Forget the stocking stuffers: Old St. Nick can bring me a needle. It’s been over a year since I’ve had acupuncture. I can’t help but laugh whenever I think of the ridiculous questions I asked my acupuncturist. Questions from, “What if I faint or go into cardiac arrest on the table?” to “Is there some magic potion in the needle and do you reuse them?”
She assured me to never go to an acupuncturist who reuses needles and that I was in good hands. I was still a little doubtful. I was merely there as a guinea pig for my story. I wanted to write about the history and benefits of acupuncture and my editors at the time suggested, “Val should try it.”
I had to think of some health problems or concerns I wanted the acupuncturist to treat. I asked her to treat my recurring sinus headaches/pressure and back of the neck pain.
When the first needle pierced my skin, it was like an alarm went off in my body. That little needle she placed in my hand unleashed a sensational power throughout my body that awakened my senses. This weird sensation I experienced was known as “chi.” Chi, in Asian tradition, is the life force, which permeates the world. In addition to being in all living beings, chi is a metaphysical construct used for self-healing.
Whatever “chi” was doing, I liked it! After the first needle, I couldn’t feel the other 13 hair-like needles that were sticking out of different parts of me. All I knew is that something was happening in my body. After having acupuncture, I was temporarily relieved (for about two months) of all sinus pressure and neck pain. However, I was informed that my symptoms may return. My acupuncturist said I needed several more treatments to rid my sinus problem. But she mentioned, in some rare cases, one treatment could do the trick. Unfortunately I wasn’t a rare case, but I must say the experience made me a believer. As a holiday treat to myself, I am using the List to find a good acupuncturist to finish what I started.
