Posted 8/30/2014 6:17 AM (GMT 0)
Hey everyone! Just thought I'd share a bit of an update and talk about how acupuncture has been working for me!
I just had my second acupuncture session yesterday, and I am amazed at how much it seems to be helping. I was pretty skeptical at first, unsure as to just how helpful simply having needles in my body would really be. I figured they could probably help with pain and inflammation, but I started going for other reasons. My anxiety was through the roof and my brain fog and fatigue was getting ridiculous (this was largely perpetuated by my birth control, as well). I had muscle tightness in my diaphragm from constant anxiety, too. Realistically, I had a lot going on, and doubted just if acupuncture could really address all-- if any-- of it.
But, I tried it anyway, albeit very nervously. I knew it couldn't really hurt me, but that didn't stop me from flinching every time I could feel my acupuncturist get even close to touching my skin. I panicked throughout the entire time she was putting pins in, but she encouraged that she let me know how I was doing, and eventually I had to ask her to stop. But, I got a good amount in me regardless, and she started helping me calm down throughout the 20 minutes that the needles had to stay in for. As nerve wracking as it initially was, the relaxation during the twenty minutes did help. By the end of it, I felt weirdly groggy-- almost "stoned"-- and we did a few physiotherapy exercises to help with back pain and anxiety.
Since then, I'm happy to report that my anxiety has gone down, and I've had next to nothing for brain fog and I'm MUCH less fatigued. A lot of this is going to have to do with going off birth control, but I do think the acupuncture also helped. I certainly noticed an immediate change with my back muscles and soreness.
I went back for a second session yesterday, and was less anxious than the first time. Though I was still freaked out a bit, I managed to relax throughout most of it, and I'm sure it'll be even easier next time. This time we tried to address my endometriosis problems as well as the high heat my body has (low grade fevers, I'm sure a lot of us get that with the lyme disease), my bad shoulder pain I've been getting (turns out I don't lift things properly, and my muscles there are always completely swollen) and, of course, my anxiety.
My shoulder swelling is at least halved, my muscles there are much more relaxed and I can even rub them without causing myself discomfort. I have a press needle in my ear that stays in for a few days, it's been in for over 24 hours now and WOW-- my anxiety is WAY down. I felt so relaxed after the appointment and it kind of just maintained. I could feel myself throughout today and yesterday get the beginnings of my daily panic attacks, but they'd never get past the very beginning "building" part of them. It was like they would start to come on, and then just stop in their tracks. I managed to sleep just fine with the pin in my ear, and I'm overall pretty impressed.
If you're having issues with pain, swelling, anxiety, cramping-- I'd definitely recommend giving acupuncture a try. I obviously can't guarantee it would work, but the worst case scenario is just that it doesn't. I can't say just yet if it's going to have a positive effect with my endometriosis, but I'm hopeful that maybe, just maybe, it might work as well as it has for my ridiculous levels of anxiety!