chofvander Posted April 14, 2008 Share Posted April 14, 2008 Has anybody had any experiece with Acupuncture? Does it work? Does it work with aphasia? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdewald Posted April 14, 2008 Share Posted April 14, 2008 Hello and greetings.. I just did this May's article on acupuncture and stroke survivors. I think it would be to your advantage to read next month's newsletter. In short, acupuncture seems to be an adjunct therepy and may prove to be beneficial in many areas to stroke survivors. I shall leave this for others to comment as you might get someone who has had the treatments for asphasia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lliu Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 i have been receiving acupuncture once or twice weekly since my stroke in november 2006. stroke affected my left side. i regained all facial muscles, sensation, and some leg muscle strength. i believe because of the area of where the needles were inserted, acupuncture aided me with reasoning and cognitive skills. acupuncture is most beneficial for treatment with pain. as for aphasia, there is info about scalp acupuncture at this site: http://www.itmonline.org/arts/newscalp.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phoenix Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 Pretty interesting read there Louise..thanks for the info! :bouncing_off_wall: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2ndChance Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 I had accupuncture for years. Felt great, but made no change in my condition. And drained my wallet! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lliu Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 some of my treatments have been covered by insurance. it depends on the code that's used on the form submitted to the insuance company. to begin with, health insurance companies are flaky and inconsistant with their decision making so i don't bother to figure it out. :hmm: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chofvander Posted April 15, 2008 Author Share Posted April 15, 2008 I tried it last night. It seems to improved my walking, my arm strength, and strangely enough my voice has gotten deeper, after one treatment. It may be the placebo effect but I will take it. I am going back for another treatment next week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lwisman Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 Chuck, I ditto what Chris says above. There is a long article coming in the next newsletter. Chris has included explanation both from online research and from contact with an Acupuncturist in his area. I sent out a mass email to readers and got back more responses than I have ever received on anything in The Stroke Network. I have included selected comments. There are too many to publish all of them. The bottomline is that the experiences were mixed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lliu Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 chuck, great news that you noticed improvement after one treatment! did you notice if the acupuncturist manipulated each needle after it was inserted to help stimulate muscles? let us know how things progress. good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TOM HOLUB Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 Several years ago I had acupuncture for 90 days during one summerthree years ago. I was in Canada, where we have a summer home, and my acupuncture thertapist was a Chinese doctor who I heard about over the Web. I had an ischemic stroke thatr paralyzed my left side at age 56. I'm 62 now. My granddaughter came with us for the session and counted the number of needles she used. The doctor would start with three or four needles in my head and then move to my lefty shoulder and hand. She'd put about ten needles in my hand which would gracefully open. But i couldn't replicate the motion myself. Then she'd move to my left hip and move down my leg to my toes. My foot would dorsiflex, which it hadn't done since before the stroke. At any rate my granddaughter counted 60 needles in my left side and head. Most of them didn't hurt but sometimes she'd hit a nerve that went all the way down my arm or leg. The "tone" on my left side seemed somewhat better as a result of the treatments, but I found the process an interesting socialogical study. The doctor left China so she could have a second child. All her family members were doctors and the family owned a Chinese medicine factory. She also had a medical degree in obstetrics from a US university. her husand was head of the marketing department at the University of Buffalo. She had her second child, a son, in th US. In retrospect I was glad I took the treatments, and was happy when they were over. It was just one stop on my Quixotic quest for the "miracle cure." I cazme back to Raleigh, NC, in the fall and visited a local acupuncturist a few times, but , on balance, I've decided topursue other avenues in my quest. Hope this helps. Tom holub Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azrabbit Posted April 22, 2008 Share Posted April 22, 2008 My hubby had acupuncture treatment along with chineese herbs. He always said it helped - especially with the tone in his arm and the pain in his back from the irregular gait. He had semi permanent staples in his eats and felt they really helped. I