Acupuncture 2 -

Acupuncture 2 - the sequel!!
In my last post about acupuncture I discussed how I got started with the treatment - you can read about it here.

I was pretty skeptical, honestly, that this treatment had healing powers. After my first visit though, I felt noticeably better. I had that feeling of deep, deep relaxation - like after you have worked out really hard and you are spent, and happy, and relaxed. Or after yoga - where you are a nice mix of relax and energized. I decided that even if this process didn't cure or even treat my sinus issues or infertility that the treatment made me feel good and that can be helpful in itself.

So at $75 a pop (yowsa! and not covered by my insurance, although some insurance does cover it) it felt pricey, but I was pretty desperate. I was coming off months of one sinus infection after another, coupled with my inability to conceive. I paid up front for several visits and got a discount in the amount of one or two "free" visits.

The treatments were usually pretty similar - either I laid on my front or my back - needles in the same areas and hooked up to the electronic device and warming lamp. For $12 I could have gone to the tanning bed and been pretty relaxed (I secretly LOVE the tanning bed), but obviously the tanning bed is a poor choice. Cancer is so out. The acupuncture feels medicinal and therapeutic all at once.

Sometimes I got to have "cupping" done - which is weirdly awesome. They oil your back, and create a suction in a cup and then stick it to your back where it suctions all up on you. I would only have a few at a time and my first acupuncturist (and my friend now) would move them around like a massage. I loved it - said in that high pitched Oprah way! It did slightly bruise my back up - which is the point. If you are interested you can read about cupping here. Apparently there was a time period where cupping was super "IN "in Hollywood and crazy skinny celebs would go out wearing tanks that revealed their cupping bruises. It wasn't quite as admired in my house. Do NOT google image search "cupping bruising" unless you have already tried it and you know it doesn't hurt - those images were NOT cool.

I guess they just had to wear a strapless top that night.

So, I was pretty regular at my acupuncture spot for a few months until Joe and I decided to take a break with baby stuff and I got my new job where I worked from home, and sweet little darling children that I was crazy about didn't sneeze on me all day and I wasn't sick any more (harp music).

About a year or so later I went back when we started IVF. I decided it would make me feel good to do acupuncture with IVF - there were mixed reviews about if it helped or not and I felt that the relaxation I got couldn't hurt and could only help. I had 2 different acupuncturists during this time period and each had different styles and both were wonderful. It was good to see different styles and also to learn that though the styles differed the effect was still positive and similar. 

During this time I had a treatment each week called "moxibustion" which you can read about by clicking on it. It treats different things, but for me it was targeted to help with my endometriosis and help with my circulation to help the IVF process. The moxibustion was also an awesome treatment for me, and basically consists of putting little lighted discs on the needles. Like smoking discs. I do not know what I am trying to say here - my tired girl brain just kicked in, so I need to wrap up. So, things were lightly burning near me which seems kooky and I enjoyed, so whatever. 

not my body, but what moxibustion can look like - source

After a few months of no luck with IVF and lots of time at my acupuncturist I felt less relaxed as I laid there and thought about other things I needed to be doing and the money I was spending - so maybe it's that theory of diminishing returns or whatever. I just needed a break of full time IVFing and at that time acupuncture felt a part of that. I wanted less scheduled visits places and more time to veg. So I am on an acupuncture break.

I would like to go once a month just for a treat and for maintenance on certain things. But for now, I am temporarily feeling "anti" almost everything.

In the end I love acupuncture and the way it makes me feel. Whether my acupuncture did anything more for me at that time, other than relax me, I will never know, but relaxation - especially then - felt like a step in the right direction. If money were no object I would go all the time. I would happily make time in this Tired Girl world for acupuncture.

Any other Tired Girls want to share their acupuncture thoughts?