On Pins and Needles

As most of my friends and loved ones are aware, for the last couple of years I've been struggling with pain from a bulging disc in my lower back. So far, I've sought relief from traditional chiropractic, physical therapy, large quantities of ibuprofen, massage therapy, nerve stimulation, and some homeopathic muscle relaxers. None of these things have proven to be especially helpful. My doctor has recommended a series of 3 epidural steroid injections, which may relieve pain for up to a year, but which aren't really designed to correct the bulging disc that's causing the problem. Because I've talked to several people who had either bad luck or no luck at all with epidurals, I'm making a few more attempts at relief through other means before resorting to that treatment.

I'd talked to several people who had significant relief from acupuncture--even relief from bulging discs. While I didn't really know any of the science behind why it works, I was still willing to give it a try because it seemed like a non-invasive and safe option. I took some recommendations as to which acupuncturist to visit, and was directed to Dr. Farhang Khosh at Natural Medical Care here in Lawrence. I was impressed with their website and his credentials, so I made the appointment and went for my first appointment this afternoon.

Dr. Khosh was very kind, honest and professional and made my first visit very pleasant. I barely felt most of the needles as he placed them, and once they were all in I fell asleep on the table, so it was very relaxing. While I don't necessarily feel any immediate relief, I'm not entirely surprised because I've read that sometimes your pain will get slightly worse before it gets better. I also didn't really expect acupuncture to work instantaneously, so I'm planning to do one treatment a week for at least a month before I make a judgment on whether it's been beneficial.

I've done lots of reading since I've been home, and honestly, I still don't have a very good understanding about why or how acupuncture provides relief. There are apparently several different theories, and of course many people in the medical community still think it's a sham. The one that seems to make the most sense to me is that needling these trigger points releases chemicals in the spinal cord and muscles that will change the experience of pain. Dr. Khosh also indicated that the ultimate goal of acupuncture in this case is to reduce the inflammation of the nerves that my bulging disc is pressing on, since the inflammation is actually what's causing the pain in the first place.

Honestly, I don't really care if I understand why or how it works. I just hope it does. :)