Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Has Anyone Tried Acupuncture?

novelfeeling

Recommended Posts

novelfeeling Newbie
novelfeeling
Posted

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?

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


digmom1014 Enthusiast
digmom1014
Posted

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 Grand Master
kareng
Posted

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 Enthusiast
lucia
Posted

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 Community Regular
tarnalberry
Posted

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 Mentor
ravenwoodglass
Posted

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 Rookie
butterfl8
Posted

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Fozzie Newbie
Fozzie
Posted

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 Rookie
That GF Girl
Posted

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 Contributor
kbtoyssni
Posted

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.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to lizzie42's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      6

      Son's legs shaking

      Blood tests for thiamine are unreliable. The nutrients from your food get absorbed into the bloodstream and travel around the body. So, a steak dinner can falsely raise thiamine blood levels in the following days. Besides, thiamine is utilized inside cells where stores of thiamine are impossible to measure. A better test to ask for is the Erythrocyte...
    2. lizzie42
      - lizzie42 replied to lizzie42's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      6

      Son's legs shaking

      Neither of them were anemic 6 months after the Celiac diagnosis. His other vitamin levels (d, B12) were never low. My daughters levels were normal after the first 6 months. Is the thiamine test just called thiamine?
    3. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to lizzie42's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      6

      Son's legs shaking

      Yes, I do think they need a Thiamine supplement at least. Especially since they eat red meat only occasionally. Most fruits and vegetables are not good sources of Thiamine. Legumes (beans) do contain thiamine. Fruits and veggies do have some of the other B vitamins, but thiamine B 1 and Cobalamine B12 are mostly found in meats. Meat, especially organ...
    4. lizzie42
      - lizzie42 replied to lizzie42's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      6

      Son's legs shaking

      Thank you! That's helpful. My kids eat very little processed food. Tons of fruit, vegetables, cheese, eggs and occasional red meat. We do a lot of rice and bean bowls, stir fry, etc. Do you think with all the fruits and vegetables they need a vitamin supplement? I feel like their diet is pretty healthy and balanced with very limited processed food....
    5. Scott Adams
      - Scott Adams replied to Russ H's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      1

      Anti-endomysial Antibody (EMA) Testing

      That is interesting, and it's the first time I heard about the umbilical cord beings used for that test. Thanks for sharing!
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):

  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      132,870
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    KABoston
    Newest Member
    KABoston
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • knitty kitty
      Son's legs shaking

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      Blood tests for thiamine are unreliable.  The nutrients from your food get absorbed into the bloodstream and travel around the body.  So, a steak dinner can falsely raise thiamine blood levels in the following days.  Besides, thiamine is utilized inside cells where stores of thiamine are impossible to measure. A better test to ask for is the Erythrocyte Transketolace Activity test.  But even that test has been questioned as to accuracy.  It is expensive and takes time to do.   Because of the discrepancies with thiamine tests and urgency with correcting thiamine deficiency, the World Health Organization recommends giving thiamine for several weeks and looking for health improvement.  Thiamine is water soluble, safe and nontoxic even in high doses.   Many doctors are not given sufficient education in nutrition and deficiency symptoms, and may not be familiar with how often they occur in Celiac disease.  B12 and Vitamin D can be stored for as long as a year in the liver, so not having deficiencies in these two vitamins is not a good indicator of the status of the other seven water soluble B vitamins.  It is possible to have deficiency symptoms BEFORE there's changes in the blood levels.   Ask your doctor about Benfotiamine, a form of thiamine that is better absorbed than Thiamine Mononitrate.  Thiamine Mononitrate is used in many vitamins because it is shelf-stable, a form of thiamine that won't break down sitting around on a store shelf.  This form is difficult for the body to turn into a usable form.  Only thirty percent is absorbed in the intestine, and less is actually used.   Thiamine interacts with all of the other B vitamins, so they should all be supplemented together.  Magnesium is needed to make life sustaining enzymes with thiamine, so a magnesium supplement should be added if magnesium levels are low.   Thiamine is water soluble, safe and nontoxic even in high doses.  There's no harm in trying.
    • lizzie42
      Son's legs shaking

      By lizzie42 · Posted

      Neither of them were anemic 6 months after the Celiac diagnosis. His other vitamin levels (d, B12) were never low. My daughters levels were normal after the first 6 months. Is the thiamine test just called thiamine? 
    • knitty kitty
      Son's legs shaking

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      Yes, I do think they need a Thiamine supplement at least. Especially since they eat red meat only occasionally. Most fruits and vegetables are not good sources of Thiamine.  Legumes (beans) do contain thiamine.  Fruits and veggies do have some of the other B vitamins, but thiamine B 1 and  Cobalamine B12 are mostly found in meats.  Meat, especially organ meats like liver, are the best sources of Thiamine, B12, and the six other B vitamins and important minerals like iron.   Thiamine has antibacterial and antiviral properties.  Thiamine is important to our immune systems.  We need more thiamine when we're physically ill or injured, when we're under stress emotionally, and when we exercise, especially outside in hot weather.  We need thiamine and other B vitamins like Niacin B 3 to keep our gastrointestinal tract healthy.  We can't store thiamine for very long.  We can get low in thiamine within three days.  Symptoms can appear suddenly when a high carbohydrate diet is consumed.  (Rice and beans are high in carbohydrates.)  A twenty percent increase in dietary thiamine causes an eighty percent increase in brain function, so symptoms can wax and wane depending on what one eats.  The earliest symptoms like fatigue and anxiety are easily contributed to other things or life events and dismissed.   Correcting nutritional deficiencies needs to be done quickly, especially in children, so their growth isn't stunted.  Nutritional deficiencies can affect intelligence.  Vitamin D deficiency can cause short stature and poor bone formation.   Is your son taking anything for the anemia?  Is the anemia caused by B12 or iron deficiency?  
    • lizzie42
      Son's legs shaking

      By lizzie42 · Posted

      Thank you! That's helpful. My kids eat very little processed food. Tons of fruit, vegetables, cheese, eggs and occasional red meat. We do a lot of rice and bean bowls, stir fry, etc.  Do you think with all the fruits and vegetables they need a vitamin supplement? I feel like their diet is pretty healthy and balanced with very limited processed food. The only processed food they eat regularly is a bowl of Cheerios here and there.  Could shaking legs be a symptom of just a one-time gluten exposure? I guess there's no way to know for sure if they're getting absolutely zero exposure because they do go to school a couple times a week. We do homeschool but my son does a shared school 2x a week and my daughter does a morning Pre-K 3 x a week.  At home our entire house is strictly gluten free and it is extremely rare for us to eat out. If we eat at someone else's house I usually just bring their food. When we have play dates we bring all the snacks, etc. I try to be really careful since they're still growing. They also, of course, catch kids viruses all the time so I  want to make sure I know whether they're just sick or they've had gluten. It can be pretty confusing when they're pretty young to even be explaining their symptoms! 
    • Scott Adams
      Anti-endomysial Antibody (EMA) Testing

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      That is interesting, and it's the first time I heard about the umbilical cord beings used for that test. Thanks for sharing!
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.