Anyone here done it? I’m a skeptic by nature and have been blessed with good genetics and 25 years of working in construction in my youth conditioned my body to a degree that I kept up until Covid. Just turned 70 2 weeks ago, 6’ and 170#’s, actually lost a few pounds in retirement as muscle migrated to fat. Never broken a bone or had a musculoskeletal issue until about 12 years ago when I hyperextended my right leg while wading with about 10#s in a backpack. Felt a dull pain that night, very low level that I ignored, two days later I couldn’t walk without excruciating pain that moved from lower back/right hip-through my groin-down front of leg at quadriceps to end at knee. Doctors were skeptical as to sciatica as it wasn’t typical which runs down back of leg to ankle. They checked me for prostrate, bladder and kidney issues , ignored my protestations and shot me up with Torodal, which is very nice for pain but not a cure. After 2 weeks with no improvement I went to a physical therapist who took me into a large exercise room, told me to take off my shirt, walk across the room and back to him. Diagnosed as “atypical sciatica”, said not common but he diagnosed it immediately as compared to Doctors who could‘nt. First session of heat, massage and UV LEDs brought 50% relief, followed up 3X/week for 2 week then 2X/week for another 2 weeks at which time I was 100% good.
Fast forward to 2 weeks ago I was lifting my geriatric 60# dog into backseat of car to go to vet when I felt a familiar twinge in right side lower back. Two days later I couldn’t lift right leg more than 4” off the floor, familiar pain in lower back; I realized this would progress into sciatica as it did before but my trusty PT is long since retired, what to do?
Sister swears by acupuncture and quick call to insurance confirms I have coverage so made an appointment with local acupuncturist. Explain the issue, he takes hold of my left forearm (pain is on right side) and applies strong pressure with all fingers starting above wrist bone, asks “How that?” Better, I said.
Then he applies pressure to my palm, below my thumb in the meatiest part. “How that ?” Better, I answer. He sits me down and puts 5 pins in left arm (remember, pain is in right hip) starting at wrist bone spaced about 1” apart going up towards elbow and two in palm of left hand below first knuckle of thumb. “Still better?” He asks, Yes I answer and he leaves for 20 minutes comes back has me stand, lift right leg to 90 degrees, pain is 90% gone and only when knee is 90 degrees up. He takes out the pins, rips off a 2” strip of waterproof adhesive tape and places 3 ceramic balls, about .22 caliber on the tape, evenly spaced and applies tape to where pins were. Tells me to leave it on a couple days if possible and apply pressure whenever I can to them. I came back every other day for four visits, by the fourth visit pain was totally gone.
I supplemented the treatment with stretching exercises my PT had taught me for 5 minutes in morning, tested by going fishing on the Rogue River and spending about 12 hours in 2 days wading up to my crotch over slippery, rocky bottom with basketball sized and larger boulders.
100% cured, I am a believer. I just turned 70 and while still in reasonably good shape I admit to sitting on my ass the last three years. That will change, as a friend told me, sitting is the new smoking.
Wanted to share this with the forum as I’m sure there are members with musculoskeletal issues; I would unequivocally recommend trying acupuncture for relief.
Fast forward to 2 weeks ago I was lifting my geriatric 60# dog into backseat of car to go to vet when I felt a familiar twinge in right side lower back. Two days later I couldn’t lift right leg more than 4” off the floor, familiar pain in lower back; I realized this would progress into sciatica as it did before but my trusty PT is long since retired, what to do?
Sister swears by acupuncture and quick call to insurance confirms I have coverage so made an appointment with local acupuncturist. Explain the issue, he takes hold of my left forearm (pain is on right side) and applies strong pressure with all fingers starting above wrist bone, asks “How that?” Better, I said.
Then he applies pressure to my palm, below my thumb in the meatiest part. “How that ?” Better, I answer. He sits me down and puts 5 pins in left arm (remember, pain is in right hip) starting at wrist bone spaced about 1” apart going up towards elbow and two in palm of left hand below first knuckle of thumb. “Still better?” He asks, Yes I answer and he leaves for 20 minutes comes back has me stand, lift right leg to 90 degrees, pain is 90% gone and only when knee is 90 degrees up. He takes out the pins, rips off a 2” strip of waterproof adhesive tape and places 3 ceramic balls, about .22 caliber on the tape, evenly spaced and applies tape to where pins were. Tells me to leave it on a couple days if possible and apply pressure whenever I can to them. I came back every other day for four visits, by the fourth visit pain was totally gone.
I supplemented the treatment with stretching exercises my PT had taught me for 5 minutes in morning, tested by going fishing on the Rogue River and spending about 12 hours in 2 days wading up to my crotch over slippery, rocky bottom with basketball sized and larger boulders.
100% cured, I am a believer. I just turned 70 and while still in reasonably good shape I admit to sitting on my ass the last three years. That will change, as a friend told me, sitting is the new smoking.
Wanted to share this with the forum as I’m sure there are members with musculoskeletal issues; I would unequivocally recommend trying acupuncture for relief.
