February 2, 2018, 12:30 p.m.
Finally met Sophie, the acupuncturist, who conducted the group acupuncture session. She was not there on the first Friday of the program (January 26) and will not be there on the 4th week (February 16) due to Chinese New Year. So we will get only 3 sessions instead of the “usual” 5.
There is no co-pay up front; attendees will be billed by Kaiser.
The room was set up with 2 chairs per person, 2 pillows, and all were facing the center of the room, with the back of the chair against the wall. We were each given a hospital blanket and instructed to “get comfortable.” Sophie gave a long and complete explanation, that included:
Acupuncture is to:
- Reduce inflammation
- Enhance circulation
- Detox (especially from medicines that are no longer as effective). The detox process is to remove any traces of the medication and allow you to “start over” with that medicine so it will be effective again.
Sophie pointed out that the acupuncture sessions held with the Level 3 Chronic Pain group are more intense than the regular acupuncture groups (the ones I previously attended).
- To made medication more effective
- To address emotional stress and increase relaxation.
Another significant difference is that Sophie used 14 needles instead of just the 10 in the ears. The 4 extra needles were for 2 in each arm. It’s difficult to remain still for even the 25 minutes we had today, to ignore any itches on my face or head and to keep from moving my mouth (because, as Sophie said, any movement in the mouth also moves the ears!). Only 2 needles fell out. Next time I’ll move my chair close enough to the wall to be able to lean my head back against the wall for support.
