acupuncture

[thefullback27]

When to acpuncture session today. Got 3 needles in each arm and 3 in each leg. Anything to do to no make the needles hurt so bad lol? She also showed me a point to run on the top on the inside of my knee/shin that she said the chinese used for endurance. Any truth to this?

[reikislapper]

When to acpuncture session today. Got 3 needles in each arm and 3 in each leg. Anything to do to no make the needles hurt so bad lol? She also showed me a point to run on the top on the inside of my knee/shin that she said the chinese used for endurance. Any truth to this?

You must be crazy for going for this lol.

This is one area you wouldn't catch me doing, I can't believe that people are prepared to pay for getting a load of needles being pushed into them. Hope your feeling better soon.
lisa xx

[Dr.Syn]

You must be overly sensitive..I've been going to the acupunturist since I screwed up back lifting..A slight pinch is all I ever felt...

[moononthewater]

Sp 6 is known for endurance but is lower down the shin. But there are a lot of points in that area.

[pj_goober]

You must be crazy for going for this lol.

This is one area you wouldn't catch me doing, I can't believe that people are prepared to pay for getting a load of needles being pushed into them. Hope your feeling better soon.
lisa xx

Why? it has empirically proven results and can be prescribed on the NHS?

[reikislapper]

Why? it has empirically proven results and can be prescribed on the NHS?

I'm quite willing to try most things but seeing a needle go in then I do a runner lol.
I do have a tattoo on my back but I didn't see any of it, so I was able to cope with it all lol.
I have tried to see if I could cope with having acupuncture but I chickened out at the last minute. I would need someone to go with me if I found the courage to try again lol.
lisa xx

[pj_goober]

ok i guess a fear of needles is a good reason to avoid acupuncture :)

[moononthewater]

Reikislapper try some shiatsu or accupressure the effects are the same with out the needles.

[reikislapper]

Reikislapper try some shiatsu or accupressure the effects are the same with out the needles.

That's something I wouldn't mind.

I'll have to find someone who's got strong hands to get in the places which need undoing. I could do with a bit of accupressure at the moment.

:D :D :D and I'm being serious. I did have a taster at a nightclub with a guy who does it for a living. It took a few days to unwind but it really made a difference.
lisa xx

[moononthewater]

Hmmmmmm being a qualified shiatsu person myself i would volunteer. But probably easier to check out your local area but find one that is registered with the Shiatsu society more likely to get a proper treatment that way.

[thefullback27]

Sp 6 is known for endurance but is lower down the shin. But there are a lot of points in that area.

You know any more of these points I could use that would help me in football and where there located?

[Chris from CT]

You know any more of these points I could use that would help me in football and where there located?

The points chosen for each patient are dependant upon many things and can be different from patient to patient. For example, some patients may find SP 6 to be the most beneficial point for their ailment while someone else with the same ailment may use SP 9 for better results. Your constitutional make-up and how you are at that moment in time plays a big role in point selection.

Wishing you a speedy recovery. :)
Chris

[Chris from CT]

I'm quite willing to try most things but seeing a needle go in... I do have a tattoo on my back but I didn't see any of it, so I was able to cope with it all lol.
Hey Lisa, you're not alone. May people have the same issue. Believe it or not, many patients like that just close their eyes, lay back and relax during treatments. If you can get through a tattoo, acupuncture is nothing. :)

Certian styles of acupuncture, like Japanese styles, you feel little to no needle sensation at all. I have some patients who don't even realize I have them in.



I have tried to see if I could cope with having acupuncture but I chickened out at the last minute. I would need someone to go with me if I found the courage to try again lol.
lisa xx
One of the things you would want to do is talk to a bunch of acupuncturists and go with the person you feel the most comfortable with.

I posted something a while ago on one of the boards about feeling the needles in acupuncture. I will try to find it and post it later on.

Take Care.
Chris

[KickChick]

She also showed me a point to run on the top on the inside of my knee/shin that she said the chinese used for endurance. Any truth to this?

Hey Chris .... can you answer this one?

I'd like to know if it's true as well ;)

[Chris from CT]

Hey Chris .... can you answer this one?

I'd like to know if it's true as well ;)

It sounds like thefullback27 is talking about the location of SP 9, but if he is talking about SP 6 (On the medial leg, 3 cun superior to the medial malleolus, on the posterior border of the tibia or in other words, 4 finger widths up from the inside ankle bone against the back edge of the bone), in many styles of acupuncture it could be considered for increasing energy to help endurance.

Besides the style of acupuncture used, it would also depend on what else he has going on constitutionally and symptomatically at the time of treatment.

