LymeNet Flash: Acupuncture for Lyme

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Posted by Lymen (Member # 6882) on :

Dr.B says that acupuncture sometimes helps.

Anybody can support it?

What symptoms can be improved with it?

Posted by lla2 (Member # 2364) on :

I'mve been doing acupuncture for well over a year for lyme adn other coinfections and found it has helped me tremendously..it's has eliminated my headaches, given me much more energy, eliminated my joint and muscle pain, helped boost my immune system, raised my white blood cell count, help detox me and flush out toxins..and open all my energy lines, whtich is what acupuncture is mainly doing, so that the body can sufficiently heal itself...

I think it's wonderful if you find the right acupuncurist to treat you..i go once a week...

Lisa

Posted by Lymen (Member # 6882) on :

Thanks,

How did you find the acupucturist?

I spoke to one, be he didn't know how to treat Lyme disease as there is no such a disease in China.

Posted by Foggy (Member # 1584) on :

Not to discourage you but Accu results may be subjective. It didn't help any of my Lyme symptoms at all.

I tried several months and 4 different accus and found the results to be negligible. It helped my pain slightly, but the effect was transient and I couldn't justify the expense.

Was worth a try.

[This message has been edited by Foggy (edited 20 March 2005).]

Posted by robi (Member # 5547) on :

I am helped greatly by my acupuncturist. You really do have to find the right one. Acupuncture treats by the symptoms not be disease labels.

I spoke to several on the phone. They had all been recommended to me by a masage therapist I trusted.

There are different styles of acupuncture and I decided on Traditional verses Five Element.

I just looked for a connection when taking with each person.......then there were 2 I could not decide between. I went with my gut from there.

I have an exquisitely tuned in practitioner.
She helps a lot..........Great on lowering pain and anxiety.

I would not give this up anymore than I would quit ABX. Both are necessary IMHO.

robi

Posted by lla2 (Member # 2364) on :

I agree...acupuncture treats symtoms, not lyme disease itself...my treatment changes weekly, based on what is bothering my body at that day and moment..if i go in and I just happend to find out my liver enzymes were off or my wbc count was low and my leg happened to be feeling weak that day, that's the energy merideans she would work on..the following weak, it might be my dizziness adn nausea or constipation etc...

it's always changing, and a good acupuncturist checks your pulses adn tongue, gets a reading on what is going on in your body based on that and your description of symtoms and then works on openign up those merideans that day.

prior to my gallbladder surgery last week, she helped to get my body ready by preparing if for not scarring, or heavy bleeding along with 'moisturizing or nourishing the liver /gallbladder qi or chi so that the surgery would go smoothly without complications, and it did. Chinese medicine works totally different than western medicine..it works based on enegy meridians and the theory that if they are blocked they can cause dis-ease...

so if you come in with particular symtoms on a certain day it's because those meridians are blocked, and the needles help to unblock the energy lines so that the enrgy can start to flow to those areas to stop the symtoms..if it 's done correctly this is what should be occuring...

if you're really blocked sometimes it can take many sessions to unblock you , as you will unblock during the treatment then close right up again...and the many treatments will eventually open up the energy line permanently...this is what happnened with me and my headaches..i had severe ones if you go back on here and look at my old posts for 2 adn 1/2 years..horrible ones....finally after about 5 months of treatments, they were gone..and havne't come back at all..even when my lyme /and coinfections relapsed...

I"m thrillled with it...I have an excellent practitioner who is also my herbalist and gives me herbs to make into teas that I drink daily..they too change weekly based on my sytmptoms as well , such as time of the month etc...I got her name from an anesthesiologist friend at the hospital..it's his sister...I was lucky..

lisa

Posted by aradia (Member # 7061) on :

I have been getting acupuncture since last august and it has helped tremendously.

Posted by zuzuu (Member # 6826) on :

Acupuncture has helped me tremendously. I really feel it has allowed me to stay off ABX (I was treated by LLMD w/ ABX which resolved many symptoms) for these 3 years and allowed my body to get stronger. I jog and bike now when I could barely walk due to back pain from Lyme. I also feel it treats the symptoms and it is not a cure but some symptoms seem to be gone for good. Some come back but not as bad. I've been helped with mental stuff from neuro Lyme especially anxiety and brain fog. And even if you're on ABX they can help you detox your body and avoid some of the negative effects which will allow you to continue treatment if you need to. Just like with any treatment, everyone reacts differently. Don't expect immediate improvement though I definitely have had that happen for some symptoms. I don't plan on ever giving it up even if I do go back on ABX. Make sure you pick someone with a lot of experience in acupuncture, herbal medicine and essential oils, if you can.

Posted by henson2 (Member # 463) on :

Hi,

I had a terrible experience with acupuncture!! Be very cautious!!

I know it's subjective, but I really recommend staying away from Five Element. If you do it, I recommend Traditional Chinese Medicine.

The guy told me he knew what to do with Lyme. And he got so over his head. I got worse and worse, had symptoms I hadn't had before, and my usual symptoms increased.

It truly was a nightmare, and I regret every cent I paid. (It was not covered by insurance).

Sorry to be so negative. Interview the person carefully, ask their experience, their approach and methods, find out if they understand the Herx phenomenon. It is pretty important if they are going to stimulate different things in the body.

There are actually very accomplished practitioners who understand diseases and their impact on energy (from the acupuncture point of view). Try to find one of them.

I didn't go for the Lyme, just for pain relief. I think it is something I had to try, but I do urge caution.

Best of luck!

Posted by lla2 (Member # 2364) on :

be aware that every time you do go to the acupuncturist the next day or so you may have what's called a 'healing crisis', or what we would compare it to a mini herx reacton...it does bring out symtoms and reactions until your body clears them again...it may last a day or so..drink lots of water to clear your system as it flushes out the toxins....

this is true of any healing modality, reiki, cranialsacral, acupuncture ect..but they call it healing crises...but after a few times going they get less adn less nad then eventually unless they work on a tough issue with strong needles you'll barely feel the aftereffects...

just go in knnowing you may have a small healing crisis with increase in symtoms for a day or so...very normal as your body moves stuff around, but after it clears hopefully, IF IT" S DONE CORRECTLY you'll feel so much better in the long run.

Lisa