Ms. Marie---your account of the accupuncture experience is so similar to others I have heard--wherein people express amazement at how WELL it seems to work. Even if there is a "placebo effect" there, hey, if you feel better, who cares???????

I don't know what my resistance to trying it is...I'm so steeped in tradition, I guess, and always feel uncomfortable going outside of conventional medicine. But I'm thinking I'll try the accupuncture.

I've got both anterior and posterior pain--the front part of my shoulders and chest area, the sides of my neck (where the neck joins the shoulder), the back of my neck and my upper back. Plus the TOS-related numbness (which, I believe does involve some circulatory and nerve damage--at least according to my Dr. and the physical therapists).

When I was in physical therapy, they applied a wonderful ultrasonic heat which really helped, plus heat packs. But the thing that helped the most was really gentle massage by the physical therapist. I also did exercises designed to open up and strengthen the thoracic and back areas. Sitting in a apa helps, too, but only paliatively.

Once, on PBS, I saw a documentary of some surgeons in China using nothing but accupuncture do deliver a baby by cesarian section--no anesthesia, medication, or anything except for the accupuncture needles. I was really astounded. So, there HAS to be something to it.

There also must be something to accupressure, b/c someone showed me that trick of squeezing the fleshy part of your palm (between the thumb and fore finger to make a vascular-type headache disappear. I don't get many of those, maybe once every 5 years, but that trick works every time.

Well, if I take the accupuncture plunge, I'll let you know!!

And YEAH!! We deserve to enjoy life!!! <img border="0" alt="[hula]" title="" src="graemlins/hula.gif" />