I just found this blog entry about a woman’s experience with an unknown pain condition. http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/ay-mama/2011/05/the-mystery-illness.html
I have heard many similar stories from my patients over the years: the pain started slowly and continued to get worse. Doctors and specialists were seen, tests were run, but no definitive diagnosis given. Pain meds get prescribed and offer only minimal and temporary relief. Or worse yet surgery was performed and the pain was the same or worse afterwards. After trying “everything” the patient finally gives acupuncture a try and are amazed when leaving the office after the first visit with little or no pain.
Too often acupuncture is seen as a “last resort” type of treatment after all other options are exhausted. This is unfortunate because acupuncture is effective, safe, and relative to many other treatments very inexpensive. Hopefully doctors and patients alike will start to think of acupuncture as a beginning point for treatment of both pain and a variety of other conditions, especially since it can be done along with any other therapies including medications.
Like the story linked above indicates acupuncture can still be effective even when doctors are unable to diagnose the problem. Since traditional Chinese medicine (which acupuncture is a part of) uses its own diagnostic system an acupuncturist can still evaluate and treat patients. So whether you have tried “everything else” or are just starting to deal with an illness consider using acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine now.
