Acupuncturist pinpoints health issues, restores body's balance

[Celebration]

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2008/nov/10/acupuncturist-pinpoints/

Ly treats Sammi Jo for eosinophilic esophagitis, or EE, a disorder of the esophagus she's had since she was a baby. It can cause severe digestive problems.

"We took her to the Cincinnati Children'sHospital Medical Center, where they ran tests and did biopsies. She couldn't digest chicken, rice, milk, legumes and so many other foods. The doctors said she showed signs of failure to thrive and osteoporosis, and she was so thin and weak. Her eyes were sunken and her color was pale," Ballard said.

The hospital wanted the family to keep coming back for biopsies, "and I just felt that was too much," Ballard said. "We decided to try acupuncture."

She brings her daughter to Ly's clinic once a week from their home in Paragould, Ark. Sammi Jo's treatments take one hour.

"She's not afraid of the needles. She calls them 'magic sticks.' She's been taking the treatments since June, and she's already gained seven pounds. Now she's taking jazz dance every Monday night, and she's just full of energy," Ballard said.

From personal experience, both the Lys are great! However they are already way too busy.

[Warpy]

1. A good acupuncturist is pure gold

I've found it more effective for acute pain than chronic pain, but that's just me. Other people have found it very effective for chronic pain.

Acupuncture causes measurable changes in the brain. That it works beyond the placebo effect has been verified by western medicine.

[amitten]

3. Yes, several studies have proven it's effectivness. But I don't

care about that. To me the one "study" that matters is the result an individual gets. And my results were measuable, although it took a few weeks.

I do feel that in my case, the herbs prescribed did the bulk of the work, and the acupuncture was just a supporting therapy.

[amitten]

2. I was diagnosed with a digestive disorder that my doc said was

basically untreatable. After about $3,000 in medical bills, bad pain and no answer in sight, I went to a Chinese herbalist who also does acupuncture.

In a month I was well. For a lump sum of about $200. And no, it ain't the placebo effect so if you think this stuff is bunk, please keep it to yourself because it sure as hell isn't.

[Celebration]

5. the Lys brew their own herbs, too

I have no idea if they gave them to the girl. They truly get amazing results. Like I said, they are packed with people seeing them.

Sure, I would go to an acupuncturist for any digestive problem.

[amitten]

7. Yeah, the herbs I used are amazing. They do take longer to

work than your average prescription. But the results, when they occur, are deep and permanent. They cure the underlying illness, not just the symptoms of the illness. And with no side-effects.

Western meds just pale in comparison, truly. Three thousand years of medical research/practice cannot be wrong, I guess!

[Richard D]

4. Acupuncturists do it with pinpoint accuracy!

Been an acupuncture doc for almost 25 years.
It's amazing medicine.

[amitten]

6. It certainly is. Thank you for your work. You and others like you

are giving relief and good health to so many who would only have continued suffering with Western medicine. And at such a comparably low price! Really a fantastic vocation.

[shireen]

8. Any recommendations for acupuncturists in Baltimore, MD? nt

[Celebration]

9. no, but ask your friends and neighbors

The only bad experience my family has had with acupuncturists is my daughter, who has tried many. Be careful if you acupuncturist is located in an area where your automatic car door opener doesn't work!!

It sounds odd, I know. But this acupuncturist was located on the highest hill in the city, so I bet there were a ton of cell phone towers around there. Her automatic door opener for her car never worked in that area. Instead of balancing her, the treatment did just the opposite, and she caught a cold that wouldn't go away, followed by a 24 hour flu. That got corrected and she's fine. Just stay away from acupuncturists that are too near cell phone towers--that is my advice.

Every other acupuncturist she has tried she has liked. I've only been to the ones in the article, and you know how I feel about them.

[Missy Vixen]

10. I love my acupuncturist, too

She is the fifth generation of her family that are acupuncturists. She got rid of fifteen years of back pain. The first week it was gone, I walked around thinking to myself, "Why isn't my back hurting?" LOL

If you're in the Seattle area, PM me and I'll send you her number. I realize I may not get another appointment due to the demand, ;-) but I don't have enough wonderful things to say about her and her treatments.

Julie

[Delphinus]

11. I've used

acupuncture for back pain and tennis elbow - it worked great for both issues.

[Orrex]

12. I met an acupuncturist at a party during college

Even drunk, he could totally smoke anyone at pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey.

[groovedaddy]

13. worked great for migraines & carpal tunnel syndrome BUT

like other forms of medicine, there are some quacks out there. If it doesn't work on the first go round, try a different doc.

[dawgmom]

14. Are acupuncturists better than average at darts? n/t

[Richard D]

17. With our eyes closed . . .

. . . we can feel the Qi and get the dart bulls-eye from at least 30 paces.
May the force be with you.

[DavidDvorkin]

15. It turns out that fake acupuncture is better than the real kind

At least for in-vitro fertilization:

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-11/esfh-pai111108.php

[Richard D]

16. Placebo acupuncture is difficult. . .

. . . if not impossible.

[DavidDvorkin]

18. The article talks about the care they took with the placebo acupuncture

So that the patients wouldn't be able tell it wasn't the real thing.

[Richard D]

19. What about the practitioner?

In a true double-blind placebo controlled study, neither the patient receiving the treatment, nor the practitioner giving the treatment know whether it's a placebo or the real thing.

It is difficult to design a suitable control for acupuncture – a treatment that involves the insertion of fine needles into particular points on the body. In this study, the researchers used a placebo needle that looked identical to a real acupuncture needle, but which was blunt and retracted into the handle of the needle when pressed on the skin, while still giving the appearance and sensation of entering the skin. A trained acupuncturist applied the placebo to the same acupuncture points as for the real acupuncture.

Dr Ng gave two possible explanations for the results: "Placebo acupuncture is similar to acupressure and therefore is good enough to improve the pregnancy rate. Or else, it's possible that real acupuncture may, in some way, reduce the pregnancy rate of acupuncture.

Interesting. There's one school of acupuncture thought that uses acupuncture like devices to stimulate the points in a way similar to the method above. If there is enough stimulation on a point to cause a sensation like a needle is entering the body, there is enough stimulation to affect a treatment. I'd say in this case the use of the term placebo isn't correct. But fascinating in it's implications.

[Celebration]

20. I agree, plus

I seek out treatments that have a large placebo effect. I figure with that extra boost from the placebo effect that they are more likely to work.

Some people would call it convoluted logic. However, it is actually a brilliant strategy.

As an example--

If a person has CONDITION C--

And TREATMENT B works 30% of the time, and its placebo 0% of the time, and there are no side effects

And TREATMENT C works 50% of the time, and its placebo 49% of the time, and there are no side effects

Which treatment would you choose?

I choose Treatment C. And, frankly, it truly seems like a no brainer.