Greg, I tried acupuncture and many other therapies for chronic pain relief (extreme neuropathy everywhere below my shoulders) including countless prescription drugs, trigger point injections, massage therapy, hypnosis, and likely others I can't recall. Keep in mind with acupuncture, the entire premise is based on Qi (Google it) and with a spinal cord injury your Qi is screwed. Can acupuncture still help? Perhaps, as there can be a placebo effect at the very least for any therapy. And I don't rule out the possibility of some true benefit from acupuncture, but I researched it thoroughly, found the best and most reputable acupuncturist I could in Jacksonville, FL (a very large city) and made an appointment. To his credit, he spent nearly an hour explaining acupuncture, and its potential benefits and much more before applying the first needle. In the end, all I got from the experience was a chronic itchy spot at the top center of my forehead right at the hairline that drives me insane at times. I wish I was kidding. Again, to his credit, the acupuncture therapist acknowledged that if I received no benefit from his lengthy session and multiple needle applications, that it may be pointless to try more sessions.
My acupuncture treatment was not covered by insurance, but I was willing to try anything. I hope your experience is different than mine if you decide to pursue it. Best of luck! Steve - C4, 28 years On Sat, Jan 21, 2017 at 5:13 PM, greg <[email protected]> wrote: > Anyone get acupuncture? I'm thinking of trying it to help my shoulder. Its > such a weird concept. Stick needles in your body to help with pain. I'd say > no-way, but others swear by it. > > Greg >
