It Didn't Hurt a Bit: My Acupuncture Experience

After four rounds of chemotherapy, the fatigue and neuropathy, which for me translated into tingly and numb fingertips and bone pain in my knees and shins, were constant and persistent.  The bone pain kept me up at night, all night, while the fatigue made everything much harder to accomplish.  For the record, let me say that I'm not the most patient patient.  I want to be better NOW.

I began to tire of the fog that came with the drugs that took the edge off the pain.  I asked my oncologist for suggestions.  In addition to saying that it just takes time, he said that I might want to consider acupuncture, which had shown better results than medication in relieving bone pain.

Oh, crap, I thought. A good friend swore by acupuncture and had been encouraging me to try it.  I kept putting her off, telling her that I didn't really like the idea of needles stuck into my body.   Especially after the IVs and blood tests I had been through, I wanted to be done with needles for a while.

I had done some research and had heard from others about the effectiveness of acupuncture, I was still leery. However, that my oncologist is someone who is driven by data rather than touchy-feely mumbo jumbo pushed me over the edge.  I called my friend and she made a joint appointment at a local facility, knowing that I might back out if left on my own.

The facility reminded me of a spa, only instead of massage tables in individual rooms, there was a large room with a half dozen oversized recliners.  Music played softly, just covering the sounds of the air conditioner.  Three of the chairs were occupied by napping women covered with light blankets. After filling out the standard forms and discussing my issues with Mina, who is a Registered Nurse as well as a Licensed Acupuncturist, I took my place in one of the chairs and tried to relax.

Mina placed a dozen needles - and I only felt a zing from one of them.  Having stepped on or impaled myself with a good number of quilting needles, I expected worse.  Almost immediately, I felt a weight in my torso.  I didn't drift off to sleep, but came close a few times. It wasn't so bad. After about 45 minutes, she removed the needles and the session was over.  Because my fingers were bothering me the most, that's the area she focused on.  Over the next day or two, I noticed that the tingling and numbness in my fingers had decreased by about 40%.  However, the leg pain and fatigue was just as bad if not worse.  So I went back for a second round.

This time, Mina used about 20 needles and focused on my leg pain, placing them in my arms as well as my feet.  The session was longer, about an hour, and I came close to falling asleep this time. Maybe I nodded off for a few minutes.  When it was finished, I felt lighter somehow, and had even less tingly-ness in my fingers -- probably down to about 20%.  Two days later, I'm still more fatigued than I'd like, but my leg pain is less severe.  Mina recommended two or three treatments for the first few weeks, followed by weekly treatments, and a reassessment about a month later.  I think I'm going to stick with her plan.

More information about Acupuncture

I visited Annapolis Community Acupuncture, owned by Mina Johns.  Annapolis Community Acupuncture a member of the The People's Organization of Community Acupuncture, whose mission is to make group acupuncture accessible and affordable.  I appreciate their payment scale that leaves the fee up to the client -- in Annapolis, MD the lowest fee is $15 per session, making it affordable for almost everyone.  If you want to read some studies on the effectiveness of acupuncture, this is a good place to start:  NIH Study on Acupuncture.