My experience with acupuncture

WORKING a desk job can take its toll on your body, particularly the back, neck and shoulders. And with our society becoming more sedentary than ever, back problems are on the rise.

Every now and then I am reminded of how bad all of this sitting is – usually around the same time that my back starts cracking every time I take a deep breath!

Luckily for me my sister-in-law, Lisa Wallace, is a trained naturopath, masseuse, personal trainer and acupuncturist, running Perth-based Body Mechanix Holistic Health & Fitness.

I had been considering acupuncture for awhile, but my low pain threshold and fear of the unknown kept me away from it. I could think of better things to do than be stuck with sharp pointy things!

That was until my dad enlisted Lisa to help with the arthritis in his shoulders. After his first acupuncture session he spent weeks proudly showing us how he could lift his arms above shoulder height for the first time in years.

When I saw the impact it had on him, and how long the effects lasted, I decided that it was about time I gave it a go.

A few weeks ago I went around to Lisa’s place, to her dedicated massage and acupuncture torture chamber room, complete with a CD of sounds from the Australian bush. Flies sound a lot more relaxing when they’re not buzzing in your face!

We started off with a massage to release some of the tension in my back, neck and shoulders. This is not always necessary, however given how tight my muscles were (my shoulders were cracking just from the warm up massage) Lisa said it was probably the best way to go.

Then it was time to get down and dirty with the acupuncture needles. I have to admit, I was nervous. I had no idea of what to expect, but Lisa was great at keeping me nice and relaxed and explaining what she was doing.

The thing that surprised me most about acupuncture was that it didn’t really hurt. The one in the top of my head felt a little odd at first, but for the rest I barely felt them. Sometimes there was a momentary sting as it was first inserted, no more than when you lightly prick yourself with a pin, and as it was moved deeper it would occasionally hit a sore spot (although that may have just been me – my back was still very tight at this point, which apparently makes it harder), but as soon as Lisa let go of the needle any pain was completely gone.

I was also dreading the removal of the needles, assuming that it would be a drawn out process, but I actually could barely tell she was taking them out! For someone who’d been so scared of pain, that was the nicest kind of surprise, right up there with those muffins with melted chocolate in the middle.

As for the effects of the acupuncture, there was a definite releasing of tension as it was happening. The day after, I found that I still had some soreness in my upper back but I was able to sit straight up comfortably and could move a lot more freely.

It was more of a “tension release” pain than the stiffness and inflexibility I’d been experiencing before, which is quite common after massages. I made sure to drink plenty of water, sit up straight and keep moving around and stretching during the day, to avoid stiffening up again.

Now, a few weeks on from having the treatment, I am finding that my range of movement is still vastly improved, and while the effects of sitting down for most of the day are starting to return it is taking longer than it has after just getting a massage.

Overall I would say I’m impressed by the results of the acupuncture. In fact, I think I’m just about ready to do it all over again!

Any medical treatment should be undertaken with trained professionals. If you have specific medical needs or are unsure whether acupuncture is right for you, consult a trusted health professional.