ACUPUNCTURE ~ Our Webmistress's Success Story

ALTERNATIVE HEALING FOR THE SYMPTOMATIC RELIEF OF ARTHRITIS

I am in my 30's and have lived with degenerative arthritis for most of my life. When I was about two years old, I came down with a deadly bacteria known as Hemophilus Influenza which settled in my ankle and destroyed the joint almost immediately and caused what is referred to as septic arthritis. As all you sufferers know, the pain of arthritis is never ending for the most part and can be extremely frustrating and emotionally and physically draining. I have done the pain meds, the anti-inflammatories, the cortisone injections (only once- that was enough for me!). I had surgery at fifteen to remove bones spurs which kept me relatively pain-free until my mid twenties. At this point, the pain started to increase again, the bit of cartilage I had left was swiftly deteriorating causing the ligaments to pull away and the architecture of my foot to slowly crumble.

I then started investigating new research and studies on the conventional medical front only to come to the maddening conclusion that unless you are in the popular group of sports injury sufferers, progress is slow going...I never once came across any information about ankles -- according to the tons of information out there, ankles are not considered a weight bearing joint...probably because they have no solution....

So, after I got over my anger, I realized it was up to me to deal with this problem of mine on my own and find answers within myself and the world of alternative healing. While I can't deny that many people have positive experiences with surgery and conventional medications with few side effects, I personally have no desire to poison my body with conventional medicines -- the use of anti-imflammatories can eventually destroy internal organs and narcotics do the same plus they dull the senses. Furthermore, my only other option is surgery -- a fusion as they call it which I consider an archaic and outdated method (developed in the 30's for victims of polio so they could walk on their own again) and one that angers me in light of all the progress the medical community has made in other areas of medicine.

Let me point out that my form of osteoarthritis is mostly a mechanical problem do to the destruction of the joint itself. It is not a pure inflammatory reaction. I have not found the usual course of conventional treatment helpful to me nor does it resonate with my feelings on treating the problem. Those who suffer from rheumatoid and other forms of arthritis may find conventional treatment very helpful and I think that's great and I urge them to continue. My feeling is that unless a new solution is presented to me that I can accept, I am quite happy to investigate and experience the nurturing world of alternative medicine. Though I have in no way exhausted my search for relief or any kind of turnaround in my prognosis, I wanted to share my experiences with you thus far in hopes that if you are enduring chronic pain, you may find these modalities helpful as well. They can be used alone or in combination with conventional treatment.

VISUALIZATION: This was the first alternative technique I tried when I was at my pain threshold back in 1993. I found it very effective though one really has to put in alot work and concentrate to make it happen in my opinion. There are some good books out there for learning visualization. One among them is Shakti Gawain's book "Creative Visualization". Below is the visualization I was given and found particularly effective for my situation. I bet it can be adapted for personal use.

¥ Find an anatomy book, like "Gray's Anatomy" and locate a picture of the skeletal and muscular structure of the ankle(a picture of your afflicted area).

¥ Upon waking, before sleeping, any old time, I would study this picture for a few minutes, absorbing it to create a mental image that I could retain in my mind. This is a matter of determination...it is easy for stray thoughts to come in and break the concentration. Try and be patient as it takes some time to train the mind in this way.

¥ Add an image that invokes comfort and healing. I would imagine a little white pillow nestled between the bones where the cartilage should have been.

¥ Along with this, I tried to imagine white light moving through my joint, cleansing the debris and pain away. I found visualization very effective though I gave it up for awhile and found it more difficult to get back into....soon I will try it out again!

ACUPUNCTURE: This is the ticket in my opinion. I find acupuncture to be extremely beneficial for pain management. Besides helping with pain and inflammation, the emotional stress can also be eased dramatically with a few needles inserted on the crown of the head. It also seems that it can block the connection between mind and pain. Besides acupuncture, treatment can also include Oriental herbs and moxa which is a fat, incense-looking stick containing the herb mugwort which is burned over the area of pain.
In 1997 I went for the first series of treatments once a week for five weeks. (I determined this time frame for myself). I was relatively and quite happily pain-free for a year and a half! I felt the problem aggravated again in 1999 and went back for a longer period of time and after stopping again, I have been pain free for nearly six months now. One thing I did notice, and maybe it's just me, but I found the pain in my ankle to be aggravated by acupuncture at times but thought it might be do to a healing crisis(i.e. the pain gets worse before it gets better as you are actually going through your illness in a reversed time line sort of way). I felt inside that I should stick with it and I am glad I did.

REIKI: Reiki is an ancient form of energy healing. For those who don't understand how it can possibly work, let me relate this story to you. At a time of great distress from the pain, I had three massage therapist friends offering me some Reiki (massage therapists are such lovely people!). Of course, I was willing and what I experienced through this loving energy was quite extraordinary.
I could feel the energy in my foot wanting to give itself over to these therapists. It is intriguing to me that each of these three very different women all felt the same sort of energy in my ankle...a stuck and dense energy wanting to move and that is what they tried to do...move the energy around to unblock and release it. Though my experience with Reiki is more limited than I would like, it is definitely a modality I want to pursue. It is non-invasive yet very powerful.

MASSAGE: Massage/medical massage is also very worthwhile. For me though, since my foot has almost no range of motion, it is not easy for a therapist to work on it without distress most of the time. It is great for arthritis, just not for me in terms of my problems. I did find it very fantastic for the strained and weary muscles in my legs and hips. Overall, a nice therapeutic massage is very relaxing -- removing stress and increasing one's sense of well-being and balance. Definitely recommended!

GLUCOSAMINE IN CONJUNCTION WITH CHONDROITIN SULFATE: This is a dietary supplement that has shown to be effective in decreasing pain and increasing range of motion in many people with osteoarthritis. Glucosamine is found in the joints of our bodies and it has been touted to stimulate joint repair through the essential formation of cartilage. It is also said to have a beneficial effect on inflammation. Chondroitin sulfate is found in cartilage and supposedly maintains the level of sinovial fluid found in joints. It stimulates cartilage repair mechanisms and inhibits the break down of cartilage.
I've tried it and didn't feel a difference. That could be for many reasons -- I didn't take it for at least three months which I've heard from many sources to be the minimum amount of time necessary to see an improvement. During this time I was also trying many different approaches pretty much all at once (I do not recommend this) making it difficult to distinguish what was doing what.

There are also many herbs out there said to be beneficial in the treatment of arthritis. Please don't self -medicate with herbs -- some can be very dangerous. Consult with an experienced herbalist if you are interested in pursuing this route.

Regretfully, I can't tell you much about it, but nutrition has a big effect on the symptoms of arthritis. Definitely worth some exploration.

This is the extent of my research and experience thus far though the journey always continues. What I've learned most is there is a whole lot to be said for the concept of "mind over matter". I hope at least some of you out there find this helpful. Anyone wanting to share their experiences and knowledge on arthritis or any other health issue, please leave a message in the guestbook or email us and we will post it. Thanks!

!!! This does not constitute medical advice. ALWAYS consult your physician or health care practitioner !!!

BOOKS FOR VISUALIZATION:
¥ Gray's Anatomy Descriptive and Surgical by Henry Gray

¥ Creative Visualization by Shakti Gawain