Re: Has anyone tried acupuncture!
From: Sally Grigg (LostCst@mcn.org)
Sun Apr 27 14:35:52 2003
Dear Jaynie, Hi, yes I have tried acupuncture. I loved going and it
helped
me to relax but it did not take away the adhesion pain. Usually by the
time
I was home, I felt worse than before because the acupuncturist was 45
minutes
away. As far as "plain English" think of adhesions as sticky rubber
bands. At
first they are soft and pliable. They grow and surround organs or
attach to
various available surfaces such as your abdominal wall, your intestines
or your
omentum (the layer of fat "hanging down" in front of you abdominal wall.
We all
have an omentum, no one else but adhesion sufferers talks about it so
much though. They then harden and squeeze down on whatever they are
surrounding or are attached to - very painful as you know. If you have
not yet done so, please find the Adhesions Quilt here on the Board and
read some of our stories. Then research back emails. I know it sounds
arduous and when you are in agony you don't want to sit, etc. But there
is so much information here and you need to research and learn.
Adhesions do not go away by themselves (or least I've never heard of
that). The only statistically high rates of successful adhesions
laproscopic surgery (through little holes instead of a big open hole -
laporotomy) is being done with Dr. Kruschinski in Germany. I would
love to take a survey with all the famous adhesions doctors (there are
really only five or six world wide) and see exaactly what the success
rates are. If you have an operation with someone who is not an expert
in adhesions, you run a really high risk of unintended damage.
Unfortunately, there are few choices. Many have tried massage,
acupunture, oils, Chinese herbs, electric currents, etc. I even got
desparate and used my cattle prod. DON'T DO THIS. It was ineffectual,
but did no harm. I was trying to re-route my electrical circuits
myself. LOL Nothing really works except the new Spraygel barrier. Good
luck and stay in touch. I agree that a life filled with agony and pain
pills is no life. But now we have hope. With kindest regards, Sally
Grigg