Does acupuncture work?

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darkasdes2

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#1099692 31-Jul-2014 21:42

timmmay:
darkasdes2: What is the diagnosis if your problem?

Doc and physio both think I sprained or bruised something, neither think any kind of scan is required, and neither can be more specific. This is the second time it's recurred, which doesn't include the original injury. It was fully recovered when I hurt it again a couple of months ago, which was 6 months after initial injury. It recovered and then got hurt again.

Doctor's are pretty rubbish for this sort of thing, physios too apparently.

Hi Timmay

It sounds to me that you haven't been diagnosed correctly to allow the right course treatment to stop this from happening again.

To me, the diagnosis from the Doc and physio is poor.

IMO, GPs dont know everything about every aspect of medicine, that's why we have consultants in all the different areas of medicine.

I know you are not a fan of physios (I am a physio with 11 years of private practice experience). The wrist is a complicated part of the body, there is so many things going on, have a look at the anatomy of the wrist and hand.

From what you have mentioned, it sounds like you have a tendon related issue rather a joint, muscle, or neural issue (Now I am very limited with my conclusions to what you have said on the GZ forum, it's not the same as seeing you in person and looking at the wrist). The 2 most common issues we see in the hand and wrist are Tendinopathies (breakdown of the tendon) or Tenosynovitis (inflammation between the tendon and the tendon sheath

Rest is not the answer if its a tendon related issue. The key thing is all about a gradual strengthening programme to makes the tendons stronger. The most common mistake is for people to rest the area for several weeks/months (over this time the tendon is breaking down) and then go back to their normal levels activity and then wonder why their problem still exists. Its all about a graduated return to activity.

If you want to read up about Tendon Issues, Jill Cook from Australia is leading the way in Tendon research.

If you are concerned about the wrist, you have some things you can do (I think you are based in Wellington from your UFB posts)

See a good friend of mine Vijay (who is the Wellington Firebirds Physio (Cricket) and does a lot of work with Wellington Hockey) at Proactive Rehab
http://www.proactiverehab.co.nz

or see Dr Theo Dorfling (Sports Physician and Doc to the Hurricanes) at Wellington Sports Med who can refer you for the right scans etc.

http://wellingtonsportsmed.co.nz

Or find a hand therapist in Wellington

I Hope that helps.

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#1099697 31-Jul-2014 21:46

http://www.patient.co.uk/health/tendonitis-and-tenosynovitis

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#1099699 31-Jul-2014 21:47

please do not treat oneself by visiting a webpage. won't work. a specialist who has good communication skills will serve you best.

darkasdes2

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#1099733 31-Jul-2014 22:30

joker97: please do not treat oneself by visiting a webpage. won't work. a specialist who has good communication skills will serve you best.

+1

So many times I see people who are convinced they have the worst thing possible for their problematic area.

You can not beat a skilled practitioner any day of the week

timmmay

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#1099798 1-Aug-2014 08:06

Thanks guys, darkasdes especially. I'll try to get my osteo to refer me to a sports doctor, capital sports medicine is who I've seen before, Jake someone, any thoughts on if I should see him again or Theo Dorfling?

I saw a hand specialist once when I hurt a knuckle, but I was referred to them.

darkasdes2

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#1100253 1-Aug-2014 18:38

timmmay: Thanks guys, darkasdes especially. I'll try to get my osteo to refer me to a sports doctor, capital sports medicine is who I've seen before, Jake someone, any thoughts on if I should see him again or Theo Dorfling?

I saw a hand specialist once when I hurt a knuckle, but I was referred to them.

Hi Timmay

No worries at all, I only know Theo at Welly Sports Med as I have done some work with him in the past.

Good luck with getting it all sorted

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timmmay

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#1100268 1-Aug-2014 19:22

I had my first session today. It wasn't painful at all, slightly uncomfortable at worst. She explained that it was basically a way to try to encourage your body to heal itself. My initial impression is positive, some mild relief of pain, and expectation that it will encourage my body to heal itself more quickly. I'll do three sessions then judge. I'm a huge sceptic btw, I expected nothing. If it's a placebo, no problem, however it works is good. The only problem is if it makes me think it works but doesn't and I hurt myself again.

In parallel I'll go see the sports medicine doctor.

ajobbins

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#1101660 4-Aug-2014 12:34

A former Osteopath I used to go to once tried acupuncture on me once to relieve tension in one my my back muscles. It was a very strange experience.

I was sitting upright and had 3 needles in my back, none of which I could feel, however when he moved one of the needles around it made me feel extremely nauseous. Was obviously placed at some weird pressure point. As he was trying to find a better place for it I started to lose vision and then passed out. Evidently, wherever he has placed it caused my blood pressure to crash. Luckily he pulled all the needles before I fell over. That was the first and last time.

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afe66

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#1101704 4-Aug-2014 13:53

Or more likely, when he moved the needle, you realised there was cold steel in your back and you had a vasovagal episode.

Otherwise known as fainting....

A.

ajobbins

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#1101738 4-Aug-2014 14:32

afe66: Or more likely, when he moved the needle, you realised there was cold steel in your back and you had a vasovagal episode.

Otherwise known as fainting....

A.

Yes the description of that fits well. I was pretty relaxed about the whole thing, interestingly of the 3 needles I had in my back, when he moved 2 of the 3 I could feel nothing at all. When he was moving the third, I couldn't feel anything at all at the site where the needle was, just every time he moved it (ie. wiggled it) it gave me a sickening feeling in my stomach that immediately stopped when he stopped touching that needle. This went on for a couple of minutes as he 'experimented' wiggling the other needles to see what I could feel (nothing), but when he moved that third needle to a slightly different place again I couldn't feel anything at the place the needle was, but blacked out soon after.

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