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01/18/2007: "Living by the Needle"
Lying on a massage table with my face pressed into the donut pad, I was trying to relax. Still suffering from a head cold, she reminded me that I couldn’t cough or move at all. Not wanting to take any painkillers that day, I described to Dr. Mateki where my shoulder pain was located as she chased it down my arm with tiny needles.
It’s the oldest and most commonly used medical procedure in the world. Mainly used for the release of pain, acupuncture is being practiced by thousands of doctors around the globe. In the US alone, close to 10 million adults have had acupuncture.
I tried to remind myself of these statistics as I lost my acupuncture virginity. As she located where she wanted to place each needle, she would give my skin a little “wap” with her finger and then insert. Sometimes I couldn’t feel it while other times she would hit a little nerve or spot that hurt. By the time she was done, I had close to 50 needles in my neck, back, arms and calves.
Since I had to lie still for about 45 minutes, it would have been nice to take a nap just to pass the time. Unfortunately, the lady on the other side of the curtain had beaten me to it and was snoring loudly. I was also having some trouble completely relaxing and was battling a stuffed up nose.
After the pins came out, I was in a daze and on wobbly legs for awhile. She let me know that I would be soar for a day or two and then start feeling better. Her goal was to address the pain but to also get my system balanced and healthy. The needles stimulate the nervous system and get it to release the body’s chemicals like dopamine and others.
I will follow up with many more visits. But until then, another trip to Germany is just around the corner. I fly over to Cologne for more Dendritic Cell Therapy on Tuesday.
