First ever trip to an acupuncturist
Today I went to see an acupuncture specialist for the first time ever - for the back pain and Endometriosis. Both my pain management doctor and my Endometriosis surgeon have been encouraging me to see an acupuncturist.
When I got there, I described my neck and shoulder pain to Dr. Yan, and told him how the Endometriosis pain also serves to lock up my lower back once a month. I told him it’s not uncommon for my entire back to go out when I’m having the Endo pain. I told him about my car accident. I told him that my back had just gone out last week and was still not 100%.
He then had me lay on my right side. I told him it hurt to lay on the right side because my shoulders are still messed up. I tried tucking my right arm behind my back instead of in front as I lay on my side, to ease the pain, and BLAMMO, the right shoulder went out - radiating pain down to my right elbow.
The needles were removed and Dr. Yan sat me in a chair, instead. My left shoulder, the original source of pain and suffering last week, was feeling much better. My cervical spine was feeling better. But I couldn’t shake the stabby pain going down my right arm to my elbow.
I started to feel that my body was going a bit sideways, even though I was sitting upright, so the doctor called the session done for today. I knew going into this that I could pass out or that I could become sleepy, so I wasn’t alarmed. I’d walked to the appointment so there was no danger of me on the road after the appointment. It’s only a half a mile from my home.
The thing is, as I walked home, my shoulders and upper back began to feel puffed, like the muscles were swelling. Blah. I got home and was in a lot of pain, with the pain radiating down my arm still.
So I took a muscle relaxer. I even used a heating pad on my shoulders about an hour after I got home. I even laid down for awhile. I’m still in pain.
I’m sad that I threw my back again AT the acupuncturist’s office. I see him again on Friday, and I’ll only sit in the chair next time instead of laying on the table. Too bad he doesn’t have a thing like massage therapists have on their tables - a place for the head to lay through an open ring, so the back and neck are all flat - then I could lay on my stomach. Ah well.