I wrote yesterday about acupuncture. I thought I would follow that post up with a little personal experience.
As I said in the previous post, I’ve had many acupuncture treatments. Well, one of them brings to mind a funny acupuncture commercial. You might have seen it. The one were the guy gets a 100+ needles then the fire alarm goes off and the place is burning up. Well, I’ve had one of those treatments. No, the fire alarm didn’t go off and I didn’t have to jump out of the building but I wish I had never gone.
While I was attending Bastyr University back in the late 90s I seen a lot of practitioners of different modalities. I had treatments from naturopaths, acupuncturist, herbalist, all kinds of massage, and other “strange” therapies. I guess that’s what you do when you attend Bastyr. Good thing I got smart and got the heck out of there.
Anyways, I had severe fatigue when I was there and I was trying anything and everything to get better. Well, I checked out this naturopath/acupuncturist that did everything under the sun. He had a good speal but I don’t think he was smart enough to realize there are just certain things you don’t try with someone studying that type of medicine.
I went to him because a fellow student recommended him. That should have been the first clue not to go. Anyways, this guy talks to me for a few minutes and really has no clue what’s wrong with me, but he brings out $200 worth of supplements and other detox crap and wants me to start taking it. I’m thinking, doesn’t this guy know I can buy all of this direct from the companies for ½ the cost and doesn’t he know I’ve tried a lot of this junk, and why should I take this stuff if you can’t even give me a clue as to what’s wrong. Well, I tell him no. I don’t think so.
Then he goes on about how acupuncture would re-correct my energy flow. . . yada, yada. . .
Well, I’m paying for the visit, I think, so I might as well get something out of it. He tells me that he has this great treatment to correct my “energy flow.” He proceeds to stick 50+ needles into the front of me. Head to toe while I’m on my back. Oh, and he didn’t use good needles. No, this guy was old school. He liked to re-use his needles. I think they were autoclaved, but I don’t really know. What I do know is they were dull and hurt like hell going in. Every last one of them.
He leaves me like a porcupine for about 15 minutes. Comes in and pulls those rusty ass needles and does another 50+ needles in my back. Man I wanted to bolt out of that place. But no, I had to go through it to see if it was total BS or not.
Another 15 minutes and he pulls the second round of needles. I’m thinking, please no more. . . please. Well, he goes and gets a shot. I think it was some vitamin concoction. I don’t remember. It’s all foggy now. One of those memories you just want to forget.
Well, right in the bumm it goes. Damn, I really didn’t need that as a finish. Finally, I was done. Thank God!
So, what do you think happened from all this? Miracles? A new enlightenment? Anything? Well, actually to be honest. Absolutely nothing happened. The only thing I felt was sore from all the needles. No change in anything whatsoever.
Moral of the story
If a “health care” practitioner starts a treatment off by suggesting you take a butt load of supplements and can’t give you a clear diagnosis, run! Don’t walk, don’t talk. Get up and leave. Secondly, if they are an acupuncturist and are not using brand new unopened needles, say thanks but I would rather just use some nails from the hardware store. Finally, if they use anything over 20 needles never go back! That should only be a rare case that needs that many needles and only in a very specific type of treatment.
This was one of those treatments I’ve had that did nothing however, I have had acupuncture treatments that have done more than anything else I’ve tried. Those treatments have usually only had few needles 
[...] On a similar note, here is some advice on finding a responsible acupuncturist http://whateveryoneneedstoknow.wordpress.com/2008/05/14/how-many-needles-does-it-take/trackback/ [...]
I am linking to your story in a post discussing some traits a responsible, evidence-based chiropractor should possess. http://rochesterchiro.wordpress.com/2008/05/13/what-should-we-dowhat-should-we-do/
People should always know when to run, not walk away, from an irresponsible healthcare provider, whether that is an acupuncturist, chiropractor, dentist or MD.
Thanks for the link and comment.
I wish I had run that time. . . sometimes you just have to experience it.
thx
I stumbled across your website and felt it was my duty as a concerned citizen of this world to leave a comment.
I don’t even know where to begin. I couldn’t even finish reading this article due to the abundance of false information. I really think that articles like these are the reason why the internet is a dangerous place to get important medical information.
As for unqualified practitioner’s, they lurk in every profession. There are many in the different Holistic health fields. There are also many working as medical doctors.
I could not believe what you said about the unimportance of diet changes. That is a “load of Carp”. I won’t even try to convince you further. My advice is to follow your own path, eat bacon double cheeseburgers, exercise, and get a good dose of penicillin every time something ales you(which sounds like it will quite often) and e-mail me in 20 years and let me know how you are doing.
P.S. If you think I’m crazy, post my comment for all to see and add your rebuttal. One more thing, please start backing up your claims with evidence so that people can make informed decisions for themselves.
Cheers,
Dave
Dave,
Sorry it took so long for me to reply to your comment. I really did want to take the time and give you a good reply back but I’ve been very busy and just haven’t really written much of anything for a while now and sorry but this is NOT a good reply but I figured better reply than never.
Let me address the “load of crap.” I’m not sure if you are quoting me or stating that my info on diet change is a load of crap. The only place I use the phrase “load of crap” is in discussing Bastyr university calling themselves the Harvard of naturopathic medicine. So, please don’t take me out of context.
Now, just a brief comment about your views. They are just that, your views. Your beliefs. The fact that you believe they are correct only shows your limited understanding. You are obviously a believer in “correct diet.” While I have proven to myself that I can eat anything and improve my health simply through keeping my mind focused on the correct “ideals.” Yes, I’ve eaten nothing but pizza and root beer floats for weeks on end and cleared up health problems. Hmmmm….. how can that be?
And the fact that you find this site dangerous is a good thing to me. It tells me that I’m shocking your belief system and the fact that you can be so shocked by such information shows how entrenched you are in your beliefs and just how desperately you need to be shocked out of them and possibly start doing research to disprove your beliefs instead of only looking at info that affirms them.
Now here is my offer to you. . . if you ever read this.
If you can tell me how and why the placebo works and prove your assertions and then prove that diet has more of an influence on health and happiness than the mind then I will sing your praises and write the glories of strict ridiculous dieting. Sound fair?
The reality, a simple sugar pill can and has cured every disease known to man. If we are so ignorant as not to ask why and how can that happen then we deserve to suffer under idiotic beliefs such as many of the diet guidelines put forth by naturopaths and hygienists.
Accept nothing and question everything and only believe what you have thoroughly tested yourself and proved to be beyond belief. That is, you have actually put forth every effort to disprove it and only that which you cannot disprove do you accept as a possible truth.