Acupuncture

[Hobgoblin]

I'm just wondering if any of you have tried this alternative medicine, or know anyone that has. I've had bad back pain for several years and a doctor recently said I have early onset arthritis in my lower spine. He gave me a prescription for pain meds and told me to go to physical therapy.

I've done physical therapy before and it helped but it doesnt always seem to do it. I'll do the therapy but a friend of mine has been strongly urging me to go to an acupuncturist. I always thought it was a pseudoscience, so I'm skeptical of it all. I am surprised at her endorsement of the practice, as she has a masters degree in biology. Then again, her boyfriend is a Chinese medicine specialist so there you go.

So what do you think of pins and needles to balance the chi?

 

[JJJ's Ulcer]

Yes, I've done it to relieve a bronchial infection and it worked. My friend did it for varicose veins and it helped him too. Have an open mind and try it, but make sure the doctor has a good reputation. There are a couple frauds out there.

 

[Hobgoblin]

My friend sent me a recommendation. I cant see the harm in trying it. Its certainly cheap.

 

[JJJ's Ulcer]

Right. You have more to gain than you have to lose.

 

[Anita18]

I'm a biology major and I'd try alternative medicine for stuff like pain. Pain isn't very black-and-white and we still don't know a lot about it. If conventional medicine isn't helping, why not try acupuncture?

My mom's a huge believer in homeopathy, which is definitely a quack compared to acupuncture, IMO. But no harm, no foul. Unless it's cancer, in which case I'll drag her to the hospital myself to get the tumor cut out.