Today I saw a new doctor, a Chinese acupuncturist. He was a very small guy and really enjoyed laughing. He had pictures hanging up on the wall of famous athletes he has seen.
He proceeded by first having me fill out a few forms of background information and then we discussed my history. Next, he had me lay down and he performed some spinal manipulation. Then, he proceeded to insert needles into my head and neck. He put less than I was expecting, only about 4 on each side and he also put one in each of my feet. After, he put a heat lamp over my head, turned on some soothing music, told me to relax, and turned off the lights and left the room.
Let me tell you, the needles did hurt, especially the ones in my forehead. The others though I couldn’t feel that much. It felt as if blood and nerves were moving around and primarily in my head but also throughout my body. About 20 or 30 minutes or so later, the doctor came back into the room and removed the needles. It felt a bit painful after he removed the needles, but then the pain subsided after a few minutes.
He also gave me 2 different Chinese herbs to take: one to help promote circulation in my body and another to help prevent me from sweating so much. He told me that typically headache patients he sees have 5-6 visits and wants to see me tomorrow. He also said that 95% of patients have relief.
I agreed to see him again tomorrow and take his Chinese herbs, but I am doubtful that it will help me find relief. Perhaps I will be proven wrong. He charged a lot more than I anticipated.