Acupuncture

Hello.  I’ve been a terrible blogger lately. Instead of going to sleep like I want to do right now, I’m staying up late and blogging to keep you updated. You can thank me later.

About 10 days ago I had acupuncture for my foot problem(s). For those unaware of my feet issues here’s the cliff noted version.  In college I broke (read:shattered) my left foot/ankle with the dance team and it never healed correctly. It causes me a little pain now but really it’s not an issue. However, my last year in Orlando I caused severe damage to my right heel by sitting on it while working 8 hours a day, 5 days a week.  Who knew that could mess up your feet?  Well, it can. And accompanying that damage is an electric like, stabbing pain in your heel all hours of the day more than a year later. It hurts. So don’t sit on your feet, okay?

Now a year later I sit in SoKo realizing that I have to do something to fix my foot because it’s evidently not into the whole self-healing thing.  I figure that a normal doctor is going to tell me to stay off my feet or he is going to do something that will likely cause me more intense stabbing pains.  Pass.  I found this to be a very good excuse to try acupuncture. 

(Please notice that before you hit “read more” there are actual pictures of me having this done.  The pictures are in no way graphic but for those with needle issues *cough*Allison*cough* you might want to think twice before hitting this link.)

My friends Jessica and Lee Ann wanted to try acupuncture as well so the three of us made an appointment for last Friday at the clinic across the street from my apartment. Here’s how it went...

The wall of Medical Degrees.

We met with the doctor who was very nice and spoke excellent English.  He sat with each of us individually to go over our specific concerns.  During this time he carefully placed four fingers on my right wrist and monitored my pulse for about one minute. After monitoring my life problems through my wrist, he asked me what I thought was my largest/most uncomfortable problem. (Neither of the other girls got their question worded quite like that.  Apparently my wrist is a gossiper.)

I told him about my right heel pain, and he told me about my lower back pain and also informed me that I have poor circulation in the lower half of my body.  Interesting. And I agree.

Off we went to the acupuncture room.  I asked him to promise not to put any needles in my head or face.  I don’t think I would have responded well to that.  Unfortunately, Jessica didn’t make the same request so she ended up with one little Alfalfa-like needle dead center.  Out of respect to her I won’t post those pictures but I laughed.  a lot.

First, he tested my legs/feet for nerve damage and since that wasn’t the issue we proceeded with the needles.

I realize these are strange pictures, but really.  You know you were curious to see it. I had four needles in my lower back since those are the vertebra that correspond to the nerves in your feet. They are very little needles and you truly don’t feel them.  It feels like a tiny flicker, nothing more.

The leg was a tiny bit painful.  Completely bearable though.  He also did something where he pricked my foot several times, similar to when you give blood and they prick your finger first. That was pretty intense pain, but at least it was quick.  It was about this time that I realized he had put the needles in the wrong foot.  Whoops. Both feet are busted, though.  It couldn’t hurt, right?

We laid with our needles for about 20 minutes, giggling the entire time, before the nurse came in to remove them.  When we realized that was all there was to it, we realized how amazingly anticlimactic it was.  I thought there would be more to it than that. Hmph.

I was told I need to go back 10-15 times to get my foot fixed.  I haven’t been back yet but I plan to.  I have a whole agenda of stuff to get fixed while I’m here.  God bless Korea and their national healthcare.

And maybe when I leave here my wrist won’t have so much to gossip about.