Ouch ouch ouch
Acupuncture. Should I be nervous? Is this going to hurt every time a needle goes in? Hmmm.
Sooooo, I did some research. What am I getting into here? What's the benefit? Here's a link from the Mayo Clinic if you want to read more about it. After checking several different websites to read about it I got just as many rationales and theories. Quackery? Beneficial? Placebo effect? Worth while? Well, let's give it a shot. I'm going to lean on the idea of stimulating nerve endings to help relieve pain and relax muscles. It's been nearly three months and I still have lingering pain and stiffness. My range of motion is pretty bad. If I try to turn my head to the right I get reminded immediately that I have a problem.
Just finished my first treatment and I'm headed back to my apartment. That was different. My doctor was Dr. Hu. Her English was very good and we had no trouble communicating. We spoke at length about my accident and history with my neck. She began the treatment with some exploratory needles to see how I responded at first. After deciding on a path forward I got a single needle in my hand, one in my belly, and six in my neck.
This one in my hand was about an inch deep. I was startled as I watched it go in, but didn't really feel it. No idea what that's for, but I'm just going to roll with it. I didn't get a picture of the one in my belly, but I did ask Dr. Hu to take a photo of the ones in my neck.
The needles up higher had a small plug attached that acted like incense. She lit them with a butane lighter and they heated up the needles. I could feel the warmth and they gave off a nice scent. Those suckers stayed in place for about 25 minutes. It got a little uncomfortable sitting on a hard stool. I just tried to focus on relaxing breathing and keeping a good posture. The second phase of my treatment was cupping. Have a look.
She used some form of flame in the cup to create a bit of heat and the glass bulbs just sucked the skin on my back and neck right in in. Again, not sure what this does, but im all in on giving it a shot. I got the cupping treatment for about 10 minutes.
As I'm arriving back at my apartment I can say for certain that im still stiff, but there's some improvement in my range of motion. Pain isn't too bad either. We'll see how I feel first thing in the morning.