Acupuncture Appointment

I was feeling kinda bad today during dialysis. The numbness in my feet seem a bit worse than usual so I decided to call the first acupuncturist on my list. It was a place called Evolve Integrated Health. The owner is a chiropractor but has two acupuncturists at the office as well. They have a perfect Yelp and Google review record, and their website was pretty conservative about the benefits of acupuncture. I called during the dialysis session and was able to get an appointment for this afternoon.

After filling out paperwork and paying the $40 co-pay, the receptionist led me to a small room with a massage table. After about five minutes, the acupuncturist came in and asked me a bunch of health questions. I explained that even though I have a huge list of medical issues, my primary concern for acupuncture was the diabetic peripheral neuropathy. She then told me to take off my shoes and lie down face up. While we were still chatting, she stuck a bunch of needles in my lower leg, hands, and head. I barely noticed each needle; there was a tiny prick then I couldn’t feel them at all. She then let me rest for 25 minutes. I think I will need to use a reclining chair; lying down on the massage table was a bit hard on my chest and I got a small headache at the end. I didn’t feel that much different but it was only one session. I’m willing to go for awhile to see if there is any effect. She did say that for neuropathy, muscle pain, and migraines, there was research on the benefits of acupuncture. For other ailments, no so much.

This is my acupuncturist. She went to UCI for undergrad the received a Masters degree and Doctorate degree in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. I have no idea if the Oriental Medicine schools are any good but at least she has lots of education and is licensed!