On pins and needles

You know you're desperate when you pay a kooky old hippie a handful of cash to stick a bunch of needles into your body, hoping that these needles will actually relieve the chronic pain and inflammation you're experiencing.

At least, that's what the acupuncturist sold me on yesterday afternoon.

I haven't decided 100% yet, if I'm going to see an acupuncturist full time for my foot and back injuries. But, I decided to give it a try yesterday and see what I thought.

It's definitely strange to wrap my head around the different philosophy of eastern vs. western medicine. Cold is bad for your body (it sucks you dry), whereas hot is good (creates better blood flow and circulation). Which is, of course, opposite of what my PT has been training me to do (ice pack 1-2x a day, every day!).

The procedure itself was pretty easy and painless. I had maybe 12-15 needles stuck in my lower back, hips and down my legs. I felt maybe 1-2 of them (a teeeeeny tiny pinch). After that, he messed with a few of them in my back, I'm not sure exactly what he was doing, but I'm assuming twisting or driving them in deeper for a better effect. He kept asking me "do you feel that?" and I kept saying nope, nope, not yet, nope. Until WHOOSH. I got really light headed and tingly.

So, he stopped and said that was enough for the day - and left me to rest under heat lamps for a good 30-45 min.

I was a little anxious through the entire procedure, so I couldn't relax or let myself go completely. That, complicated with the fact that I was face down in a massage table, with a stupid head cold where I could NOT breathe one bit, meant I didn't drift off to sleep like I (and my acupuncturist I'm sure) expected. :)

After the "rest time" was up - he came back in, removed all the needles, and rubbed a eucalyptic type of oil on my back to really "spread" the treatment down my back and through my body.

I'm not sure if it worked, but it smelled good. ;-)

So, the jury is still out. I'm pretty open to different medicines and approaches to regaining my health, since I'm tired of dealing with the constant aches and pains and quite honestly...

I am desperate.