think it helped somewhat with the aphasia, but since he was trying so many other things at the time, I can't be sure. I think as an adjunct therapy to his other therapy, it was very beneficial. He also reacted well to massage, especially hot stone massage. He also uses an herbal supplement that our herbalist gets for him - it is only available in Germany. When she travels there, she brings back a supply for him. I think it really helps with his cognition. BUT, the best therapy so far has been gettin him back riding his bike every day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phoenix Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 That is great to hear...I also want to look in acupunture sometime very soon. Many in my family believe in Chinese Herbs and it really seems to work for them as well as acupunture. Glad to hear hubby gets therapy with his bike :bicycle: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lliu Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 shirley, very cool that you may try acupuncture! i always feel great after each treatment. when my acupuncturist greets me in the waiting room of the doctor's office, she always tosses a pin cushion in my lap as a signal telling me to go to the exam room! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie Craig Posted April 25, 2008 Share Posted April 25, 2008 I had 15 sessions of acupuncture with the nicest little Korean man. He put 30+ needles in...feet, hands legs, arms, head lip, face...some did NOT hurt(actually most), some hurt a lot! I was 6 months after stroke that hit my full left side. Before acupuncture - No arm movemewnt...hanging left arm, had to pull in bed everywhere and watch out or my left arm, after ACP I cou "bring it with me, now can lift elbow even with shoulder.....I think it helped some, but I maxed out on the discomfort...ya, what a wimp...maybe I will go back... He Was positive he could help me. He went to a conference while treating me and conf. ACP DR. agreed that they can help us????My insurance paid the bill...rsvp anybody else? :happydance: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie Craig Posted April 25, 2008 Share Posted April 25, 2008 My ACP Dr. wanted me to take herbs, but they made my blood pressure go up? Any alternatives? :Clap-Hands: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phoenix Posted April 25, 2008 Share Posted April 25, 2008 glad it made you feel great Louise .Now I really want to try but I must admit..I am plenty chicken of the needles..lol! :laughbounce: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mchivu Posted May 7, 2008 Share Posted May 7, 2008 All of this has been very informative - my dad had a stroke which affected his left side and we've been talking about acupuncture as a possible therapy. Does anyone know if there is any risk involved in terms increasing blood flow. His artery on the right side which caused the stroke is 100% clogged and I think I remember a neurologist talking about the risk of it becoming unclogged. I could be remembering this incorrectly but if anyone is familiar with this kind of risk in relation to acupuncture, please let me know your thoughts. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdewald Posted May 7, 2008 Share Posted May 7, 2008 Mchivu Please pull up May's article for the newsletter. You shall find an article about strokes and acupunture. There is a specific answer rendered by a neuro in reference to that..In reference to 100 per cent clogged......I do believe you might have that number incorrect. I mean that indicates no blood flow going through at all.....Now from what I researched, arteriosclerosis or severe arteriosclerosis is not cured by acupunture....Hardening of the arteries means there is no elastic left in the "balloon" and it does not stretch to accomodate additional blood flow.....I have severe arteriosclerosis in "la Cabasa".....Please read the article and ask your neuro....They are there to help you and they get paid. Always check with your physician before any additional procedures. Good Luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lliu Posted May 7, 2008 Share Posted May 7, 2008 mchivu, at the request of my hematologist, i stopped acupuncture while i was on the blood thinner warfarin when i had a blood clot in my left leg. since i no longer need warfarin, i've started my weekly acupuncture treatments. it's best to consult with your dad's doctor to make sure acupuncture is safe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chofvander Posted May 10, 2008 Author Share Posted May 10, 2008 An update. I've had four treatment over four weeks and they are helping with gait, my voice, and my arm. Not so dramatically as the first treatment but I've seen gradual improvement. The most amazing thing my spelling has improved. I used to get help with longer words but since the start of the treatments I can sound out complex words. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hgmenocal Posted May 11, 2008 Share Posted May 11, 2008 I have been having acupuncture treatments for about two years. it has helped with my depression. i was able to decrease my medication by half (with docortors approval). my burning nerve pain is a bit less, but i have found it to help oher pain; back aches, sinuses, etc. Good Luck. Heidi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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