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Acupuncture and Herbal (Oriental) Medicine

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 9/5/2008 6:20 PM (GMT 0)
So, I have found out that my insurance covers acupuncture. 24 sessions per calender year.

SO I am going to do it. I think I am at the point to where if someone told me to stand on my head and stick pureed beets in my bum that it would help, I probably would.

I am overly cynical recently and my outlook is fairly poor. So, here's to hoping SOMETHING changes my mind.
Posted 9/5/2008 10:56 PM (GMT 0)
Sean, I have had good luck with acupuncture for sleep issues in the past, as well as for morning sickness when pregnant. I just started acupuncture for IBD yesterday; my practitioner says she has good luck with IBD patients. Give it a try, and try to keep your mind open. There must be some reason it's persisted for centuries...
Posted 9/5/2008 11:23 PM (GMT 0)
Lucky777, that's good news! Accupuncture is amazing. Not sure if it will help with your condition, but i guarantee you will feel better afterwards. To me It's just as relaxing and stress relieving as a massage. Just make sure to find a good one, it can make all the difference. I wish my insurance covered it, maybe ill have to look into it anyways.
Posted 9/6/2008 1:19 AM (GMT 0)
That's great! And I'm totally jealous--my insurance does not cover acupuncture at all. Let us know how it goes.
Posted 9/6/2008 2:00 AM (GMT 0)

Lucky777 said...
I think I am at the point to where if someone told me to stand on my head and stick pureed beets in my bum that it would help, I probably would.

Lol!

That's awesome your insurance covers acupunture. I am going to see if mine does. Let us know if you find any relief from it.

Posted 9/6/2008 3:39 AM (GMT 0)
I wish I could do this, too.  I did some googling on UC and eastern medicine and there is quite a lot written about it... I just don't understand most of it.  If I could find a good Chinese healer I think I'd go for it. 

Good luck and let us know how it works for you.

Posted 9/7/2008 11:12 PM (GMT 0)
I too am eager to hear how accupuncture works for UC.
I sought out a naturopathic doctor and natural medicine after accupuncture & homeopathy worked for my cat (that's right, my cat had a Hot Gut), but so far we have focused on food sensitivities and probiotics and herbs (all working), as well as B-12. Then we'll see.
Posted 9/8/2008 4:12 PM (GMT 0)
I am going to day for my first consultation (and perhaps first treatment) in about 2 hours. I will let everyone know how it goes.

And thanks for the feedback.. yes if you haven't 'asked' youed insurance yet, then please do so. It was a shot in the dark for me and not only did the person on the line tell me "Oh ya, it's covered", she then helped me find a specific one in my area that was in fact vetted and by my insurance company (apparently they are just picky about who). SO ask - it can't hurt anything.
Posted 9/9/2008 12:47 AM (GMT 0)
Ok, so first appointment.

Not too bad. THe gal was my age, and very nice and very intelligent. We had great conversation about acupuncture and alternative therapies in general. I took about a 30 minute session of needle-work and was surprised that it really didn't feel like much at all. I only even felt the needles in a few places, and once in I had no issues reaching a very very relaxed state. The recliner was comfy and the lights were dimmed, and some Asian music was playing softly - if nothing else, it was relieving just to had 30 minute to relax and think of nothing. I just can't seem to do that anywhere anymore.

I have no idea if it helped with my UC. I go in for another session on Friday and I'll continue to do them (since at this point I am willing to try anything) for a while. Perhaps the effects of relaxation alone will assist. Perhaps some qi/chi flow will be unlocked and my body will heal itself. At this point, it is worth a shot.
Posted 9/9/2008 1:39 AM (GMT 0)
I'm glad you had a good first experience. Two quick thoughts:

1) I wonder, though, what you mean by recliner. Some of the major acupuncture points used for IBD are on the back and stomach. I've been to two different acupuncturists and both have the patient lie on a massage table undressed under a cover or sheets so that they can access points on your stomach or back, depending on how you are laying down.

2) Also, I've had some problems with my insurance even when they say they will cover acupuncture. What they really mean is that they will cover acupuncture if you are going for neck or back pain. The insurance companies get very confused when they see acupuncture being used to treat a disease. I have had to submit all kinds of supporting documentation from my GI, etc. It was such a pain in the neck that they probably should have covered it as neck pain! I eventually got 10 visits covered on my last insurance. My current insurance is still trying to figure out if they need yet more info from me. So just a word of caution.

I swear by acupuncture. It really does work. As you feel better, you feel the needles more. It's quite fascinating.
Posted 9/9/2008 2:52 AM (GMT 0)
This was not a routine GI related acupuncture session. It was simple first-timer relaxation run-through. I dunno what my next session will be like.

SHe is also not a traditional Chinese acupuncturist, but a mixture of Japanese and Chinese acupuncture - if that means anything to you.

But I felt comfortable. The recliner was a very comfy contouring recliner that she had me lay back on. She has a massage room adjacent with a table, which I imagine would be used for the same therapies.
Posted 9/11/2008 7:54 AM (GMT 0)
my GI told me to try acupuncture.. i am a bit suss as they all tell you that you need to come back like 100 times before it works. like chiropractors.. just a ploy to get you in forever.

not sure if i want to do it yet or not.
Posted 9/11/2008 8:29 AM (GMT 0)
i find the whole acupuncture premise fascinating. from the moment the practitioner feels your pulses and tells you whats wrong to the actual needle insertions.

i wouldn't be surprised if acupuncture predates UC. the practitioners i went to seemed to treat the underlying weaknesses in my body rather than the UC symptoms. one of the practitioners was my father in law but unfortunately he lived on the other side of the country so i couldn't get many sessions with him.

having said all that, i didn't feel that acupuncture did anything for me. i stuck to it for a long while and had treatments from 3 different people. one trained in china and two trained in australia. one actually did some lecturing here, so was pretty well credentialed. i think like so many UC factors - it will work for some but unfortunately not for me.

mad  

Posted 9/11/2008 9:13 AM (GMT 0)
I am not touting anybody but this is the real deal in England with regards to Bee Propolis Research.

http://www.beevitalpropolis.com/
Posted 9/18/2008 9:42 AM (GMT 0)
Two days since using Propolis my bleeding seems to have stop. It's God's will and I can't be sure how it has stopped and saying this it may come back with my next BM but a combination of Imodium and Bee Propolis has got rid of the blood. That said it could be that the rectal meds have kicked in too or the Imodium is making my stools more formed and less irritating to my colon and hemmies.

I don't know, I am puzzled but I did start the Bee stuff Tuesday, and by God's grace I haven't bled for a couple of days like I used to although I have seen the odd spec on the tissue.
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