8/6/13

My New BFF

I've found a new friend. It's acupuncture. This photo is not me, but it's what my left foot looks like when I'm at an appointment. Turns out I really like it. Like, a lot. And trust me, I'm just as surprised as you.

My first appointment was amazing. I wasn't nervous; I was eager to get my heel fixed. I met with Hannah at the acupuncture clinic and she was literally cute as a button. I kinda wanted to hug her just for the fun of it. Super nice, put me at ease, didn't try to oversell me or claim to solve all my digestive problems with a few needles to my forehead. Instead, she really listened to me and agreed that I had "tried a lot" to solve my plantars fasciitis. She has treated other people with the same injury with mostly positive results. She didn't promise a miracle cure, but she said I was pretty likely to get major relief and hopefully kick this injury to the curb. She also said one treatment would not be a magic cure, but to plan on coming two or three times a week for a couple weeks and then tapering down.

After our consultation, she led me into the next room--the sign on the door said "Silent Room." It was full of overstuffed recliners, white noise, and blissed out people with needles in them. That's part of this clinic's philosophy--community care, available to everyone, affordable for everyone. To keep things affordable you sit in the same room as everyone else. But it was no different than pre-school nap time or getting a pedicure. Acupuncture doesn't need to be done in private.

Hannah told me to relax--which I did. I brought my ipod and listened to a podcast. She put about 20 needles in me, a lot on my left foot, a few on my left leg, and a handful of others on my arms and head. Even my forehead.

No, it didn't hurt. At all.
Yes, I felt the few needles around my ankle because it's just a more sensitive spot.  But they didn't hurt. More like a tiny twinge when they went in.

Hannah had told me that 20 minutes is the minimum amount of time she likes her patients to stay, but adding more time after that doesn't give you any more benefits. It's not like the longer you leave the needles in the better your results. However, it is so relaxing you could stay there all afternoon. No joke, the person next to me was sound asleep!  I told her 30 would be plenty for me, because I had to go home and make dinner. I then closed my eyes and just enjoyed not having to be anywhere or do anything. It went by way too fast!

So here's the crazy part: my heel felt amazing. No pain at all. And I continued to have no pain for another 24 hours. I did run, and it was a pain-free run. I tightened up after the run and was back to some heel pain after that, but not as bad as in the past.

I thought I should rest and not run at all during this time, but Hannah suggested I keep running a few miles at my normal rate to gauge how pain management is going.

I had another appointment yesterday and I have two more this week. I'm so optimistic that my heel will get better that I can almost taste it! And if it doesn't, I have to tell you I will still go for the occasional treatment because it really feels that good. So good it almost makes me not care when I hear Blurred Lines on the radio for the ten millionth time. Almost.

2 comments:

Tesi said...

Yay! I saw the picture first and thought "Cathy's toes look amazing!" :)

Melodie Monberg said...

I loved what acupuncture did for my hip. Hope you heal soon.