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After multiple drug trials and not successful at eliminating symptoms even though my HR is controlled now, my parents are encouraging me to go to acupuncture. They heard it helps to regulate the autonomic nervous system. Have any of you tried it? I have never done it before or any eastern medicine. I do try to do yoga, stretching and meditate. Just don't know how acupuncture will feel or if it has helped with the symptoms at all. :unsure:

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I have a friend whose daughter swears by it. Her doctor doesn't even use the needles. Must be an acupressure thing? I've not gone to her as she is too far out of town, but I am looking into a local one for my daughters. She said it does keep the autonomic system more calm. That's what we are looking for.

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I have not done traditional acupuncture but I have done something called dry needling which is a western "version" of acupuncture that addresses musculoskeletal issues by treating trigger points. I have done it twice...once 20 yrs ago for a low back injury and once 2 years ago to address some trigger points due to my EDS.

From the aspect of treating my musculoskeletal issues, both times was very successful. However, the second time, the multiple needle pricks (and I don't have a thing about needles) caused me to have a vasovagal reaction and become presyncopal. I had to stop after 5 treatments because the 5th time I did black out for a few seconds. The therapist said that the needle pricks are known to cause autonomic reactions. I wasn't dealing with POTS the first time and had no problems with this. I think my body had just become so super sensitive to this sort of thing that I couldn't keep it up.

I believe there is value in acupuncture ad I've seen it work in people, horses, and dogs. I would still try this treatment again for my trigger points if they became bad enough, even if I could only tolerate 2-3 sessions.

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I have been going for acupuncture treatments for two years for many different medical issues (long before suspected POTS though some POTS symptoms I suppose).  I go every 2-4 weeks.  I would love to go weekly but it is expensive.  

I go to at TCM -tradtional Chinese Medicine Practictioner and receive a massage after the treatment.   15 minutes is included in the price of the acupuncture treatment though I splurge when I can for a 1/2 hour.  They use a mix of acupressure, deep tissue, and many other techniques.  

I find relief for many issues (insomnia, joint pain, fatigue, migraine --though the day of the treatment wipes me out, and sometimes helps countless other things I mention and sometimes have needles inserted for.)   Some treatment days I notice more relief than others but I think it is an important part of my treatment plan of a mix of eastern/western medicine.   I use the time with the needles in to meditate.  It is surprisingly often relaxing. 

Most needles inserted to are unnoticeable-don't hurt at all.  Laying perfectly still and relaxing while the needles are in, you will likely not feel anything.  If you try moving around on the table, it will be uncomfortable.  Occasionally at a supersensitive spot like inner wrist that they sometimes do on me for I think insomnia or anxiety I think---it is not pleasant going in but only lasts a second or two.   My sensitive spots are my elbow but due to my joint pain issues.   On the whole, it is painless and an enjoyable experience.  I recommend it--worth a try. 

 

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I think your parents want you to get better, but finding a treatment for POTS is usually a long and complicated process.  Acupuncture can be expensive and also may not be covered by insurance, which is something to think about. I have heard it is very effective for certain things, like pain relief.  It depends what symptoms you are look for relief from.  

I haven't seen too many stories here about acupuncture as a primary treatment for the main POTS  symptoms (such as fast HR and low BP).   There are many traditional treatments that people find helpful -- like beta blockers and florinef.  DINET has good information on the various options for treatments, and on doctors that know about POTS and can help guide you. 

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  • 3 weeks later...

I did it to get relief from hip pain prior to surgery and it also helped my GERD go away. It is strange that i will sometimes get a VasoVagal response to injections but never did from the Acupuncture needles. I do not know if it would help but I do know it is not a quick fix type of thing. It takes repeated treatments over a period of time to work.

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I was in a low-symptom state for about 7 years, and I was getting acupuncture during that time. I believe that it helped me maintain my health. When I stopped, I did not have a full fledge recurrence for a couple of years. I think if I had stuck with the acupuncture, I probably would not have had the recurrence. I just started again last week. I do notice that I feel energized after my sessions. I will keep you posted!

 

Kathy

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  • 2 weeks later...

I had my first session last week. I felt very presyncopal and she removed a few needles and I did better. Am not certain if it was an actual reaction or if I was feeling too nervous. It did not hurt at all. I am planning 3-4 more sessions just to give it a real chance Will let you all know the outcome.

 

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I don't have one--but this looks like it is using the idea of acupressure (vs. acupuncture) but I wonder how it would reach specific acupressure points/places.

I use hard foam yoga roller tube thing that has raised bumps on it.  I lay on it to put pressure on my back and helps sometimes with certain pain. Same idea as mat I think but using stretching too maybe ?

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  • 1 year later...

Have you tried acupuncture? If yes, how it felt? One of my friend told that acupuncture is the most preferred treatment other than yoga or any other homopathy treatment. It is used to help improve many medical conditions that disrupt a person's daily life. It is a procedure in which the energy located in a persons body is used to help it heal itself from the condition you are suffering from. Each acupuncture point is specifically associated with certain medical conditions. The professional practitioner will know exactly which points will need to be used for each condition. Get more details about this by surfing the Internet reading top blogs and articles.

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