Acupuncture ?

[TeeTees]

Has anybody tried any alternative therapies such as Acupuncture, and if so what was the outcome ?

Do you swear by it, or is a load of cobblers ?

Your thoughts on any other alternative therapies are welcome

[Bernard]

Stacy tried QiGong Acupressure once. It didn't help at all with seizure control, but I do think it helped her become a bit more balanced as far as processing anger and emotions.

[brain]

Here's a Factual Dry Humor:

The only Acupuncture I've come close to
being is that they caused me to get flat
tires on my car!



But on the Reality Side:

I've wanted to try it out, but my HMO
declined or rejected it or neurologist's had
scoffed at the idea of it and refused to
issue a referral.

I did discuss it with my Doctors but they
tell me it won't work in my case, and tell
me to save my money.

[TeeTees]

Okay guys....thanks for the answers - I'm kinda clutching at straws at the moment.

Any other 'alternative treatments' you know off with results ?

[brain]

Okay guys....thanks for the answers - I'm kinda clutching at straws at the moment.

Any other 'alternative treatments' you know off with results ?

GO FOR IT! Give it a shot! I've read results
where it's been 50/50. So your chances are
50/50. And it won't hurt to give it a try.

[TeeTees]

GO FOR IT! Give it a shot! I've read results
where it's been 50/50. So your chances are
50/50. And it won't hurt to give it a try.

True....and they do it down my gym, in a clinic at the entrance where they do loads of 'alternative' stuff.

I think I'll give 'em a prod the weekend and find out how much, how often, and any other recommendations that they could be aware of.

I'm just always a li'l weary about doing things 'outside the bubble', if you know what I mean.

[RobinN]

IMO bubbles are meant to be popped.

[TeeTees]

IMO bubbles are meant to be popped.

Not if yer chicken, like me

I do try my best, but when it comes to my health - especially the dreaded E - I try to stay as close to the line as possible, rather than cross it.

[Bernard]

I've tried to list all the alternatives that I could find that had clinical/medical studies showing a modicum of efficacy in the chart linked in my signature.

[Elisa]

I tried it for a while, spent a whole lot of money and didn't really see much of a diffrence. I will say it's very relaxing and I looked forward to going every week.

[brain]

IMO bubbles are meant to be popped.

Not if yer chicken, like me

That's why they invented BUBBLE WRAP!

[Zoe]

True....and they do it down my gym, in a clinic at the entrance where they do loads of 'alternative' stuff.

I think I'll give 'em a prod the weekend and find out how much, how often, and any other recommendations that they could be aware of.

I'm just always a li'l weary about doing things 'outside the bubble', if you know what I mean.

I benefitted a lot from acupuncture, but also had a problem with my startle reaction setting off a panic the first time I got very relaxed. After that it helped me a lot.
Study results are mixed. Like drugs, what works for one, won't necessarily work for all. As with conventional medicine, not everyone with a license to practice is competent. I've had very good practioners and some really lousy ones too for acupuncture.
If you are going to try it, you may want to visit the place first and find out if the practioner has treated anyone with seizure disorders and see if you feel comfortable there. If you try it and don't feel right about it, then don't go back again. The abstract below is for one study, which didn't show a conclusive benefit for this. The link following is to 60+ abstracts on acupuncture for seizures carried in PubMed.


Seizure. 1999 May;8(3):170-4. Links
The effect of acupuncture in chronic intractable epilepsy.Kloster R, Larsson PG, Lossius R, Nakken KO, Dahl R, Xiu-Ling X, Wen-Xin Z, Kinge E, Edna Røssberg .
The National Center for Epilepsy, Sandvika, N-1301, Norway.

We examined the effect of acupuncture on epileptic seizures in humans in a controlled clinical setting. Treatment was administered by two Chinese professors of acupuncture. Effect was measured by change in seizure frequency. Twenty-nine patients with chronic intractable epilepsy completed the study. They were randomized in two groups; 15 were given classical acupuncture and 14 were given sham acupuncture. There was a reduction in seizure frequency in both groups, which did not reach a level of statistical significance. There was also an increase in the number of seizure-free weeks in both groups, which reached a level of significance in the sham group. Thus, we have not been able to prove a beneficial effect of acupuncture in chronic intractable epilepsy. Copyright 1999 BEA Trading Ltd.

PMID: 10356376 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/en...indexed=google

[vtsammy]

Hey Elisa..Why did you have your VNS removed after you had the device implanted? I always thought that once the VNS is in...it's in for good.