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Life and Times of the Human Pincushion

spingirl | 05 January, 2006 10:10

So, I suffer from insomnia. For about the last 6 months, I have had the worst time trying to fall asleep and stay asleep. I've tried everything I would suggest to my patients: regular exercise, don't eat less than two hours before bed, try yoga, try relaxation, practice good sleep hygiene, have sex. Nothing worked (Okay, the sex worked on many levels, but not to help me fall asleep). So, I started hitting the little pink pill: Ambien. While Ambien was capable of knocking me out, I built up a tolerance and started having to take more and more in order to sleep.

Clearly, something was not right.

In my quest to get a good night's sleep, I finally turned away from Western medicine and started to consider acupuncture. I took health psychology in grad school - acupuncture has been shown to be clinically effective in treating a variety of problems. And I was at the end of my rope and willing to try anything short of drinking my own urine or making a pilgrimage to Tibet. So in December, I voluntarily became a human pincushion.


And it helped.

I was able to taper down to one or half an Ambien per night. But I didn't really like my chiropractor-acupuncturist. He seemed far more interested in taking my money than helping me feel better. So, being the good little consumer that I am, I started looking for other acupuncturists and, after much reading, I decided to consult a Traditional Chinese Medical practitioner.

Let me tell you, along with marrying my husband and getting my dogs, that was one of the best decisions I ever made.

I went for my first treatment with the TCM doc yesterday. He spent 40 minutes asking me questions and taking my history. Then he got out the needles. But unlike the chiropractor-acupuncturist, TCM doc didn't just get out four or five needles - he got out 15 to 20. And proceeded to stick them in my feet, my ankles, my calves, my hands, my arms, my neck, and my forehead.

You haven't lived until you've had a needle poked between your eyes.

I've been asked: Does acupuncture hurt? My honest answer is: "Yes and no." The needles do hurt - but not in a bad way. They are way thinner than a syringe or hypodermic. You can feel them going in, but it's like a pinprick. And I often feels twinges when the needles are going in, but it's the good kind of pain, like when you get a foot rub and there is a sore spot.

Well, I laid there with these needles sticking out of me for 40 minutes. TCM doc came back in every 15 to 20 minutes to turn the needles in order to stimulate the points. I went home feeling more relaxed, but thinking that it would take a few more treatments before I noticed a difference. Wrong.

Last night, I slept so well.

No Ambien, no nothing. I actually went to sleep all by myself. And I woke up this morning and had energy. It was absolutely amazing. Not only that, but my hair actually took a flat ironing! (ok, so that may have less to do with the acupuncture and more to do with increasing the heat on my iron, but hey, it still makes me happy!)

Tonight, I plan on fumigating my house by brewing up an herbal tea using a bunch of herbs the TCM doc gave me. And hopefully, getting another great night of sleep!

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