did she have any ideas on why this might be?

Hi Fran

i thought I would wait a while before reporting any more on my acupuncture. Despite feeling awful I kept up the treatment. 13 so far, and having a 3 week break as my Dr has gone to China for 3 weeks.
What I have found is - Your body fights back, after each treatment the next day I felt like I was in a flare, BUT the following day the flare settled. As treatment continued I found that the flare was not so bad and the improvements were becoming quite noticable.
In an effort to give up my 1 a day decafe coffee I tried an alternative Teechino, first sample I got seemed OK, but now I realize I was reacting to it but because the flares and IC was so bad I didnt notice the difference. I ordered a box and tried it a couple of days ago, well wont be trying any more of that ! the frequency was SO bad. But what it did show me was how much I have improved with this acupuncture. I am sleeping through the night, pain level is down, and frequency has improved. Due to cost I will now try just going once a month and see how I go.
I have bought some Moxi from china ( very cheap) and a burner and am using that once a day and that also seems to help.