Stick a needle in me……..I’m done!

Week before last I had a bad pinched nerve in my right arm.  It hurt so bad, I was ready to rip my arm from my shoulder!  At first I thought it was just a pulled muscle.  The more my wife and I talked about it, the more she realized it was probably a pinched nerve.  I figured, I probably got it from the way my mouse is situated on my desk at work. 

I called my doctor, and she suggested Advil and physical therapy.  I knew that physical therapy would take up way to much of my time, so I called back.  I told the nurse “I know I’l probably regret asking this, but will acupuncture help my pinched nerve?”  She told me that acupuncture can help almost anything, including a pinched nerve.  Unfortuntely she did’t have any appointments left for that day, so I had to suffer through the weekend, plus Monday (holiday). 

Tuesday morning came and I asked my wife if she was going with me (we both had snow days).  She said no.  I kept asking.  Finally I told her I was scared and wanted her to be there with me.  She said she’d go with me (she also said all I had to do was tell her I was scared from the start!).

My doctor is a great mix of traditional medicine and holisitic medicine.  I’ve been seeing her for several years, and am very comfortable with her.  She could tell I was nervous, and she kept reminding me to breathe.  She had me take off my shirt, my (knee) socks, and my (knee) boots.  I arrived thinking the pain was in my arm, so the needles would only be put in my arm.  Little did I know they would be in my head, my neck, my hands, and my feet!!  I ended up with over 20 needles in my body.

After about 20-30 minutes of the needles and a little electroshock therapy, it was over.  The doctor warned me that I might have some sore spots from a few of the needles and that I would be a little off kilter.  The needles that hurt the most were the ones if my feet and one that was in my right hand.  The ones in my head actually didn’t bother me.  The doctor sad they would feel like bobby pins going into my head- and she was right!   When I sat up I did feel off kilter, and actually felt that way for a few hours after my acupuncture. 

 I am happy to report that the pain was soon to go away.  I haven’t been to physical therapy yet, and I’m hoping I won’t have to go.  I might actually go back for some more acupuncture.  Who knew the needle-phobe would become an acupuncture gal!