r/acupuncture

Hello

I discovered acupuncture after pressing some points that helped me (my late father, a doctor, was also qualifed in acupuncture among other things).

I have a few questions:

• How effective is acupressure as compared to needling? E.g maybe 1 needling session = 5 acupressure sessions or some such ballpark estimate?
• What are the top points for mental health? (I had boundary issues so somehow susceptible to people's envy/hatred even strangers, even from a distance, led to burnout, fear of taking action, functional freeze)
• How long should i hold ghost points for them to be effective? I did the entire set of 13 a couple of times in sequence 2-3 minutes. Some points like the big toe were powerful. I will hold longer next time.
• Some points, i hold multiple fingers or knuckles to get the general area the whole area is tender and to be sure i got it right
• Any tips for a newbie?

Thanks 🙏

I've had a chronic back issue (upper cervical spine) for the last year - decided not to do surgery for now! I've done physical therapy, worked with the trainer, tried cupping therapy, and I'm now considering acupuncture for the last 20% of chronic muscle guarding that I have. Very curious how others navigated this, as it feels very much like a self-directed journey.

Would love to hear your experience, whether positive or negative.

And if you live in the DC area, I'd love to get the names of some practitioners (assuming you had a positive experience).

I should mention that I think a lot of my problem is nerve pain specifically (very heightened sensitivity there, when it comes to nerves near the ear) so I'm weirdly nervous about acupuncture to the extent that my nerves might freak out about it (I'm not sure).

I've tried just about everything else, including dry needling, so I'm desperate for outside-the-box ideas. Thanks in advance!

I've been dealing with plantar fasciitis and another condition called plantar fibromatosis, which involves excess scar tissue growth in the plantar fascia of the feet in response to traumatic injury. It is a genetic condition, thought to be related to a similar condition in the palmar fascia of the hands called Dupuytren's Contracture. Dealt with it 5 years. Physical therapy has helped somewhat.

I deal with occasionally mild internal swelling and lingering pain in that foot that I'm thinking acupuncture could help with.

Because of my condition, needles directly in the plantar fascia is risky, because it could trigger fibromatosis scar tissue growth. This genetic condition is triggered by direct physical trauma generally.

Could acupuncture for treating chronic swelling and lingering pain in the foot work if the acupuncturist wasn't able to directly insert needles in the plantar fascia of the foot?

I believe I could get an extensive education in acupuncture and TCM in China rather than the U.S.

I think my country is crumbling and good health has become a privilege. Holistic medicine is a greater privilege too. From what I’ve read, massage and TCM are normal practices in China and I like that. I was looking into the Shanghai Uni of TCM and their 5-year Bachelor’s program.

I feel pretty ignorant saying all this. Studying in college is still a privilege too.

I just don’t know how to get a job in another country, or if my academic past will get me that far. Has anyone studied abroad for TCM and Acupuncture?

I’ve been curious about acupuncture for a while and was talking to my psychiatrist about how bad my stress and anxiety is right now and she mentioned she really likes acupuncture and suggested it to me to help with my stress levels especially since medication (which is helping) isn’t my favorite thing.

I had never thought of trying acupuncture for anxiety and curious if anyone else has tried it for this purpose.

The renter in my artist’s studio is leaving, and I’m looking for a replacement. Located in N. Brooklyn, it’s $950, 500SF, very private and can accommodate one or more people. Comes with some work-type furnishings, including a couch, desks and chairs, a mini-fridge, etc. PM me if you’re interested.

I hope it's okay to post this here.

So I just had my second acupuncture session (Five Elements) and, after looking at some rescue cats’ stories on IG, I started to feel a STRONG wave of… sadness? Love? Compassion? I feel it so strongly in my chest. Also a strong need to cry. I often feel this way when looking at the stories of these babies looking for a family to adopt them, but never with such intensity. I also felt a tingly fizzy feeling on top of my head during the session, which was super pleasant. Any info on what this means?

Overall I’m really happy to feel like I’m releasing and tapping into such a strong emotion. I tend to repress them all the time. I feel angry most of the time due to my history of abuse, but I’ve heard that under anger lies sadness. I’ve done EMDR before and while it helped, I never had the experience of suddenly connecting with strong emotions like others describe when doing this type of therapy.

Have you had any similar experiences with acupuncture or drEMDR? How long did it last? How did it affect you in the long term?

I have been going to acupuncture sessions for about six months now and it has done a world of wonders for me.

I was face down with needles all over my shoulders and legs. I was not asleep but in a relaxed zone and feeling fine. Then about halfway through my session; I got a tingling feeling in my back that traveled down my body. When it got to my legs, my right leg flexed up at the knee all the way back and flopped back. It felt more like a reflex than any muscle control in my leg. Afterwards, everything felt fine.

Has something like this happened to anybody else?

I was wondering if acupuncture could help reduce stomach bloating or reduce the look of stomach bloating?

As the existing model of acu education falls apart, I'm wondering what practitioners think an ~ideal~ future model would be?

Hypothetically, if costs were reasonable and the same per credit/energy/time spent, do you think a:

vocation model: shorter education timeline, less didactic classes, more in-person experience, more business-forward

or

grad school model: longer timeline, deeper into theory/history, perhaps more complex disease/illness training, prep for white-collar environment (not entrepreneurial)

would be ideal for the current and future state of acupuncture work in the US?

Patient perception seems to be changing post-covid, so the latter professional grad school model seems more appropriate now than ever. Would love to hear thoughts, thanks!

Looking for a top notch acupuncturist who works with pediatric patients in the Bay Area. Appreciate any leads, more so better if you have had personal experience.

Thank you!

Has anyone tried acupuncture to help alleviate or cure their chronique fatigue?