I'll keep looking for that other post.
Take care

[reikislapper]

Hey Lisa, you're not alone. May people have the same issue. Believe it or not, many patients like that just close their eyes, lay back and relax during treatments. If you can get through a tattoo, acupuncture is nothing. :)

Certian styles of acupuncture, like Japanese styles, you feel little to no needle sensation at all. I have some patients who don't even realize I have them in.



One of the things you would want to do is talk to a bunch of acupuncturists and go with the person you feel the most comfortable with.

I posted something a while ago on one of the boards about feeling the needles in acupuncture. I will try to find it and post it later on.

Take Care.
Chris

Hi Chris, Thanks for the advice, The problem in where I live it's very limited in what you can get. Anyway I went to a chinese place and the assistant tried to force me into having the treatment by blocking the doorway, well you can understand why I just wanted to get out of there and run lol. If I'm going for a treatment then I like to be relaxed and have the doorway open without anyone blocking it. I would be willing to have a go as I know how it feels with the tattoo and I was the only one there with the bloke doing the work, so I didn't mind. I know it's a fear and I need to sort it out but I'm hoping to sort this one out as soon as possible and get the treatment I need.
If you have any ideas then I'll try it.
lisa xx

[Shelltkd]

Hey guys, I do acupuncture as well, and its very difficult to recommend points without talking or looking at a patient. It is very true that many points havev specific effects but they are usually used in conjunction with a group of points chosen for each individual.

As previously said acupuncture shouldnt really hurt, the needle going in should be no more than a small sharp sensation if anything as they are very thin. The sensation after that is usually an ache/heat/tingling feeling, which shouls be the stimulation of your Chi, or body energy.

Just make sure your acupuncturist is registered, you can check with the acupuncture association online, and they should be happy to show their registration to you.

[moononthewater]

Acupressure by Michael Reed Gach is a good read and a D I Y book by Wataru Ohashi though the actual name escapes me at the moment is handy.

[lhommedieu]

An alternative would be Zu San Li ST 36, which translates loosely as "Leg Three Miles." It has its name because it is said to enhance your ability to march over long distances - I suppose that this would help in football practice as well!

It would be a good point to massage or needle after football practice because it would course the Stomach channel on the outside aspect of the legs and help with recovery.

A lot of people like to moxa ST 36 (either with moxa pole or direct moxa with small pieces of pure moxa) over a period of several days between the changes of the seasons (summer to fall, fall to winter, etc.). Traditionally this is done until a small blister appears. Driving heat into the Stomach channel in this manner helps to tonify Wei Qi.

Best,

Steve Lamade

[Chris from CT]

Hi Steve. Good to see you around. :)


Here is that post I had mentioned that I wrote in response to a person who was a little nervous about using acupuncture and wanted to know how to find a qualified practitioner here in the US.
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An acupuncture needle is very tiny when compared to a western hypodermic needle that a doctor would use to give a shot with. Acupuncturists use a solid "filiform" needle and do not inject anything into a patient. This means that it is much less painful to have an acupuncture needle inserted through the skin than a hypodermic. In general, a patient may feel nothing at all to a bug bite type sensation from the needle insertion. It's pretty cool to have patients say "let me know when you do it" and I already have the needle in. They are usually pretty surprised and relieved after that.

Another great thing about acupuncture today is that most acupuncturists use sterilized disposable needles. They use them once and then thrown them away so the chance of any infection is the same as the western doctor's injection.

In general, acupuncture does not have to cause pain, but you may feel something. General feelings a person may feel may include a dull ache, throbbing, moving or radiating sensation at the insertion area.

Sensations that are not necessarily wanted would include a burning sensation or a sharp sensation that does not resolve within about 25 seconds. If this does happen, a simple repositioning of the needle can fix that issue.

Factors that would make you feel more or less during an acupuncture session...
Needle Size -
Length does not play a big role here. It is the thickness of the needle that will make a difference. Needles range from .12mm to .30mm+
"General Rule of Thumb" -
Larger gauge (thicker needle) = More sensation

Needle Quality -
Some lesser quality of needles may have microscopic burrs on them which would increase the sensation

Coating of Needle -
Some needles have a minute layer of silicone on them for easier insertion through the skin.

Points Used -
Matt is right that certain points are more active than others. Certain styles use distal points to ease other areas before going into the main area with needles.

Needle Stimulation Used -
When I say "needle stimulation" I am referring to the physical movement of the needle by the practitioner's hand (lifting, thrusting, twirling, etc)
"General Rule of Thumb" -
Longer stimulation and/or larger motions = More sensation

Style Used-
There are different styles of acupuncture in the world and some are more or less aggressive than others (Chinese, Japanese, French, Vietnamese, American, etc).
The Chinese Styles, in general, like to have more "De Qi" (arrival of Qi) there by the patient will feel more stimulation from the needles. In addition, the Chinese will generally use larger gauge needles (see above).

