Comment by Donna DeHoog on November 21, 2009 at 9:53am

Brandy, I did acupuncture for a while....actually still doing the acupuncture part of it. But be super CAREFUL when it comes to all those herbs. My herbalist and acupuncturist put me on a bunch of herbs. I went to the doc about a month later. My creatinine which is a measure of kidney functions went up, among other causes too. So be super super careful....that stuff is natural but your body may not respond well to it...I know I didnt.

Comment by Amy on November 21, 2009 at 10:16am

If you have IBS etc. you may well have AA triggered by that. If money is tight, I wouldnt suggest accupuncture. It's great, I have done it, but it doesnt tend to help AA, and its expensive. I alternate between that and massage- things I think are great for overall well being but not really a valid AA "treatment". You should look at things to heal your gut, like zinc, vitamin D, glutomine, omega 3, digestive enzymes, etc. Check into celiac disease and antibodies. I think if you actually have a gut condition you have a chance to help the AA by fixing it. The immune system is highly involved in the gut. There is more information out there. I dont have these issues personally but I have heard of others who have these other manifestations, when resolved, improve their AA. I guess what i am saying is look at the other ways to improve this condition beyond spending 150/week on accupuncture. Im a big fan, but not as a cure.

Comment by Brandy Snap on November 21, 2009 at 9:46pm

Actually, I got IBS because of the Endometriosis that I have. I'm planning to do very little acupuncture, leaning more towards the herbs side of it. I hope that it helps with my headaches. I'm not going through that again every month.

Comment by M. Luk on November 22, 2009 at 3:58pm

After being on disability 2 times for a severe back injury do to work, nothing has helped till I turned to a trusted and well reputable acupuncturist. The chinese doctor I went to treated me one time and literally the next morning, my pain of several years went away. I never had to go back and no more back pain ever again. It was truly a miracle. So when I was diagnosed with AA, I went back to him and he helped me out. Patches did seem to be growing back in and he was very detailed about explaining to me what he feels happen and what might have caused my AA. I'm still in the early stages, just been a few months of going to him. While western doctors made me feel hopeless and awful, chinese doctors have not only been such a great support system for me but I feel very hopeful. Even though I do not know if my hair will grow out or not, chinese medicine has helped improved my health tremendously.. and for that I am very greatful. Like western doctors, there are good ones and there are bad ones, I think the better ones are the ones that really know chinese culture and why things are the way they are. Not everything is as black and white as in the text books, there is also a grey in which only experience can teach/help. Just make sure you find the right acupuncturist for you.

Comment by Brandy Snap on March 17, 2010 at 7:28pm

I couldn't continue with the Chinese Medicine because money has been soooo tight. I barely had the funds for that first visit. I guess I'll have to wait until the economy picks up or people pay their bills (my husband is self employed). It's just so depressing. :(

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