I would imagine that most people who refuse to try acupuncture are skeptics; they simply believe it won’t work to help them with what ails. I am not most people. I shunned acupuncture for years because I was afraid it would work. My fear of needles stems all the way back to early childhood – sure, I will get my yearly flu vaccine and whatnot but it is so terrifying to me that I manage to work myself into a panic attack before I ever even reach the clinic. And so acupuncture was entirely not on my radar – intentionally putting needles in my body – no thank you. Even more paralyzing to me, what if it worked. What if putting those horrible little needles in helped me? I am embarrassed now to admit that it took over 10 years of living in pain to even consider acupuncture. There were 3 things I noticed in my foray into acupuncture
1. It doesn’t “hurt” – there are definitive sensations with the entry points, but some places I assumed would be so painful (hello, forehead?!) I truly didn’t feel. Other places that I assumed would not hurt at all (like the fleshy side of my thumb) it was tender. The needle itself wasn’t the issue, the energy from that area though, definitely made itself known. I think that was the moment I realized that this would open my mind to the very real theory that the energy in my body was out of balance.
2. It works! It is funny how when you fears wind up being correct you are forced to reevaluate your fears. I was afraid it would work and I would be forced to endure this pain. Except, it wasn’t painful. So, enter the humble pie. I spent 4 consecutive days on the table having acupuncture done. People have asked if I experienced euphoria when I had it done. No, I experienced an awareness of my body. A sense of energy and movement. And by the end of day 4, the pain that had plagued me for a decade was released. BUT, I was on vacation – maybe it was just coincidence? Maybe I would have been relaxed no matter what. And maybe that is true, which is why I waited to write my thoughts down. I am a week removed from my last session. A very stressful week where I seem to be tested from all sides if my new-found calm would last. And it did. My back didn’t seize up in micro-knots like it usually did at the first sign of stress. Sure, I held tension in my shoulders as I was stressed but it released like it is supposed to after a hot shower and some time to quiet my mind.
3. You have to like and trust your provider. There needs to be a dialogue – about your fears, your expectations and their thoughts on how to accomplish your goals. If you don’t have faith in your provider, I suspect that it will be stilted and possibly painful. They need to have an open conversation with you about what is going on in your body. Which brings me to….
Dr. Antonika –
Dr. Anontika is everything I wish every doctor was – kind, open, optimistic and most of all, listened without any prejudice. She let me explain my fears, my concerns, and my ailments. She asked questions when she needed more information but never jumped to the “I can fix you” solution that I have encountered in so many people. In fact, her approach wasn’t that I needed “fixing” at all, but that all of the solutions were within me, I just needed help to refocus my body’s own energy. In her seminar, she mentioned that she could fix sea-sickness in just a few minutes. When I saw her for my first session I mentioned that I was having some mild sea-sickness, she wasn’t kidding – I felt better by the time our session was over and sea-sickness didn’t even enter my mind for the remainder of our cruise. But I didn’t seek Dr. Anontika out for sea-sickness, I had been plagued with back/shoulder pain for years (over 10!) that would, at times, be debilitating enough to wake me from my sleep and keep me awake and in pain all night. I also mentioned that the pain wasn’t the only middle of the night problem, often times, the pain would wake me and it would be followed by anxiety attacks. I had seen countless doctors and physical therapists through the years and all had the same answers – take anti-depressants for the anxiety and panic, stronger muscle relaxers for my back, change my sleep patterns, nothing to get to the root cause of what was causing the issue. By the end of my sessions with Dr. Anontika, I am delighted to say that the back pain is gone. I am sleeping soundly (!) through the night, goodbye panic attacks, goodbye back pain. I waited over a month after getting home to write this up as the thought occurred to me that maybe I was simply relaxed after a vacation. But there have been no recurrences of pain or panic.
As amazed as I was at Dr. Anontika’s results, who she was as a person was the thing I connected with. As I lay on the table, we talked – we discussed stress, work, family, how to bring balance and how to bring joy. I felt like I was talking with a longtime friend. In fact, the most telling moment for me was after my last session. In addition to being sad that I would no longer have daily acupuncture sessions – I hugged Dr. Antonika like I was embracing an old friend who I wouldn’t see again for awhile. Now, why is this odd? I don’t like to hug people. Aside from my kids and my husband, a hearty handshake is about the most I am willing to part with and in most cases it is a smile and a wave but for Dr. Anontika, I asked if I could give her a hug. She brings out the best of people with her manner, her light, her optimism and her skill – I can only hope that we cross paths again.
