Acupunture working?

[Tommycourt]

As most of you know I have 2 bad vertebrae in my pain and I have to take a pain medication. My wife goes to acupuncture for her shoulder and she says she feels better. With my bad discs in my back, do you think acupuncture will help and cut down on my pain pill intake? And if so, how many times should I go?I am on my feet and walking on concrete for 8 hours during my job and I should note that the pain is in the lower part of my back. I was injured in an auto accident 7 yrs. ago.
Please help me solve this problem.

Tommy

 

[Caribou]

It is certainly worth a try and if you get even a reduction in pain it is worth it.

One thing that has helped my lower back (spinal stenosis) is collagen. One scoop a day in my coffee.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LXADO9Z/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

I also take various antioxidants.

 

[snappy1]

Acupuncture sure helped my shoulder! Unfroze it in one trip. Haven't needed it for my back.

 

[Amish Heart]

Didn't help me at all. Had it years ago to quit smoking. Then 4 years ago for knee pain. It made my knee swell up worse. They also gave me Chinese herbs in a big brown grocery bag and told me to mix it with a gallon of white wine. Said to keep it in the fridge and sip on it all day. Now that did help my knee pain.
Our daughter gets shoulder and back pain and swears by her chiropractor visits to help readjust her.

 

[masterspark]

I have used acupuncture to relieve the pain from carpal tunnel syndrome and am using it now to recover from the surgery. Acupuncture is not a cure. It is a method to help relieve energy blockages in the body to help the body to heal itself. I also find it extremely relaxing which help relieves stress which helps you heal. Your practitioner matters, not all are the same.

 

[Meerkat]

Good luck with whatever you try. Personally I don't know anything about the subject. I just wish you luck in your quest for relief.

 

[backlash]

I had it for a pulled muscle in my back.
Before the treatment I could not turn my head and immediately after I was pain free.
My dad tried it for a hip problem and it had no effect so I guess it's dependent on who is doing it and what it for.
If I ever need to I will not hesitate to go to one for treatment.
I will never go to a Chiropractor . I know of one that paralyzed a woman from her neck down and she was only 32 years old.

As a side not the VA now will refer veterans to an acupuncturist.

 

[Tommycourt]

I have been going to the chiropractor for years now to work on my lower back (L3 &L4) which has been displaced. My L5 is partially crushed due to an auto accident. I checked into Laser Spine surgery and my insurance will not cover it and they wanted $25K to repair my back with no guarantees. They said it is a simple procedure but it is and in/out procedure. I looked at the pros and cons and they do NOT have a good record so I passed. If I had $25K I would stick it in the bank and forget about it. My new job is hard on my back and feet. Standing 8 hours can be grueling. I do get a half hour break after 4 hours. Acupuncture has helped my feet tremendously but not my back. I work 4-12pm and the hardest time is when I get home because I can't go to sleep right away. I stay up til 4am and sleep til 9 then try to nap in the afternoon for an hour or so. I am getting used to it however my boss is an azzhole and sets out all these parameters that make no sense. The people I work for have said I am the best guard they have ever had to I am not worried about my job. I was looking for one before I found this one. I have already had 3 other security companies approach me to work for them but my job is only 5 miles away and with gas prices like they are, I will stay where I am at for the time being. Take care all of my friends and I sure miss you guys. Will try to stay in better touch from now on.

Take care to all,

Tommy

 

[Spikedriver]

Hey Tommy -

I've never done acupuncture, but my cousin swears by it for his lower back pain. He got treatments for a long time but he's able to drive a semi again now, and before he couldn't handle the bouncing motion. He also had cupping done, where they put the little cotton ball on the top of the needle and lit it on fire. Then covered it with a little glass cup. He said the suction created inside that cup would draw the inflammation right through his skin. He said it looked like reddish pink slime. But afterward his back felt like a million bucks. But after the inflammation built back up he had to have the procedure done again.

I say, if it's not too expensive, go for it. And do some stretches throughout the day too. That helps my back...