A Kid's View of Acupuncture - What to Expect
When you see someone getting acupuncture, you might think, "How do needles poked into your body help you?" From my perspective, a child of an acupuncturist, I know these needles help. I have probably had 100 treatments myself and have experienced its success. It is a very complex medical treatment even though it looks simple. If you are a child, you might think that it will hurt. As a child, I can tell you it doesn't hurt at all. It feels like a little poke if you feel anything at all. Acupuncture treatments require a quiet, peaceful room and calm nerves. If you are frightened by the needles, it will make your experience worse because you will tense up and freak out. You have to be relaxed and be willing to do it.
Acupuncture is a good way to relax and at the same time, be healed. If you go for some treatment, you will probably have the following experience. First, you enter a quiet, peaceful room. Next, the doctor comes in and tells you to lie on the acupuncture table which is padded. Then, he rubs an ointment on the spots where he will input the needles. The spots picked are specific to your treatment and the location of your injury. For example, if your leg hurts, you won't necessarily get a needle in your leg. You might get it in your arm. The reason why will take years of training to understand.
The doctor will probably talk to you while he is doing this and tell you exactly what he are doing. He will then tell you to take a deep breath when he sticks the needles in. After all the needles are in, he will leave the room so you can relax for about 20 minutes. My best advice during this time is to think of something else, daydream, or better, fall asleep. If you move, it might hurt. If you run into an emergency situation, which is unlikely, such as a needle coming out, you can pull a cord next to the table and the doctor will come in as fast as he or she can.
After 20 minutes or so, the doctor comes back in and pulls out the needles. He will ask you how you feel and then tell you what to do next. You will most likely receive some herbs to drink when at home. They might look disgusting because they contain leaves, roots and twigs, but it is part of the healing process. They are bitter but when you drink it all in one gulp, you can stand the taste. Don't take your time. Drink it fast. Also, don't try to make it taste sweeter by putting sugar in it. Take my advice; it tastes worse.
Now the experience is over and you will probably want to come back for any medical issue. Remember to relax, have an open mind and come back again.
If my ancestors and grandpa didn't teach Chinese medicine, I would not be able to enjoy this excellent healing experience nor share my experience with you. I'd like to thank them for being a great role model to my dad, and in turn, allowing me to get acupuncture and possibly one day be an acupuncturist too.