Acupuncture

I think I strained my left elbow pulling myself back onto the boat after swimming around it. We were on a sunset cruise in Quepos, Costa Rica, in February 2023. About a month later, I started to feel neck and shoulder pain on the right side. If I bend my neck to look straight up, it hurts. If I lay on my back on a hard surface, my right shoulder blade hurts. Bending my knees reduces the pain. This neck and shoulder pain may have been caused by compensating for the left elbow. Chiropractic increased the pain. The chiropractor said I should use ice and Biofreeze menthol spray. That gave some relief. This will likely pass in time. I have had similar pains in the past that went away on their own.

While out shopping a couple weeks ago, I noticed a storefront with a sign reading “Acupuncture.” That gave me the idea of trying that for my pains. My Kaiser plan covers acupuncture with no copay, provided I get a referral from my primary care physician. That required a video visit, which took a week to arrange. The long holiday weekend followed the video visit, and last Tuesday, the referral came through.

The referral was to call American Specialty Health, to find a local practitioner who accepts my insurance. The nice woman on the phone gave me several numbers, at which point I asked if the information were available online. It turns out that it is. I was surprised to learn there are over two dozen acupuncturists in my zip code in Rancho Cucamonga. I picked one near my home, who has a very Chinese name, and called for an appointment. She could have seen me right away, but I wanted to wait a few days, since I was getting over a cold. My referral is good for unlimited visits for a year.

I kept the appointment this morning, the first Friday in June, 2023. The office turned out to be in a strip shopping center across the street from BrightStar Thai Vegan Restaurant, next door to a tax preparer and near a BBQ joint with a big smoker in the parking lot. It appears to be a one person operation. Dr. X answers the phone, handles the files, and provides the health care. She speaks English well, with an accent, and seemed to understand me. I probably gave her too much information, and confused her. I told her about my old injuries that have fully healed. I mentioned the medication I take for high cholesterol. We decided to try acupuncture to see how well it relieved my pain, and how long the relief would last. Dr. X says it typically gives relief for two days to a week at the most. She broached the idea of a Chinese herbal tea for my high cholesterol, and to help me sleep through the night without needing to urinate, but we deferred that for now. Her inventory of tea was evident. I suppose she prescribes it a lot. Health insurance does not cover it, however.

I took off my shirt and lay face down on the padded table. Dr. X put needles in my neck, shoulder, lower back, and elbow. I barely felt it. She also attached electrical stimulation electrodes. She gradually increased the current in each area until I said “enough.” When I could feel the muscles pulsing involuntarily, I said “that’s good.” She left for maybe 20 minutes. I can’t be sure how long.

The machine timed out and played a happy little tune. Dr. X came back and removed the needles and the electrodes. I was pretty relaxed, as if I had had a massage. I carefully got up and put my shirt back on. I still feel a little sore in my elbow, but I would say it is improved somewhat. My neck and shoulder feel fine at the moment. I will go back for another treatment next Friday. My hope is that within a month or two, these ailments will have cleared up and I will be able to declare success.