I Hate Needles. So, I Tried Acupuncture for the First Time

For many years I have been curious about acupuncture. It’s been touted for aiding millions with sleep problems, muscle pain, and fertility. It wasn’t until I posed the questions “have  you tried acupuncture and did you find it helpful?” on my facebook wall did I really decide it was time to put my burning curiosity at ease. Dozens of my friends, some of whom I hadn’t spoken to for a few years commented on how much they adored the practice, found it helpful, and one friend even told me it helped her conceive. I made an appointment, and then a few days alter chickened out and cancelled it. A few more weeks passed and I rescheduled after a full day of work/events- knowing full well the day would come by quickly and I wouldn’t cancel. A friend of a friend referred me and I was making another appointment and walking through the office doors before I knew it.

Most people don’t like needles, but I think I’m especially annoying about them. My own husband has to help coerce me to go to the doctor to get my blood taken. Not to mention I had been so afraid for so long as a child that went through a few eye surgeries, that I felt like choosing to be pierced by needles seemed insane. However, I’ve been living with lingering back pain for a handful of years, and am ready to try anything homeopathic.

I mentioned to my doctor that I had never had acupuncture before, and that I would like to start out as slow as possible. She agreed, and was so incredibly compassionate the entire time of my visit. My acupuncturist named Marina, a soft spoken woman with an insanely natural way of making you feel at ease. I told her how nervous I was feeling. Marina actually did a “test” area and she inserted one needle. I didn’t feel a single thing. I even asked here if she had done it. She laughed and I laughed harder because I was sweating (expecting pain). I felt super silly and was still very noticeably nervous until pretty far into the session. The one odd thing that did occur was as I was standing up to leave, I got dizzy, something that isn’t common, however Marina helped “balance me out” by pressing on the bottom of my feet. After a few minutes, I felt totally fine, and I went out the door normally. Marina told me it would take about three days for me to notice anything.

Exactly three days passed, and truth be told, I did actually feel a little bit better afterward. And even though I might perspire a little, I am definitely considering going again. Have you ever tried Eastern medicine? What did you like about it?

Photo credit: The New York Times Magazines

June 18, 2018

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