My first acupuncture treatment...

I'm blogging to follow up from my acupuncture entry.

I went in for my appointment, late in the afternoon, the day before Thanksgiving.

The Gundersen Lutheran clinic was a ghost town, everyone scrambling to leave for the holiday. Have I mentioned that my biggest phobia in life are needles? So the idea of getting stuck with multiple needles does not render a great sense of calm! So I sat in the empty waiting area and my nerves kicked into overdrive. Once in the actual room, we briefly discussed the reason for my visit, my injured lower back. The practitioner explained that she would insert several hairpin sized needles, once inserted, she would attach a "pens" unit to stimulate the needles, causing a body buzzing sensation. I jumped when one of them was inserted, but after quickly being adjusted the pain went away.

I'm not sure what I was expecting, relaxation, pain, pressure? I felt several sensations, anxiety, calm, body buzz, some feelings familiar and some brand new. Laying on an exam table for twenty minutes with multiple needles vibrating in my back, I tried to train my mind to focus on anything other than what I was doing.

Admittedly it wasn't the best half hour I've ever spent, but by far not the worst. My body "buzz" lasted a bit after my appointment, one of the after effects of acupuncture.

I scheduled another session closer to Christmas. In order to see improvement, these treatments must be done on a regular basis. I know the next time I go my anxiety won't be so high, as the fear of the unknown is over. I'll focus on using the half hour of downtime as a chance to try to relax. After all, a practice that has been in existence for 5,000 years or more should be given a fair chance to prove it's worth it!

The origins of acupuncture...