Gay Forums - Alternative Treatments - Acupuncture

Acupuncture

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QUOTE Jan 03, 2007 12:13 AM GMT
Acupuncture is one of the most effective
treatment in the alternative medicine.I've been HIVpositive for 16 years withouth no
symptoms.I've been using the alternative medicine with the regular medicine and I got very good results.
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QUOTE Jan 09, 2007 5:09 PM GMT
I had always kind of scoffed at this but I know someone else who is having some good results with this treatment. I guess I need to find a good practitioner in my area and check it out.
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QUOTE Jun 12, 2007 12:31 AM GMT
Indeed acupuncture is considered more and more suitable for the treatment of many chronic diseases. Two very important things about it are:
a good practitioner that has sufficient knowledge and training in the area. Some physicians actually have a degree in naturopathic medicine, which in most cases include acupuncture treatment. However, most insurances unfortunately are not bright enough to cover it.
The second thing is indeed a certain degree of susceptibility, by which I don't mean a believe in acupuncture, but rather the right body to use it on. Some people which have a certain deviation of the nerve distribution react different to acupuncture, sometimes resulting in the opposite effect. This is to be found out by the specialist and you together. I know many patients and friends who frequently use acupuncture to treat various chronic diseases like migraine, depression, anxiety, cluster headaches, stomach upsetness, heartache, and so on - and it works.
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QUOTE Jul 19, 2007 2:20 AM GMT
After I had a terrible bout of peritonitis, I was wrecked for a couple of years. I had been filled with so many drugs, anti-biotics, and pain killers that I think it affected my immune system and whatever you want to call your inner electrical system. I would start to work out, and go easy, and after a little bit, I would just crash. It was very frustrating.

Accupuncture was the real answer for me in getting out of this cycle. I don't know how it did it, but it really worked. Whenever I would start to feel like I didn't have a lot of energy, I would notice that I hadn't had an accupuncture appointment for a while, and would head back.

I still go, but not as often, although I probably should.

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MikemikeMike Posts: 5610

QUOTE Sep 06, 2007 5:53 AM GMT
Mem,

Glad to hear you're donig well!! My ex sufferd ffrom vertigo after surgery. I'm not sure how it all works but it seems to have really helped.
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gwuinsf Posts: 507

QUOTE Sep 11, 2007 4:11 PM GMT
I have always been skeptical of alternative medicine, and despite being Chinese and growing up with Eastern Medicine around me, I always thought it was hoakey. I mean, come on, sticking needles in someone?

Well, when I was training for my first marathon I started getting really bad knee problems to the point where I was limping when I walked. I was never a runner before so I think it was too much stress too fast. I went to see an sports doctor and he basically told me the only thing I could do was stop running. It wasn't really an option because I was training for the Honolulu Marathon for the SF AIDS Foundation.

Several people on the training program were going to see an acupuncturist for their knee problems so I pretty much at the end of my options short of quitting so I thought why not. The results were amazing and knee problems went away in two weeks. Two weeks of resting and not running at all didn't even make the problems go away.

After two weeks my pain went away completely. I kept going to see the acupuncturist until my Marathon, but the knee issues never came back and I've been running ever since. Now I'm a believer!
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QUOTE Nov 25, 2007 7:31 AM GMT
Can anyone tell me, generally, how much I could expect to pay on a visit to an acupuncturist?
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zakariahzol Posts: 2241

QUOTE Nov 25, 2007 11:00 AM GMT
Acupunture as alternative to AIDS symptoms. We might have something intersting here. Probably you could explains further.
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JonathanD75 Posts: 2

QUOTE Dec 03, 2007 7:36 AM GMT
Having a Masters in TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) and working on passing my Boards to become an Acupuncturist gives me a lot of knowledge. But even after studying the medicine for four years I realize I've barely scratched the surface. This form of medicine has been in use for thousands of years, some say 2,000 some say 5,000. Really though the most amazing thing was treating someone and seeing the results. For example: in my internship I treated a guy who had been suffering from very bad back pain. On the way to the treatment I had to half carry him down the hallway to the treatment room, I put in the needles hoping to help his pain. When I came back and took out the needles, he practically jumped off the table and said that he hadn't felt that good in six months!
At times I'm still amazed by what happens with acupuncture, and I've made it my life's work to study this Art, I feel like I'm performing real magic!
Now if only I could finish my damn Boards and get back to treating people... *sigh*
(its illegal to treat without a license)
Damn Test Anxiety!
I'm happy to answer any questions people have about Acupuncture...
As for price, it depends on the setting and the practitioner. lower end is $15-20 for a room full of people, average of $65 for a personal one-on-one, and up to $200 for a specialist. (yes people specialize in types of Acupuncture; i.e. - Sports Injuries, Cancer Support, Emotional Trauma... the list goes on)

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QUOTE Apr 02, 2008 5:03 PM GMT
l believe in it but had no need so far but would consider it or any other Natural treatment if need be.
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QUOTE Apr 12, 2008 6:12 PM GMT

memoza saidAcupuncture is one of the most effective
treatment in the alternative medicine.I've been HIVpositive for 16 years withouth no
symptoms.I've been using the alternative medicine with the regular medicine and I got very good results.
i wish a long life for you.there are some labratory search for aids .i believe it will be cured in a near future.
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QUOTE Dec 03, 2008 8:17 PM GMT
Accupuncture has helped me in my effort to quit smoking, I've been cigarette free for 4 1/2 weeks now. I have tried to quit before, this time it has almost been too easy.

My therapist has adjusted my treatment to address other issues too (sleep & emotional) all with great success.

