A l t e r n a t i v e s
Life Changing Little Needles
Acupuncture to the Rescue
o tiny little needles being stuck in
Dyour body sound therapeutic and relaxing ? If you answered no I ' m glad because , otherwise , you may have bigger issues . Fortunately , I ' m referring to the hair-fine needles used in acupuncture , and I swear they can make a believer out of the most needle-phobic person .
About a year and a half ago I had my first experience with acupuncture , and it literally changed my life . For as long as I can remember I have been living with headaches . They would usually come on during the afternoon , but sometimes would make a guest appearance in the morning or evening . Usually my headaches would express themselves as eye pain , pain over my eyebrow , and jaw pain . They would make me cranky and many days would leave me lying on my couch with an ice pack on my head . Being a generally holistic person and not wanting to live every day on Advil , I experimented with a ton of different remedies . I tried eating raw ginger , taking specific supplements , pressure point relief , drinking tons of water , and the list goes on . Nothing worked ... except for wine , and since it is not usually acceptable to have wine in the afternoon ( especially while working at the gym ), my headaches were apparently here to stay . After so many failed attempts at curing my headaches , I started to grow concerned , and my hypochondria started to run wild . First , I considered that I might have a deviated septum . The ENT ruled this out , but he did suggest I try an antidepressant that sometimes helps migraines . I am still blown away at that awful recommendation . Needless to say , I didn ' t follow it . Then my hypochondria led me down darker roads – maybe it ' s a brain tumor . I went to get a CAT scan , and that too was a big , resounding no ( phew ). After finding no solution or relief from my
18 by Jourdan Brown
headaches I was feeling pretty defeated . I was complaining to Kelsey Schneidman ( a fellow front desk employee ) one day , and after comparing stories , Kelsey and I realized we suffered from the same type of headaches . She told me that she had been going to acupuncture for years to get it treated and that it was the only thing that ever helped . I immediately made an appointment and a week later I was walking into my first appointment . I was surprisingly nervous ; it was like I was going on a first date . I met the acupuncturist , Bert Gordy and was practically shaking . I was completely freaked out about the idea that needles were about to be stuck in my skin . Bert asked me about myself and listened to me explain my headaches . When I finished , he had a smile on his face . He told me that 95 % of his patients who come in with this issue are experiencing tightness in their upper back and neck , which attaches to the occipital nerve , which is why my headaches expressed themselves as eye pain . He also said that the majority of the time , acupuncture will get rid of his patient ' s headaches . I wanted to believe him but was still skeptical .
Bert explained that the “ treatment consists of locating the Myofascial Trigger Point , sometimes referred to as a “ pinched nerve ” or “ knot ” and releasing it with manipulation of the Acupuncture needle . The use of Neurofunction Electrical Stimulation , a low-frequency pulsed current , is added to neuromodulate the tissue which increases blood flow , decompresses nerves , disperse toxins and allows the tissue to regain its normal resting state .” ( Bert Gordy ) Basically , in laymen ' s terms , he was going to stick needles into the knots of my muscles , then attach them to a stim machine and allow the muscles to be re-set into a relaxed position .
After a thorough explanation of the procedure , I was feeling a bit more relaxed until suddenly it was time to lay face down on a massage table and have needles stabbed into my skin , eeeek !!! The first needle went in , and there wasn ' t even a pinch . The sensation I experienced is hard to explain , but the best way I can explain it is it felt like my muscle contracted and then completely relaxed . After Bert had finished inserting the needles , he attached them to the stim machine , placed a heat lamp on my back , put spa music on , placed a little
Holidays 2016 FIT to Print
emergency buzzer in my hand and left the room . I laid there staring at the floor , feeling a heartbeat-like pulse going through my muscles from the stim machine . A million things were running through my head ... what do these needles look like ? How long am I going to be laying here ? Do people actually use this emergency buzzer ? Then suddenly I had fallen into the deepest sleep of my life and woke up to Bert turning off the stim machine and drool falling from my mouth . Holy crap , what just happened and where am I ? Bert removed the needles , which I didn ' t even feel happening and then did some light massage and stretching . I left his office with a goofy grin on my face , questioning if I should be allowed to drive a vehicle .
I continued to go to Bert once a week for the next two weeks and then slowly increased the time between each treatment . After my first treatment , the relief I felt was unimaginable . It was like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders . I was waking up more energized and never experiencing my afternoon headache . I was less irritable and most importantly , so much happier . My family and fiance noticed the difference in me - especially the fact that I was not longer complaining about my headaches . It only got better from there . The more I went , the longer it took for the headaches to return , until eventually they were gone . It has been a year and a half now since I first started seeing Bert . I still see him once every two months for maintenance and because I enjoy a good nap .
If you are wondering if I was just an anomaly , the good news is that I am not . I have recommended a number of people to acupuncture for a variety of issues and they have all come back to me raving about their improvement . And that ' s what I think I love most about acupuncture ; it can be used to treat a number of physical and emotional ( i . e ., anxiety ) issues . If you are experiencing a nagging pain , anywhere on your body , I encourage you to give acupuncture a try . And the even better news is we now have acupuncture right under our roof at Incentives Organic Spa and Salon , courtesy of Maria Hogan , a Licensed Acupuncturist and Massage Therapist . So not only is it effective , it ' s extremely convenient . I urge you to give it a try .
Jourdan Brown is a Certified Group Exercise Instructor . She also manages the Front Desk at Fitness Incentive .