Hi. I am new. I have had fibromyalgia for 5-6 years. For some reason, before now pain was somewhat manageable. But is now getting a lot worse. I am considering acupuncture and other alternatives for pain relief. Has anyone had success using acupuncture exclusively, or have you had to use other things with it? Whatever your experience has been I would appreciate it if you would relate it to me. Thanks

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[This message has been edited by JAYB (edited 07-02-2003).]

I tried acupuncture through Kaiser. They attached electrical nodes to the needles for a very mild current and also put me under a heat lamp during the treatment. However, I didn't notice one bit of difference. I may have quit too soon, but I had to drive about a half hour to get there, and by the time I got home I was tired and tense, and so thought the hassle outweighed the benefits. My doc just started me on klonipin to help regulate my sleep cycle. She actually had an intelligent conversation with me about FMS and agreed that I also have CMP, so I think she must have done some recent research on the subject.Maybe she has even changed her mind about FMS not being a disabling condition, as she tried to tell me a couple of years ago. Next time I'll ask her.

Bossy,
This is Charlie Weaver. Back in 1994 I did try acupuncture and it worked for about 18 months. I went in for about 6 treatments and then when it started up again I went back for my "booster" as I called it. It again helped but not the like first time. But I think I went for about 4 or 5 months hoping that it would eventually help. Since it didn't I started going to a pain specialist and I was in PT and lidocaine injections that helped. Now I am on a lot of medicines as I use Lidocaine Patches. Those help pretty much too.
Hope this helps you decide. It might be worth it and you haven't got anything to lose either.

Charlie Weaver

Wow, it's funny to see this post. I hadn't checked in quite a bit and did so today to tell of my success with acupuncture. I started going to an oriental medicine doctor in January. I get treatments every two weeks. I can't tell you how much better I've been. I've been able to walk the dogs and have started a Tai Chi class (taught by the acupuncturist). Jiang also has me taking some specific Chinese herbs for neck and shoulder pain. I also get a massage immediately afterward. Folks, I'm telling you that I never thought I'd be this active ever again. I can't emphasize enough that I think the difference is the practioner. I'd seen an MD for acupuncture last summer and got only some relief. I tried again because I'd changed chiropractors and the new office offered the service.

I've gone to an acupuncturist for three different things.

First was the result of a very serious compound wrist facture. After the cast came off (after two 6 hour surgeries), I had a very badly swollen arm & also frozen shoulder/rigid fingers. I went seven times over a one plus month period, & the swelling was the same on the 7th visit as the first. No results there. The frozen shoulder got somewhat better by the 7th visit, but I didn't think the modest results justified my time or money. I continued to do my physical therapist's (was also going to a PT on my surgeon's orders) suggested exercises for my arm & fingers, but it took about another three months (& a heck of a lot of exercise on my part) to get somewhat back to normal. Considering the time element to "normalcy", I think I gave acupuncture a fair shot, but any results were pretty negligible.

About a year later I had a lower backache & tried acupuncture again & it went away rather quickly. However, I had another treatment for the same kind of backache about six months later, had no results, & it hung on for another few days, when it finally left. Since my backaches tend to go away within 2 to 3 days on their own without treatment, I wasn't too impressed.

My last (& definitely LAST---I guess I'm a slow learner!) foray into the acupuncturist's office was for a very painful knee sprain or strain a few months ago. I had two extended (1+1/2 hour) sessions; my pain level was exactly the same after each treatment. Gave it two weeks, still without results, then made an orthopedist's appointment.

The acupuncturist in question has been practicing for over 10 years & specializes in "sports medicine".

My husband & our next-door-neighbor consulted other acupucturists (in the latter case, an oriental practioner) for a neck and a back problem, respectively, & neither got any results whatsoever. Ditto on two lawyers in my office who suffered from chronic backaches & also consulted ac/practioners many, many times, but ended up returning to traditional doctors & having back surgery.

Since acupuncture became popularized in the US when Nixon went to China in 1972, I've heard many stories third & fourth hand about individuals who got on an accupuncturist's table barely able to walk & practically danced out in their first session, but I've never met any of these people in real life.

Acupuncture works for me. The most effective treatments have combined points for localized pain -- such as knots and other places where it hurts -- and points that work overall. The later are points where the body does not hurt (except when the needle is inserted!) but that are used to treat joint pain, stiffness, sluggishness, and other deficencies in general. In fact, it is a more effective treatment when these general points are needled, rather than simply needling the area around the pain (this is what md's in Western medicine do.)

I've tried acupuncture in both ways: in a doctor's clinic and at an acupuncture and herbal clinic at a Chinese college for acupuncture and herbal medicine. I find acupuncture to be extremely helpful for my FM pain at the college clinic-- where the acupuncturist treats the body systemically. At the medical clinic the acupuncturist just put needles in two rows down my back for m CMP (back pain) and this approach I did not find helpful at all.

An Eastern medicine approach is completely different, the body itself is viewed differently than from a Western medicine approach. Eastern medicine treats the body, mind, and spirit, while Western medicine (for pain, stiffness) just treats symptoms of the body. When a technique such as acupuncture is taken out of it's whole context and used in a different context it probably is not as effective and may actually be ineffective.

Thanks very much for your info. I also had a recommendation from a guy where I work who had significant back pain and got relief. He went to an oriental practitioner. My insurance is covering the acupuncture treatments if they are in conjunction with something else and the acupuncturist is a chiropractor. I have had three treatments that have address two areas my shoulders and hips. The first treatment was to my shoulders and I experienced immediate relief. Whether the relief will continue is uncertain. I also experienced relief at my hips after the treatment. But who can tell whether the relief will be extended. But at this point even some temporary relief is welcome. Thanks so much for your experience. I will probably be trying other things as time goes by.

I went for a consultation with the oriental acupuncturist (the one my co-worker went to) and he told me that most people stop having problems at age 65. Have you heard this?

I have had accuputure, and have found it's really good for my joint pain, when ever my legs seem to be having trouble I try and see my accupunturist and get it done. I always have something called the bowen technique which basically re-sets the muscles I think, and is really good.