Some Japanese styles, especially Kiiko Matsumoto's style, feel less from the needles. They double check points against problem areas to make sure the points used and their directions will help the patient and their issue. By checking these points before, less needle stimulation is needed for treatment, therefore less sensation at the insertion point. For example, if a person came in for hypothyroidism, the practioner would check ST 9 for tenderness (this is considered a "reflex" for hypothyroidism). If there was tenderness, the acupuncturist would use their other hand to check a distal point somewhere else on the body to see if the tenderness gets better. If it does, then that point is used. If not, they re-check their location and direction or check another point.
"General Rule of Thumb" -
Chinese (more stimulation & thicker needles) = More sensation
Japanese (less stimulation & smaller needles) = Less sensation

Practitioner -
The practioner plays a big part of how much you will feel during your treatment session. Some people have a “heavy hand” no matter what style they do. Don’t let style alone be your determining factor.


I'm thinking of giving in to the numerous people telling me to have a session to get over my fear of needles.

You're not alone. Many people have a fear of needles. :)


What sort of information would you look for to find a decent person who's not going to take the mickey out of you for this problem…

Check out…
http://www.nccaom.org/find.htm

The NCCAOM is the national accreditation organization for acupuncture and oriental medicine. Once you find someone, give them a call tell them what your condition is and about your issue with needles. They should be understanding about it because you won’t be the first.
_______________________________________

I hope that this will answer some of your questions and help you to start resolving any issues you may have towards acupuncture.

Take care.

[lhommedieu]

Hey Chris. I'm thinking about going to the MAPmeet in New York this spring. Maybe I'll see you there.

Best,

Steve

[Bluesash]

Im kinda looking around for expert help in this field,, bsash

[Shrukin89]

Fear of needles here.

There's a strange fact that guys are more prone to fainting from needles than in girls. Having a session of theropy to get rid of the fear of needles, is not recommended, only unless, if you go absolutely wild kicking and screaming to get away, from them :E.

It's a psychological thing, where your blood transfers a lack of oxygen to the brain, which make you feel light headed (pale), that can seduce to make you vomit or pass out. I don't like the feeling at all, but if you know that the feeling will come. Ask for water, and a cool damp cloth, to reduce the effects. Even better yet, before the insertion of the needle(s). Ask if you could lie down rather than sitting up, and remember to breathe

[mach5_kel]

People tend to faint on the table when they are very ill with conditions such as heart disease, etc. They also tend to faint when they havent eatten a proper meal in a long time and have low blood sugar. Every acupuncturist knows to watch out for these signs and treat appropriately. I like to give people some little sweet candys when they get faint, and yes, a nice cup of warm water.

Acupuncture is actually very safe. Especially when you compair it western medicine. Not that I am downing WM but the chance of mixing up meds and crossing the wrong meds happens every day. This isnt even including going under the knife (which is sometimes nessesary). Any time there is even a little acupuncture accident, its huge news, but it happens so so rarely. It can happen though. The most dangerous points are around the lungs on the chest. A pneumothorax is nothing to sneeze at.

Shiatsu is a great alternative to acupuncture for many conditions. (PS, though I practice acupuncture, I dont approve of most acupressure systems. Mostly just watered down acupuncture).

Eric

[Shrukin89]

hmm indeed :D

[hegu]

I would agree with lhommedieu! ST 36 is the point my teacher refers as Doping point! He uses this point with atlets befor the competition.

[reikislapper]

Hi I have a dumb question to ask lol,

Why are the needles a certain length, is it because they have to be put in the skin all the way through or what.
I think this is the part what's bothering me more than anything as they do seem to be very long.

lisa xx

[lhommedieu]

Dear Lisa,

Needles have different lengths because different acupuncture points and body areas can be needled at different depths; individual physiology also determines to what depth a needle is inserted. Just because a needle is 2" however, doesn't mean that it will be inserted to that length. It may just be inserted to 1" and withdrawn to 1/2" , for example, because the acupuncturist wants to create a specific effect wtih the needle. Or it 2 1/2 inch needle may be inserted at a very shallow (1/4") depth but "threaded" between two acupuncture points, etc. Or a needle can be inserted very deeply because the acupuncturist believes that it is necessary. There are many possibilities for needle depth that can be determined by the intent of the acupuncturist.

Best,

Steve Lamade

[xxjames820xx]

i had acupunture done when i was a kid for medical reasons and it helped...i didnt feel a thing, actually i think i fell asleep lol