Acupuncture and UC

After I was diagnosed with UC, I went to an acupuncturist I'd visited a few times in the past. Since my insurance no longer includes acupuncture treatment, the costs of $100 or so per visit were all out of my pocket. After about 5 weeks and over $1,000 spent, I decided to try alternate therapies. My progress was too slow to justify further expenditures.

My practitioner is competent, but the local Chinese community doesn't hold him in high regard. He is a bona-fide medical doctor from China, but is considered too 'money faced' by some. My treatment included herbs to be drunk three times a day. I tried to find out what was in the herbal blend I was drinking, but he would not tell me. I'm convinced he didn't want me to find a cheaper source of herbs for my treatment. I certainly would have if he told me.

In my search for a UC cure I continue to drink Chinese herbs, but these are now brewed up by the tai-tai (wife). I think these have helped me turn the corner in my healing along with a lot of home-made yoghurt.

My opinion of acupuncture is that it works, but for my UC it helped primarily with the pain and by increasing my energy. UC sufferers can likely get benefit from the treatment, but it will take both time and money before results are long term and obvious.

By the way, my acupuncturist told me he has treated patients of all ages; from infants and those over 90 years of age. Apparently we are never too young or too old to be helped through this practice.