Pill-free pain relief treatments gain ground among recovering addicts

[Celebration]

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/feb/20/pill-free-treatments-addicts-acupuncture/

When Eric Amburgey started experiencing daily back pain last year, he could have gone to a pain clinic and gotten a narcotics prescription.

But as a recovering addict with years of hard-won sobriety under his belt, Amburgey knew all too well that could lead him down a slippery slope.

Still, he waited until his back locked up and he was begging for relief before trying 'something I really didn't believe in' — acupuncture.

After 12 treatments over six months, Amburgey is pain-free — and has been for nine months

[WolverineDG]

1. Well, since we have it on "authority" that acupuncture is "woo" & doesn't work

this must all be in his head.

In all seriousness, this center sounds like a great place.

dg

[Orrex]

2. It doesn't work by channeling the body's "natural" "healing" "energy," if that's what you mean

Otherwise, I'm all for a treatment that doesn't throw people back to a cycle of addiction.

[Warpy]

10. It works well enough on pain to allow physcial rehab

and compliance with exercise. The rehab is likely what solved the problem, the acupuncture treatments just supplying the same bandaid over the pain that medication would have done.

Medication is just cheaper.

[HuckleB]

13. Heck, mere touch might have done just as well, and would have been far cheaper.

A good kick in the ... Oh, wait. That's not what I was thinking, at least not initially.

[trotsky]

4. I haven't seen anyone say that.

However I *have* seen people say, and there is clearly evidence, that sticking needles in someone can help alleviate pain, most likely by stimulating the release of the body's natural pain suppressors, endorphins.

The other crap that gets bolted on, about "chi" and "meridians" is clearly nonsense, however.

So perhaps you are just confused.

[varkam]

7. Right.

I'm on board with the idea that acupuncture can create pain-relief, and there is evidence to support that, but I'm also with you that we don't need the hocus-pocus in order to explain how it works, either. I think many folks tend to conflate requiring evidence to support claims with being completely closed-off when it comes to anything non-western or that wasn't created in a lab.

[WolverineDG]

8. No, I'm not confused

anyone who says that acupuncture (or worse, chiropractic care) worked for them, even without attributing it to "chi" or anything remotely "woo" can expect to be lambasted & called "weak-minded" or "confused."

dg

[HuckleB]

9. Please link us to the posts referring to acupuncture and/or chiropractic proponents as...

"weak minded" and "confused."

Thank you very much.

[get the red out]

3. This is risky to post

But Acupuncture has helped my husband with his back pain.

[WhiteTara]

5. we've done everything minus surgery for

my partner's knee injury. I wonder if this would help him? I think I'll explore this further.

[texastoast]

11. Some DU'ers are not open-minded at all to experience

Generally, I have them on ignore.

[HuckleB]

12. Some DUers are not open-minded at all to actual, viable, plausible, science-based evidence.

I'm not closed-minded enough to put them on ignore.

On Open-Mindedness:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T69TOuqaqXI

[LiberalEsto]

6. Acupuncture has helped me a lot

I have a herniated disc in my lower back. I used to need cortisone shots (not fun) at least twice a year, if not more. One of the side effects of the shots was loss in bone density.The orthopedist who was treating me said surgery would likely cause more problems than it would fix, and encouraged me to look at alternate treatments.

Three or four years ago I went to a very reputable acupuncturist who had an arrangement with our health insurance provider for discounted fees. Over about 2 months of treatment my back pain got much better. I still have pain if I overdo things like lifting bags of mulch, but it can be controlled by applying arnica gel and, if necessary, taking a single dose of naproxen sodium (Aleve). I have not needed a cortisone injection since having the acupuncture.

Because my weight was aggravating the back pain, I also underwent acupuncture treatment for weight loss. In about 3 months I lost 23 pounds without any kind of dieting, and I have kept this weight off ever since, with just minor fluctuations. I would have gone to the acupuncturist for a longer time, but the cost got to be too much.

All I can say is, it has worked very well for me and I would not hesitate to get acupuncture treatment if needed.