I'm new to the forum. My incident was in Aug 08 so I'm still shy of the 1 year mark. I have an incomplete T12 injury. I was convinced by my grandmother to try acupunture and have found that it does . . . something. I have new pains since I started. It seems as though everything new shows up as pain. Up until I began the acupunture a month ago (weekly treatments), I had no real pain in my thighs, just the normal tickly/buzzing feeling, and I had no feeling at all in my right foot. Since then, I have had a pain in my knee that feels like a huge build up of energy (for lack of better description) that will occasionally shoot straight up to my hip on the topside of my thighs and is excrutiating. Also, I feel the nerve feelings awakening in my right foot and can feel my toes wiggle now too. Has anyone else attempted this and if so, what kind of results have you had? I am curious because after each treatment I have about 24-36 hours of intense, non-stop pain. Is it just another spin on "nothing comes for free" or should I be concerned?

Thank you!

emarie,
First, let me welcome you to Sargent Simons Secret Society of Splendid Paralyzed Folks. Sorry, ran out of words with esses.
Anyway, you have less than a year seated. With or without the acupuncture, sensation and motor function will continue to return for a while. I have about two years and still find sensation returning here and there. Hard to say just what the treatments are doing for you at this point. But if there's a chance they are causing you a lot of pain, you might want to stop them.

Why are you taking the treatments in the first place? Is there any documented evidence of improvement in SCI's as a result of having had acupuncture?
More motor, sensation? If it's for pain, well, it sounds rather counter-productive to me, considering you're in more pain after the treatments than before.

Keep this in mind. No matter how similar two peoples injuries may be, how they effect each person can and will be very different.
Hopefully someone here can be of more help than me.

E-dog

I've done Accupuncture before and after SCI. I had great success pre-injury, Post-injury, all it has done is lightened my wallet. Accupuncture is the balance of CHI in the body's Central Nervous system. Once the main root of the CNS is disturbed (Spinal Chord) , I would think, It would be difficult to effect it with any consistency.

My $.02.

Hurb

Thank you for answering . . . sorry I'm so delaying in my response, it's been a busy week.

Why are you taking the treatments in the first place? Is there any documented evidence of improvement in SCI's as a result of having had acupuncture?

I am taking the treatments because 1) I am willing to try anything that might help my recovery and 2) after talking to my acupuncturist and doing some basic research I found that there are indeed studies that show postive effects of acupunture after spinal cord injury. One of those things was increased bladder and bowel function - which is one of the more embarrassing, frustrating, and overall crappy parts of the injury as you probably know. Granted, a lot of the research is done is China or thereabouts but then I suppose that's not surprising given the history of acupuncture.

More motor, sensation? If it's for pain, well, it sounds rather counter-productive to me, considering you're in more pain after the treatments than before.

I know there is very little that can be done for pain short of learning to cope. I have medications of course (baclofen, lyrica, and cymbalta in the pm) but I find them to only be moderately effective. I have had better luck losing myself in a book or work. Anyhow, to answer your question I have found that after the pain subsides that I have more sensation than I have had previously. I have had 5 treatments now and since have felt heat under my feet where before there was nothing, I have had new senations in my thighs where before there was nothing. My walking has also improved greatly since I started. The downfall is those 24 or so hours right after the treatment where it feels like my nerves are just going crazy and my skin is hyper-sensitive (which is bad with my young children).

Keep this in mind. No matter how similar two peoples injuries may be, how they effect each person can and will be very different.
Hopefully someone here can be of more help than me.

I have the opportunity to work with a chronic pain management counselor and if I continue to do the acupunture then this might help deal with the pain increase. I just suppose I'm going through the prerequisite "I want my life back" stage of this and am impatient with it . . . It had to happen sometime.

Again, thank you for responding.

E-dog
[/quote]

QUOTE (hurbshankin @ May 23 2009, 03:53 PM)

I've done Accupuncture before and after SCI. I had great success pre-injury, Post-injury, all it has done is lightened my wallet. Accupuncture is the balance of CHI in the body's Central Nervous system. Once the main root of the CNS is disturbed (Spinal Chord) , I would think, It would be difficult to effect it with any consistency.

My $.02.

Hurb

Thank you for responding. I suppose you are right. I did not try it before my injury so I have nothing to compare to.

I am finding it very difficult to accept some of the changes in my life. It has effected so many things. From the simple - showering - to the already difficult - raising my children. I am desperate for something to work for me. However, there have been changes when the only difference I have made in my life is the acupunture. Even more difficult than accepting the changes, is the lack of treatment. The doctor's can't explain everything I feel nor do they truly understand what I am trying to explain when new things occur. They sympathize but that's as far as it goes. I'm tired of feeling like there are no answers to my questions. I feel as though I have learned more about my injury by purusing this website than I have anywhere else. Thanks for your thoughts.

I can appreciate your last few comments. It can be very frustrating. I found most of my conversations with others who were not injured left me with this perplexed "don't you get it??" feeling. The doctors I looked to for answers were often vague in their responses and outlooks. I think I now understand that there is simply no predicting how injuries will heal. It's hard to be angry with those who have the best of intentions but can't seem to make the connections. I think spinal cord injuries are very personalized experiences both internally and externally based on one's set of circumstances. I am not in a chair, but suffer the daily symptoms of spasms and pain and limited strength/movement in various parts of my body. Most people either think I'm totally fine or have simply moved on, which leaves dealing with the day-to-day a bit lonely. I suppose my point is that I, and I am sure others, have experienced similar frustrations to what you are describing. I still have changes in my condition...new sensations that are at times good, and at others very painful. I think many go through times of just wanting things to stop being so frustrating (and so constantly present). I think the goal is somehow owning the fact that things have changed and rising above it in whatever way works for you as an individual. Perhaps that's working for a cure, or teaching your kids the lessons you will learn along the way...but I'm new to this as well, so I may be talking out of my rear end here.

Anyway, I hope that you find your peace in all of this. It is, I'm finding, a process. In the very brief time I have belonged to this community, I have found it provides comfort in not feeling alone when everyone around me can't seem to understand. Good luck to you.

Hi there,

I'm a T12 incomplete as well and it occur in Oct 08. I have try acupunture and found it help my blood flow ease up from my thighs and lessen my buzz feeling to my toe. It also help with me sleeping. I actually feel pretty good after a session but I'm not sure if it's mentally. I still have those occasional shoot straight up feeling from my thigh to my feet. I'm not sure if it would help with everything but it's worth the try, however it's can get expensive over time.

Sorry, hon,,, there are NO clinical studies showing any benefit from acupuncture. The best you can get are word of mouth,,, no statistics, no control groups, no oversite. In short,, if it makes you feel good to believe it,, by all means, do so.

Try stopping the sessions and using the money for a gym membership,, there are clinical studies available showing the benefits of physical therapy. Stop looking for short cuts,, be happy you are an incomplete and are getting any gains at all.

And,, if it hurts,, stop doing it.
ed

during acupuncture my pain went away, it wa great. then i got home and my pain came back worse that before.