Accupuncture questions. . .

Hey everyone!  Just have a couple questions regarding acupuncture.

My daughter has been doing this for about 6 or 7 weeks now.  She went twice/week for 4 weeks and now once a week.  Our accupuncturist is a friend and also a chiropractor and I don't really want to offend him, but she has not noticed any change at all from it.   

When questioning him, he says that no matter what she says, her "pulses are different."  He says that when she first came in her pulses were all scattered, and now they are much more centered.  Well, I don't know what that means. . .  

My thinking is, that if it is not making a noticeable difference, we need to either find someone else to do this, or just quit.  How do you know when it is the technique or the accupuncture itself??   I am not sure how much training he has had, but there are other practitioners in the area to try.  How long should it take to make a difference??  How long should we stick with the same person??

By the way, we are hoping for a decrease in her pain and for improvement in her insomnia. 

Thanks for thoughts and sharing your experience with this!!

I am lucky in that my acupuncturist had Lyme, bart, babesia and erlichlosis and basically kept herself going by performing self-acupuncture about 6 years ago. So she understands how to specifically treat Lyme with A/P. She tends to focus on balancing the body's energy (Chi), reducing inflammation, supporting the liver, spleen and other internal organs, etc. You do not feel anything dramatic per se - at least I did not - but just had an overall feeling of something being different in a weird, good way and that built on itself over time. There are several acupuncturists in my area and everyone who has Lyme goes to the one I go to so, there is some truth to needing to find the "right one". Maybe your local LD Association chapter could recommend someone?

Thanks ya'll--great thoughts and suggestions, as always!! Wow Traveler--that's a long time!!

It is so hard to determine the best methods of treatment, and sometimes it seems that you get so many conflicting views. In looking for a LLMD, just to keep an eye on Caity's labs, and sleep and pain meds, today a new area dr. flat out told me that she would never get well doing what we are doing. . . It is so frustrating--if it was me, it wouldn't be so darn hard!!

All I can say, is that she is better now than she has been in a long time--and not on abx. . . . So guess we will keep plugging away! I will check out those links too Traveler--thank you for sharing your research with me!!

Appreciate you all more than you will ever know!! <3

I am three months into treating my chronic lyme with Acupuncture, Moxa, Chinese Herbs, Sotai, & other healing techniques along the same lines. I go weekly & my appts typically left me very weak. Then for a month I had an incredible amount of energy. Now I am balanced out into a more stable energy when I go home. I do Moxa at home every day & that is helping me SO MUCH. I have went from being a wheelchair & bedbound to going on small walks weekly. I was even able to host some friends for dinner the other night. I could not even imagine being able to do that! They were amazed.

My doc has been working with Chronic Lyme for many years. His mentor is Heiner Fruehauf who is a very well known Lyme guy. He is very confident that I will be fully recovered in 3-5 years. A gradual improvement. Its a huge commitment. I see though with the results I have already have that whatever they are doing it is working.

I was even able to take my first solo trip in over 5 years. I flew to Cali to visit my father. I survived.

My point is that I know for a fact you can overcome Lyme with Acupuncture...but I think including herbs is a huge part of it. They are treating me like I am a child...according to him I am the most sensitive patient he has ever had...but I know that he knows what he is doing. I think the sensitivity is typical with us with Lyme. It is important to have somebody working on you (your daughter) that is familiar with Lyme & how tricky of a disease it is. Any ol' healer wont be able to pinpoint the menace. He is constantly balancing treating me without OVER treating me.

What does your daughters intuition tell her?

I highly recommend contacting the "natural" colleges in your area & finding out if they have clinics. Then investigating them very very deeply. Talk to as many people as you can to find out if anyone is familiar with treating lyme. Don't give up!

I am being seen at one here at a sliding scale clinic. My appointments only cost me $15 and they last 2 hours! Its insane! I do see students in their fourth year but my doc is in there 90% of the time because (i think) he knows with Lyme its best to oversee & direct more of the time. It took me a year to find them but the only reason I did was because my mentality switched. I went from total hopelessness to realizing that I can get better & that I don't HAVE to struggle. This was quite a process in itself but I wouldn't be on a physical healing path if I hadn't dealt with the emotional.

So have hope & something may be right at your fingertips!

I can sympathize as I am only 23 myself. I've been sick since I was 7-8 so my teen years were complete hell. This disease is enough to take anyone out. I praise you for being by her side! The love, energy, & support you are giving her is such a blessing.