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acupuncture
So today at 10 (after an excruciatingly bad night), I had my first acupuncture appointment. It was interesting.
The acupuncturist diagnosed a chronic yin-deficiency and suggested some ways to help combat that; she also suggested a herbal supplement that she herself uses (she has restless wrist).* Then I took off my shoes and socks (and brace and compression stocking) and got up on the table for her to put needles in my hands and forearms, my calves, ankles, and feet, my ears, and the crown of my head, so I was a kind of postmodern porcupine or a really minimalist Martyrdom of St. Sebastian. Mostly, although I could feel the needles going in, it wasn't painful--except for a particular spot on both calves that caused stabbing agony when she adjusted the needles. (This seems to be part of the point, however, since those two were the only points at which she stopped and said, "Can you feel this?") After insertion, I couldn't feel most of the needles, except for one in my left forearm and one in my right hand which maintained a low-level dull discomfort. So this is not something I would do for fun, but it wasn't unendurable, either.
Then she turned the overhead light out and left me and the needles to work things out.
People apparently sleep; I did a four-count breathing pattern (in for four, hold for four, out for four, hold for four, which self-modified into just in for four, out for four, after a while) and tried basically not to get in my own way. The worst problem I had was finding a position that would let my arms relax without either (a.) flopping off the table or (b.) bumping the needles. After a while (I have no idea how long), I had to call the acupuncturist for a blanket, as my forearms got chilly. I had a hell of a time getting my voice to work, which is something I've noticed happen coming out of savasana after intense yoga sessions. She draped the blanket very carefully over my porcupined forearms, and then I lay there and counted breaths and tried not to think about my bladder. (Yes, very like trying not to think about a blue-eyed polar bear.)
At the beginning of the session, both legs were relaxed, and my left leg stayed that way, warm and boneless and not causing trouble. But my right leg started twitching. It got to where it was like I could feel the RLS like a fist-sized iron knot in my leg (outer side, front, just above the knee), preventing the leg from relaxing and causing this horrible counter-productive twitching. I was on the verge of giving up in despair and calling the acupuncturist to say this wasn't working when something really interesting happened.
The iron knot dissolved.
My right leg was abruptly a leg again, warm and relaxed like the left leg.
I was still just lying there being astonished when the acupuncturist came in to remove the needles. (Ergo, it took most of the hour for that to happen.) I got up carefully, paid the clinic (because, of course, my health insurance does not cover acupuncture), and walked home. Fed the cats, took the acupuncturist's herbal supplement and the calcium/magnesium/zinc supplement the pharmacist recommended with a Pepper Jack cheese sandwich, and am going to spend the afternoon drinking lots of water and probably typing in my progress on "Clouded Mary" from yesterday. If I'm even that ambitious.
I have no idea if the iron knot will stay dissolved even long enough to get to bedtime tonight. But, even if it doesn't, I felt the RLS retreat.
And that is truly amazing.
---
*Evergreen Herbs Flex SC, if you're curious. Incidentally, Catzilla seems to be fascinated by the bottle.
The acupuncturist diagnosed a chronic yin-deficiency and suggested some ways to help combat that; she also suggested a herbal supplement that she herself uses (she has restless wrist).* Then I took off my shoes and socks (and brace and compression stocking) and got up on the table for her to put needles in my hands and forearms, my calves, ankles, and feet, my ears, and the crown of my head, so I was a kind of postmodern porcupine or a really minimalist Martyrdom of St. Sebastian. Mostly, although I could feel the needles going in, it wasn't painful--except for a particular spot on both calves that caused stabbing agony when she adjusted the needles. (This seems to be part of the point, however, since those two were the only points at which she stopped and said, "Can you feel this?") After insertion, I couldn't feel most of the needles, except for one in my left forearm and one in my right hand which maintained a low-level dull discomfort. So this is not something I would do for fun, but it wasn't unendurable, either.
Then she turned the overhead light out and left me and the needles to work things out.
People apparently sleep; I did a four-count breathing pattern (in for four, hold for four, out for four, hold for four, which self-modified into just in for four, out for four, after a while) and tried basically not to get in my own way. The worst problem I had was finding a position that would let my arms relax without either (a.) flopping off the table or (b.) bumping the needles. After a while (I have no idea how long), I had to call the acupuncturist for a blanket, as my forearms got chilly. I had a hell of a time getting my voice to work, which is something I've noticed happen coming out of savasana after intense yoga sessions. She draped the blanket very carefully over my porcupined forearms, and then I lay there and counted breaths and tried not to think about my bladder. (Yes, very like trying not to think about a blue-eyed polar bear.)
At the beginning of the session, both legs were relaxed, and my left leg stayed that way, warm and boneless and not causing trouble. But my right leg started twitching. It got to where it was like I could feel the RLS like a fist-sized iron knot in my leg (outer side, front, just above the knee), preventing the leg from relaxing and causing this horrible counter-productive twitching. I was on the verge of giving up in despair and calling the acupuncturist to say this wasn't working when something really interesting happened.
The iron knot dissolved.
My right leg was abruptly a leg again, warm and relaxed like the left leg.
I was still just lying there being astonished when the acupuncturist came in to remove the needles. (Ergo, it took most of the hour for that to happen.) I got up carefully, paid the clinic (because, of course, my health insurance does not cover acupuncture), and walked home. Fed the cats, took the acupuncturist's herbal supplement and the calcium/magnesium/zinc supplement the pharmacist recommended with a Pepper Jack cheese sandwich, and am going to spend the afternoon drinking lots of water and probably typing in my progress on "Clouded Mary" from yesterday. If I'm even that ambitious.
I have no idea if the iron knot will stay dissolved even long enough to get to bedtime tonight. But, even if it doesn't, I felt the RLS retreat.
And that is truly amazing.
---
*Evergreen Herbs Flex SC, if you're curious. Incidentally, Catzilla seems to be fascinated by the bottle.
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I hope it works for you. I expect you'll want more than one treatment.
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(I'm still getting a lot of them from the Feldenkrais work I'm doing. Today, we discovered that if you convince my right knee to stop trying to go in odd directions, my entire foot, leg, and hip are much happier. Which I intellectually knew, but now I feel like I know how to maybe keep doing the way that actually works better and stresses less.)
One thing I've found with treatments where the old habit creeps back is that regular treatment = longer respite, and eventually, long enough you can get the new pattern to stay with much less work.
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I was gobsmacked the first time I managed to do a junior-birdman salute, after a couple-three months of omg!painful but effective massage therapy. What's even more gobsmacking is that over half a decade later I can STILL do one.
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I'm glad to hear it's working out for you, and I hope if helps to fix things. :)
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I'd go for three weeks and see how it is. By then you might have learned to do it yourself.
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(Anonymous) 2010-11-12 06:52 pm (UTC)(link)Thanks. I saw that and almost spit my lunch all over my computer.
Melanie
Albuquerque
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(Anonymous) 2010-11-14 03:12 pm (UTC)(link)