I was wondering if looking into accupuncter treatment for my severe anal pain would be useful or useless.Any thoughts?

I tried it once a week for about two months... it did not help me at all...it was relaxing, but that was about the extent of it for me... i would assume it is an individual thing though, good luck if you do try.

FYI it's acupuncture. I have been going to an acupuncture physician for about 6 sessions now and it has helped tremendously with various chronic pain I have. I highly recommend it if you can afford it (it's not covered by some insurance plans, including mine).

I feel that if traditional medicine is not giving you what you need, things like acupuncture can indeed be very helpful. It is one of those things that cannot be properly studied with double blind techniques, so it is pretty impossible to actually PROVE that is effective other than placebo effect. That said, I have heard of people not expecting it to help, being skeptics, find that it was indeed useful. That would tend to refute a placebo effect. But, I am sure it is also possible that even though those folks were skeptic, they may have subconsciously really wanted it to work.

That said, if it won't break your bank, and you have exhausted every other option, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Jan

I tried it, only once, but it was probably the most relaxed I've ever been. I'd say you'd have to try it several times to notice an effect beyond relaxation.

A friend of mine that is an MD had tendonitis in her hand and wrist that caused her to be off work for months because she couldn't perform surgery (she's an OB/Gyn). She ended up trying acupuncture even though she is a western-medicine-trained MD. And honestly, I was very surprised that she tried it, and now swears by it, because she doesn't seem the type to be not-by-the-western-medicine book.

She recommended it to me for my thumb and wrist, as I am still having tendon problems and pain 17 months after a car accident. I'm seeing a hand specialist in a few weeks, and if that doesn't help, I'm going to give it a try.

My opinion is that it probably won't cause any harm, so if your insurance will cover it or if you can manage it financially, I'd go for it.

Well,I would say , try it, it won't hurt you.
I don't know what it costs in your area, around here its about $40 a treatment.
Accupuncture is very much an art form as far as medicine goes. If you find a good accupuncturist it could be great.
I was fortunate , a friend of mine was getting her certification to do accupuncture and was giving me regular treatments for about the cost of the needles. Can't say it helped my gut issues .....but it did help with relaxing and feeling generally better.
Good luck!
LoriP

Hey there everyone. I am in school right now earning my MA in Chinese Medicine and acupuncture. The answer is that it could very helpful- as a student I have watched in a clinical setting acupuncture change lives- literally. You can't expect immediate results, however, and it is something you need to do with regularity in the beginning. It can be a bit expensive, which makes it hard to keep up with, but I say hey- if it helps it is worth it!! I know for me Chinese herbs have also been very helpful for issues related to my j-pouch -- including adhesions and inflammation in my anal region.
Good luck!
Andrea Peruzzi

HI, I have had a jpouch since 1991 with many problems mostly pouchitis. Though all of these problems are better than UC. I wanted to let you know that acupuncture does help with anal pain. My wonderful husband is a chiropractic physician and a licensed acupuncturist practicing for 26 years . I am extremely fortunate to benefit from his expertise. Whenever my anal area is inflamed and painful, I am lucky enough to get an acupuncture treatment and the pain and inflammation in the anal area subsides by the next day. Acupuncture has also helped with my pouchitis, but does not cure it. So, make sure you find a licensed acupuncturist and call the office and ask questions. Find out if that doctor or acupuncturist has had success treating such problems. Good luck. Of course like any treatment, it isn't going to help everyone, but it is sure worth the try. By the way, acupuncture is the only thing that helps with my anal swelling/ cuffitis.

I have used acupuncture for years for various muscular problems caused by inflammation. I am what's called a "quick responder" meaning I get immediate relief with one treatment. The key is to find a good acupuncturist who is honest with what types of pain it can relieve. It is certainly worth trying.

Sue

My problem is this.I take Oxycontin and another nerve damage pain med.To see if indeed the acupuncture works for the anal pain I would have to stop taking the Oxycontin which would lead to withdrawl symptoms,I`m addicted to the Oxy,how can I possibly go for the treatment and try to get around the withdrawl symptoms?

Once you start the acupuncture, you can gradually reduce your oxycontin to reduce the withdrawal. Also, there are other drugs they can give you to prevent withdrawal symptoms.

Jan