I was never a believer, but I am now.
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QUOTE Dec 03, 2008 8:29 PM GMT
A good friend of mine has always suffered miserably from allergies here in Austin but is doing MUCH better now after getting acupuncture treatments...I would have never believed it but am going to make an appointment for myself...
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QUOTE Dec 03, 2008 8:32 PM GMT
one of my best friends is actually a practioner. He swears by it. I don't really have any need for it at this point in my life, but I would be down to try it out if the situation arises.
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josephmovie Posts: 474

QUOTE Dec 03, 2008 8:32 PM GMT
I went through a series of treatments about 10 years ago when I was extremely lethargic and no doctor could explain why.

Sorry guys, but it did absolutely nothing nothing for me. I just seemed to get better with time, yoga and meditation.
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SCgradStud Posts: 88

QUOTE Jan 07, 2010 5:58 AM GMT
I'm currently running a federally funded research project studying the effects of acupuncture treatment lasting 10 weeks with HIV+ African Americans. It's part of my assistantship in grad school and my advisor has been doing studies with exercise and HIV+ persons and over the last 4 years started an acupuncture trial looking at the effects on psychological and physiological stress. The results are very promising, however they suggest that 10 weeks of treatment (2x per week) is not long enough to show any physiological benefits. However there have been numerous psychological benefits.

I'm a believer and highly recommend acupuncture as a form of alternative treatment people should consider if meds just aren't enough.
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QUOTE Sep 12, 2010 8:39 PM GMT
I've gotten it done twice. The first time, I didn't notice any change, I just noticed a lot of pain where the needles were when I moved my hand. However! The second time I went for shoulder pain, and this time without moving at all, I experienced a great deal of relief in the matter of minutes. It was quite amazing. A pain I was experiencing for several days disappeared after a few needles went in my ear.

The place I went to the second time was American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine which is located in SF. I strongly recommend it, and not to mention the fact that it's absolutely free since it's used to teach its students.
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safety43_mma1... Posts: 3542

QUOTE Sep 12, 2010 8:47 PM GMT
Acupuncture rocks i love it. i have done it a couple of times and i normally do it after football season just to get my muscles to relax and to take away the bumps and aches lol lol. it works if u ask me and i will do it on a normal basis now.
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QUOTE Sep 12, 2010 8:49 PM GMT
Ive had it done, it did not work on me... but nothing is 100% effective anyway

I know someone who was supposed to lose the ability to walk due to needing surgery to his hip... western doctors had said, poor guys The Acupuncturist cured the man's hip...
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QUOTE Sep 12, 2010 8:49 PM GMT

josephmovie saidI went through a series of treatments about 10 years ago when I was extremely lethargic and no doctor could explain why.

Sorry guys, but it did absolutely nothing nothing for me. I just seemed to get better with time, yoga and meditation.

Yup sometimes nothing works but time ;)
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QUOTE Sep 12, 2010 9:00 PM GMT
This sounds like good stuff. Because I'm under gov't mandated insurance for the armed forces all I ever hear when I ask about alternative medicine is that it's not covered and highly not recommended.

I really would like for whomever authorizes treatments for insurance companies to take a look into some of these alt. medicines because as I'm seeing here in this forum, they have just about the same chance of working as going to a western medicine doctor, who is still in theory "practicing" medicine. Nothing is that effective for ppl across the board.

All I ever hear is that will be "out of pocket".... WTF?!
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QUOTE Sep 12, 2010 9:10 PM GMT

Ricovelas saidThis sounds like good stuff. Because I'm under gov't mandated insurance for the armed forces all I ever hear when I ask about alternative medicine is that it's not covered and highly not recommended.

I really would like for whomever authorizes treatments for insurance companies to take a look into some of these alt. medicines because as I'm seeing here in this forum, they have just about the same chance of working as going to a western medicine doctor, who is still in theory "practicing" medicine. Nothing is that effective for ppl across the board.

All I ever hear is that will be "out of pocket".... WTF?!

I would be careful about becoming too invested in much alternative medicine b/c not all of it is proven effective. Having the backing of valid and solidy controlled studies will basically always carry more weight than much of the hearsay that exists within the alt medicine world.

I am definitely not saying every aspect of alternative medicine is bad: we offer acupuncture at the free clinic affiliated with my med school. I would just be careful...b/c there are some things that have been proven to be more of a detriment than a benefit.
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QUOTE Sep 12, 2010 9:27 PM GMT

orthojock said I would just be careful...b/c there are some things that have been proven to be more of a detriment than a benefit.

This said about acupuncture from an evidence-based point of view.... I would agree, but I must add that I have heard the same thing about evidence-based medicine itself from both Western doctors and traditional practitioners, that many of our medical practices are doing the patients more harm than good....

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QUOTE Sep 12, 2010 9:31 PM GMT

orthojock said
Ricovelas saidThis sounds like good stuff.....

I would be careful about becoming too invested in much alternative medicine b/c not all of it is proven effective. Having the backing of valid and solidy controlled studies will basically always carry more weight than much of the hearsay that exists within the alt medicine world.

I am definitely not saying every aspect of alternative medicine is bad: we offer acupuncture at the free clinic affiliated with my med school. I would just be careful...b/c there are some things that have been proven to be more of a detriment than a benefit.

I respect your answer, but I really feel as much time that is spent studying conventional western medicine should also be spent looking into other alt treatments as well.

I also agree that it all may not be effective but I am more open to other treatments than taking pills that seem to dominate the western medicine world. I think it's a bit ridiculous, IMO but don't think my view is shared by many doctors.
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QUOTE Sep 15, 2010 5:09 PM GMT
I have an acupuncture specialist coming to my house today because my sciatica causes too much pain when I sit to drive (his office is over an hour away).

I'll report back later on the results. I've already tried chiropractic and Rx meds, and nothing has helped so far.
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Acupuncture