Acupuncture
For months after I was diagnosed, I went to various kinds of medical professionals, and tried a number of different treatments. However, it wasn’t until I tried acupuncture that I noticed any real positive impact.
Before I tried acupuncture, the concept terrified me. I was already in so much pain, why would I let someone stick needles into me? Clearly that was only going to make things worse. It wasn’t until I had tried everything else I could think of that I finally heeded the recommendation (given to me by someone else with fibromyalgia) to try acupuncture.
I was stunned to find how little the needles actually hurt. On average, I would say that 9 out of 10 needles don’t hurt me at all. The ones that do only hurt for about 3 seconds as they are being inserted, and the benefits far out way the brief encounter with pain.
Acupuncture has helped dramatically with my pain and tension, and at various points has helped with digestive issues, injuries, anxiety, stress, sleep problems and more.
While I have been going to see my acupuncturist for a few years now, last week was the first time she had ever used the technique of cupping. From what I understand, cupping uses suction to promote blood flow and ease deep muscle tension. I was again a little apprehensive about this new technique but it did not hurt at all, and was deeply relaxing.
While you should take the time to ensure that your acupuncturist is qualified and knowledgeable, I highly recommend that you give acupuncture a try. It was the first treatment that made any significant improvement to my life after fibromyalgia, and I continue to rely on it to maintain a good quality of life.
