RE: HELP!.......Is it supposed to hurt?

November 7, 2004

--- The first thing I tell my clients is that acupuncture is not

sensationless. When acupuncture points are used you are tapping into

the " pathways " of " energy (qi) " . This should elicit a feeling such

as a heaviness or deep dull ache indicating that your practicioner

has " tapped " into your body. There are different schools of

training. Some feel that the stronger or more frequent the " qi

sensation " the better. Others are the opposite. I would discuss this

with your practicioner. If you are not comfortable with someone who

believes in strong stmulation/sensation you can try another

practicioner with a different type of training. I hope this helps...

In acupuncture , " alper_95119 " <alper_95119>

wrote:

>

> Hi All,

>

> I have my 2nd appt. with an Acupuncurist in 2 hours. The 1st appt.

> wasnt too succesful. The needles hurt more than I thought so I had

to

> stop.

> I'm trying it again today. The treatments are for low back pain.

> What sensations should I consider normal.

>

> thanks all!

> David

November 7, 2004

Some acupuncture treatments can be quite painful. It depends on your

condition and the training of your practitioner. While in school I was

trained in both Japanese and Chinese acupuncture and the difference can

be dramatic in terms of style. Japanese typically is much less painful,

but I have found much less effective for muscular / skeletal issues such

as low back pain. When I treat muscular / skeletal issues I almost

always take the more aggressive Chinese approach as that is what gets

results in my experience.

For example, I have a case of planter facitis, which is quite painful.

I had a very aggressive treatment last week with oblique needling 2

inches into my heel which was about the most painful acupuncture I have

ever experienced before. However a day after the treatment, my 6 month

old chronic condition was 70% better. While the treatment wasn't

particularly pleasant, the results where fantastic and I would do it

again right now knowing how much of a difference it made.

If you are experiencing a lot of pain from your treatments with out

dramatic results, then I suspect you should find a different

practitioner. Acupuncture is not meant to be painful for the sake of

pain. A little acute pain to relieve a lot of chronic pain is sometimes

a necessary trade off.

Good luck!