Normal Acupuncture vs. Intense Acupuncture

I've been discussing my extreme acupuncture for the treatment of ALS, and apparently I have made some people who have considered medical acupuncture for the treatment of pain or allergies uncomfortable and reconsider acupuncture as the means to help them with their problem.  Several of you have contacted me saying that after reading my blog you will no longer consider acupuncture. 

Please let me set the record straight.  I am using the terminology "intense acupuncture" to refer to the treatment that my doctor is providing to combat my ALS disease.  99.999% of people who receive treatment from a qualified acupuncture medical doctor will NEVER receive any of the treatments I am blogging about.  This is a life and death procedure I am attempting, NOT standard acupuncture.

My first few sessions with my medical acupuncturist focused on relieving some of my symptoms such as chronic allergies/sinusitis, TMJ pain, muscle spasms, etc.  The doctor used the standard, very thin, solid acupuncture needles for these treatment sessions.  Standard acupuncture needles are very thin and not hollow like a hypodermic needle, that is why they don't hurt when inserted. 

Twirling the needles once inserted or moving them up and down to stimulate the acupressure point can sometimes be a little uncomfortable, but the discomfort is minor.

Most Chinese herbs dispensed by acupuncture medical doctors in the U.S. come packaged in pill form (see previous picture on my blog of the back of one of these boxes).  Because the herbs used to treat ALS are not that commonly dispensed, my doctor is growing them and preparing them especially for me.  As a result, they are not in pill form and must be ingested.  Yes, they taste and smell terrible.  But if there is a 10% chance of slowing my ALS progression, it is worth it,

Millions of people in the U.S. seek acupuncture treatment for a variety of ailments.  The number grows every year as the cost of other medical treatments and drugs continue to increase.  Acupuncture has no side effects unlike most prescription medicines advertised in magazines and on TV with side effects like death, blindness, diabetes, stroke, etc.  Acupuncture is very safe, and has been used in China and other far eastern cultures for thousands of years and people are more likely to see an acupuncturist than a medical doctor for treatment.

So, if you have considered acupuncture but have been dissuaded by reading my blog, give acupuncture a try!  It is a very effective treatment for many medical issues, and especially for chronic pain.  Find a good medical acupuncture doctor.  My wife's coworker recommended Dr. Williams based on her own successful treatment.

The extreme acupuncture I am writing about is for treatment of ALS.  I did some research online about acupuncture and ALS, and nobody reported any ill effects from their acupuncture treatment.  However, only a few PALS felt that it really helped them with their ALS condition. 

I asked my doctor about a medical article regarding acupuncture coupled with injection therapy at the acupuncture sites with a homeopathic substance called Enercel.  Dr. Williams checked them out and indicated she didn't think it was worth trying. 

She did some research on Chinese treatments for ALS by contacting one of her grandfather's acupuncture students in China (now in his 80's), who provided her with a medical treatment article involving a small number of Chinese patients treated with extreme acupuncture over a several month period combined with Chinese herbs.  Most people in the Chinese study were treated on a daily basis, whereas I am being treated three times a week following a similar regimen.  According to the article, more than half of the treated PALS reported improvements in their condition, with several reportedly being completely cured.

I apologize if I confused the issue about normal acupuncture and my extreme acupuncture.  They are entirely different.  If you have considered trying acupuncture for a health condition, I strongly recommend that you try it!

Thanks for reading!