Has Anyone Tried Acupuncture?

[novelfeeling]

Has anyone tried acupuncture to help manage their symptoms? I've been gluten free for almost a year now but find certain things like headaches and exhaustion are not improving. I've been tested for just about everything else and so far have not been able to find any other cause. I started seeing an acupunturist a few weeks ago but have not had any significant improvement. I'm wondering if anyone else has tried and what their results were if any?

[digmom1014]

I also would love to know if anyone has tried it? Also any other alternative methods?

I actually had a wonderful herbalist perform Kinesiology on me when I had tummy troubles pre-diagnosis. She didn't say celiac but she layed her hands over my gut and told me that there was a blockage there. I did not tell her I was having problems in that area prior to her "diagnosis".

[kareng]

My mom who I can't believe would try it, did. She used it for arthritis and pinched nerve pain and thought it worked well.

[lucia]

I believe that acupuncture was a large part of what enabled me to recover from disabling fibromyalgia (along with dietary changes and exercise), even after Western doctors told me my recovery was impossible. I fully recommend it!

Usually, Chinese medicine practitioners will make a diagnosis by reading your pulse(s) and by looking at your tongue. Even though it seems magical to anyone who grew up with Western medicine, it's really a very straight foward way of reading the body. In China, acupuncturists and herbalists practice in hospitals right alongside doctors trained in Western medicine. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Western medicine are very complementary.

Chinese medicine usually takes longer to work than most Western medicines, because it treats more than just symptoms. It also corrects imbalances in the body. And our bodies are very imbalanced after shoving gluten into them for years and years! I know when you're paying for acupuncture, you may feel frustrated when it doesn't work right away, but hang in there - it will! It's a very thorough treatment, and taking care of your health now will benefit you into your old age.

If you have anymore specific questions, please feel free to send me a message. I'm not an expert in TCM, but I have been interested in it for a long time. As you can tell, I feel really strongly about it!

[tarnalberry]

I used acupuncture while pregnant (and hope to get back to it) for fibro/rls/dysthymia, especially once I had to come off my meds. I found it helpful, though not quite as much the meds. Definitely something I'd do again, and I'm hoping to be able to get back to it in a few weeks. It doesn't work for everything, but it can work for some things.

[ravenwoodglass]

I found acupuncture to be very helpful. I would give it a try and see if it helps. One other thing though do make sure that you are avoiding CC and do check any meds or supplements you may take. Some supplements say they are gluten free but still contain barley and or wheat grass, those are really not safe for us. I would examine everything you eat, be really careful in restaurants and if you live in a home with gluten eaters do take the needed precautions. There is a chance that you still have gluten sneaking in somewhere which is causing the headaches and the fatigue. Sublingual B12 can also help a bit with that if you are not taking it already.

[butterfl8]

I had accupunture therapy for migraines 10 years ago. It was a huge, amazing help. It does take a while to help. At first I was going 3 times a week, and I wasn't noticing any improvement even 2-3 weeks in. But my mom noticed that my mood was better, and that was enough to convince me to keep going. I am so glad I did!

Will it help with symptoms? Absolutly! I believe a large part of the benefit of accupunture is the period when the needles are in and you spend 20 minutes relaxing. I believe that stress will make our symptoms that much worse, so anything we can do to help that is beneficial. (Time to take my own advice, too. . . Where's the 'chagrin' emoticon?)

Stick with it. Be honest with your practitioner. And best of luck!

-Daisy

[Fozzie]

I was diagnosed three months ago and have received acupuncture treatments for the past 6 weeks after researching the positive effects of treatment through peer reviewed articles. It has been very effective for brain fog and headaches along with the feeling of general mailaise and fatigue. I will continue treatments as long as I can see improvement.

[That GF Girl]

Has anyone tried acupuncture to help manage their symptoms? I've been gluten free for almost a year now but find certain things like headaches and exhaustion are not improving. I've been tested for just about everything else and so far have not been able to find any other cause. I started seeing an acupunturist a few weeks ago but have not had any significant improvement. I'm wondering if anyone else has tried and what their results were if any?

I know the feelings with headaches. Are you drinking enough water? Water will flush out the toxins in your body big time, my chiropractor says it will make you tired and have headaches by not having enough. Another thing to try is Magnesium Glycinate, that was recommended for me for them as well. If all else fails, I have been on Bio Identical Progesterone and that had helped me BIG TIME. You have to find a holistic dr that wil prescribe it, and it's a process, but worth persuing if nothing else works. I was off it recently and had trouble getting my prescription filled and my headaches came back with a vengence. As far as the acupuncture- my sister has gotten lots of relief for many things. It's hard sometimes, and "main stream" drs don't know always what to do. I have also gotten temporary relief by using peppermint essential oils and put on where it hurts, neck, temples, forehead etc. Sometimes it will help one relax enough to take care of things. Hope you find your answers soon.

[kbtoyssni]

I use acupuncture for my many chronic injuries. I started going because of my arm. I'd been to traditional doctors and had X-rays, MRIs, nerve tests, PT, been to the Mayo Clinic. I could not get answers and was at the point where I was having trouble writing, opening doors, definitely couldn't do many of my sports. I finally decided to try acupuncture as a last resort. After about five sessions, I was nearly better!

I've been going again recently when the arm flared up again, and it's also helped my big toe which I did something to back in December and spent two months limping around on it. A few weeks ago I was feeling really tired and had no energy so I had my acupuncturist take care of that, too.

If you're just starting out, try googling "community acupuncture". It's generally cheaper with a sliding payment scale. My place maxes out at $40 while traditional acupuncture is more like $65-80 a session. It makes a big difference since it's usually not covered by health insurance. It's absolutely worth a try.