Acupuncture and chiropractic therapy for UC??

I tried acupuncture for my UC but unfortunately it didn't help at all. I did like going though because it was very relaxing and peaceful. I think at the time I was going my colon was just too far gone. Just a couple of months after I flared severely and had to have surgery.

I took my son for a few acupuncture sessions this spring for his seasonal allergies and it it helped him a lot. I believe there is something to it but it doesn't work for everyone and every situation.

There obviously isint a direct biological affect of either treatment on UC, but there is the potential for a sort of placebo affect (an effect independent of biological changes). This can happen in two ways: 1) If you THINK it is helping, then you may start to actually feel better (self fulfilling prophecy) and 2) If it makes you feel more relaxed and rejuvenated, it can help with your bodies overall homoeostasis which can in turn help your UC.

Id say give it a bit of time and see if either of these play out for you, because if it works, obviously you should keep doing it

Save your money. Acupuncture or Chiropractic treatments aren't going to help your UC much, if at all. These guys don't even go to school for UC. They're stealing your money. As Marauder said, you may get some placebo effect out of it all and just relieving stress can help a little. But, that's it. Of course they want you to continue treatments. They see dollar signs whenever they look at you.

I went for acuponcture it did a lot of good for my back (only after two sessions) it felt as good as getting three massages ;) However, it didn't help at all for my UC symptoms, even after 8 sessions.

Post Edited (Chantrelle99) : 5/17/2014 7:19:50 AM (GMT-6)

I strongly believe acupuncture helped me on my path to becoming med free. I was tried on all meds recommend with no success. I thought nothing of it and was reluctant to go. Family encouraged me to give it a try as doctors refuse any other options then surgery and so glad I did. Like with doctors though you get some good and some bad. More helpful to me was also the Chinese view on diet which guided me onto where I am today. I have gone from 4 years of severe U.C followed by 10 years in which I only had one bad year.

Bgirl - you go girl! Don't let anyone tell you otherwise if he is helping you stay in remission.

I think chiropractors and the like are for ex-sufferers of a disease and for those who do not want to deal with the empty promises of conventional medicine. To put these empty promises in perspective, I still have the same chance of dying from cancer today as I would have 40 years ago, and the gold standard chemo treatments continue to remain mustard gas derivatives. I don't see anything wrong with chiros and I'd probably go to one if I wasn't in good shape.

If I were a robot making risk reductions and statistical assessments, I'd have a lesser chance of my chiro harming me than my standard doctor, so yeah, that's pretty good grounds for me to see one. Now whether or not they would help me is a different argument.

There's a reason that adverse medical reactions are now the fourth leading cause of death in the US and it ain't because doctors are "trained to treat UC". Symptom management and chopping off body parts when sh!t hits the fan is different from treating a disease.

As for stealing money, I don't even want to put the figures out there on how much the conventional medicine establishment steals from the average person in America.

Does anyone see the irony in someone telling us to save money, but still quietly endorse spending tons of money on high insurance premiums, procedures, hospitalizations, and prescription medications, etc, etc? That stuff adds up man. Don't you god d@@m tell me to save my money on a chiro when we're spending thousands on that other stuff.

Post Edited (Guardian7) : 5/17/2014 8:04:04 AM (GMT-6)

I don't know where Soy comes off with this stuff. I'm a business man. I own my own business. But, I don't steal people's money by claiming that I can do something that I can't. In fact, I have turned business down when someone expected something I knew I couldn't deliver, even though I could have taken their money and then said "sorry" in the end.

My dream world has nothing to do with all things being free or a business paying us for their services.

Oh, and in my dream world, twinkies would have never come back in the first place. If people are going to criticize me then at least they could criticize me with truths instead of making up a bunch of B.S. that isn't even remotely close to being true.

It really burns my butt when I see people who didn't or weren't good enough to go to medical school all of sudden set up shop as an acupuncturists or chiropractors, claiming they can cure medical diseases they didn't even go to school for. They have their place in society but so many of them are presenting themselves as something they are not and making money off it at the expense of the chronically ill.

I've been down that road, when I was first diagnosed with "Diverticular associated ulcerative colitis", had bloody diarrehea and after several acupuncture sessions, plus Asacol, the bloody part had been reduced by about 85%. When I told my GI about it, he just shook his head and I told him "2000 years of tradition couldn't be all wrong and I would wave a chicken foot in front of me if I though it would help".

I've gone to chiropractors for joint manipulation and improved muscle tone and it's helped, but the truth is UC is inflammation and ulceration of the colon and you just have to try everything. I was diagnosed in 09, had the diverticular portion of the colon removed, was on prednisone, broke my hip and had a replacement hip with massive anti-biotics and we know what that did....6 weeks in the hospital.

Have been on Remicade, became allergic to it, last year on Humira, that worked until I developed infections in gall bladder and liver, more hospital. Been in what we lovingly refer to as a "flare up" after having gall bladder removed and was hospitalized with C-diff for 10 days. Had FT which killed the C-diff, but left the inflammed colon and I've been doing the "march on the bathroom" for almost 3 months now and am trying to get back on Humira...GI says we're running out of options, which means...when all else fails, will have ileostomy.

What am I thankful for?? I'm 75 and retired, God knows how awful it is for younger people, with family responsibilities and a job...When I decide I can't leave the house...I just stay in and wait it out.

The biggest thing I've learned is that this is genetic, and stress affects it...So, ride it out and do we have a choice?

I go to the chiro for all my skeletal/muscular issues, because they're basically ongoing, and I do get relief. I don't go on scheduled basis, but I do when I'm ready for a "tune-up" or in crisis when I've left it too long or have hurt myself. I trust him 100% to help me.

I've never done acupuncture except for injury of my hand, but it was done through physiotherapy, not my chiro (although he do it).

I don't believe either are a treatment for UC and I'd probably laugh if a chiro offered it to me as such. But in saying that, either can definitely help ease body distress, aches and pains associated with UC (or not) and could have a beneficial effect on one as a whole.

I had a friend who did craniosacral work.....and I felt awesone after I had it done, sort of less "static-like chaotic feeling). I feel the same way when my husband puts his hand on my shoulder when I'm trying to fall asleep.

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