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Acupuncture, acupressure, & Reiki

17:12 / 18.09.02

Have had various friends and family members recommend (or try to dissuade me) from trying the above. I have on again/off again sciatica (sp?) which is basically a pinched nerve between the L4 and L5 vetebrae (I think, don't have exact info at hand), which at present isn't bothering me, and general lower back muscle problems (I tend to "store" my stress there. Also took a fall way back when that probably didn't help).

Already tried massage therapy and a chiropracter. My doctor hasn't been much help (said there isn't much that can be done), and I don't want anything surgical done. I'm kind of leaning toward acupuncture at the moment, mainly because my insurance will cover it (but not the other methods mentioned in the header). Still though, I've heard positive things about Reiki, which I'm not familiar with. I'd appreciate anything you can tell me, good and bad, about Reiki as well as acupunture and acupressure (in layman's terms). I thank you in advance for your feedback.

18:40 / 18.09.02

If your insurance covers Accupuncture Than DO IT I can't speak highly enough about it's benefits. Alot depends on your particluar level of "sensitivity" as well as that of your acupuncturist. Still, consistant use and a development of the theories behind it can yeild great results!!!

Accupressure is less invasive, No needles, essentially it's a massage form of the same theories behind accupuncture. Alot of people who are scared of needles will go for this, it quite good but it's range of effect isn't as broad. It's easier to learn as well, which could mean finding a really good practicioner could be difficult as many may dabble and other use it in conjunction with other Body working methods.

Reiki works purely on one's "energy body" and there's quite a bit of Hoke associate with it. I would sooner recomend seeking out a personal attunement rather than treatments. The attunement would allow you to perform Reiki on yourself (or others) where as a treatment would rely on another.

Also you might want to consider Rolfing.

21:01 / 18.09.02

My sister's an acupuncturist, so I'm biased towards it, but I can tell you it definitely has an effect, it's especially good at blocking/ shifting pain, and it's not as needle-oriented as you might imagine. Sometimes, my sister just uses moxibustion, basically holding a smoldering stick (like a a cigar made of mugwort) over points. Sometimes it's just a herbal prescription.
Acupressure works on the same map of the body, but I suspect an "acupressurist" would need less qualification than an acupuncturist.

Before training as an acupuncturist (or TCM doctor, short for "traditional Chinese medicine"), my sister also got a reiki attunement while living in Thailand. While things happened involved with that that do lend credence to claims about reiki, the fact that it's essentially Far Eastern faith healing may be a bit... off-putting.

14:57 / 19.09.02

Grant--you said that acupuncture was "good at blocking/shifting pain", but how effective is it for recurring conditions, ie. how long is a typical treatment good for? What I have (sciatica) is very unpredictable, and I want something that's as preventitive as possible, not just a temporary remedy. At this point, I'm most likely going with acupuncture anyway, and went to the trouble of getting a new special mattress and some ergonomically-designed furniture (which does help).

I guess I'm looking for a cure that may not really exist though. I think part of the frustration I feel may be directed at the aging process itself! That "I'm not as spry as I was at 18" feeling...

15:38 / 19.09.02

Well, the total therapy an acupuncturist would provide will be holistic; that is, trying to get at fundamental causes, to make the condition go away for good.
The only thing there's convincing scientific data on, as far as I know, is on acute cases - this treatment helped this condition on this day in our lab.

15:48 / 19.09.02

That's good to know, I definitely do not want a "band-aid" solution to this. Thanks for the input, hopefully it will work.

20:09 / 19.09.02

Good Luck...

21:55 / 25.09.02

Sorry to hear you haven't had success in treating your back pain. I went through it for years. The sciatic nerve does arise in the L4, L5 area.
As it progresses toward the leg it passes under, and sometimes through a small strap of muscle called the Piriformis.
Often the piriformis becomes unnaturally tense which can impinge on the nerve, especially if you're one of those whose nerve runs through the muscle.
Any LMT should be able to manually access the tendons of insertion at the head of the femur to cause it to release and relax.
I have found that Reiki works well in treating the emotional basis of disease. Takes a while to have its effect but powerful nonetheless.
Good luck.