Pill-free pain relief treatments gain ground among recovering addicts

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/feb/20/pill-free-treatments-addicts-acupuncture/

this must all be in his head.

In all seriousness, this center sounds like a great place.

dg

Otherwise, I'm all for a treatment that doesn't throw people back to a cycle of addiction.

and compliance with exercise. The rehab is likely what solved the problem, the acupuncture treatments just supplying the same bandaid over the pain that medication would have done.

Medication is just cheaper.

A good kick in the ... Oh, wait. That's not what I was thinking, at least not initially.

However I *have* seen people say, and there is clearly evidence, that sticking needles in someone can help alleviate pain, most likely by stimulating the release of the body's natural pain suppressors, endorphins.

The other crap that gets bolted on, about "chi" and "meridians" is clearly nonsense, however.

So perhaps you are just confused.

I'm on board with the idea that acupuncture can create pain-relief, and there is evidence to support that, but I'm also with you that we don't need the hocus-pocus in order to explain how it works, either. I think many folks tend to conflate requiring evidence to support claims with being completely closed-off when it comes to anything non-western or that wasn't created in a lab.

anyone who says that acupuncture (or worse, chiropractic care) worked for them, even without attributing it to "chi" or anything remotely "woo" can expect to be lambasted & called "weak-minded" or "confused."

dg

"weak minded" and "confused."

Thank you very much.

But Acupuncture has helped my husband with his back pain.

my partner's knee injury. I wonder if this would help him? I think I'll explore this further.

Generally, I have them on ignore.

I'm not closed-minded enough to put them on ignore.

On Open-Mindedness:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T69TOuqaqXI

I have a herniated disc in my lower back. I used to need cortisone shots (not fun) at least twice a year, if not more. One of the side effects of the shots was loss in bone density.The orthopedist who was treating me said surgery would likely cause more problems than it would fix, and encouraged me to look at alternate treatments.

Three or four years ago I went to a very reputable acupuncturist who had an arrangement with our health insurance provider for discounted fees. Over about 2 months of treatment my back pain got much better. I still have pain if I overdo things like lifting bags of mulch, but it can be controlled by applying arnica gel and, if necessary, taking a single dose of naproxen sodium (Aleve). I have not needed a cortisone injection since having the acupuncture.

Because my weight was aggravating the back pain, I also underwent acupuncture treatment for weight loss. In about 3 months I lost 23 pounds without any kind of dieting, and I have kept this weight off ever since, with just minor fluctuations. I would have gone to the acupuncturist for a longer time, but the cost got to be too much.

All I can say is, it has worked very well for me and I would not hesitate to get acupuncture treatment if needed.