Hi, my name is Danielle and I have needlephobia.

I’m a grown woman who even after years of getting shots at the doctor’s office still hyperventilates at the sight of a needle, that’s why when a friend suggested I try acupuncture to relax I gave her a serious evil eye.

Acupuncture, which involves manipulating thin, solid needles which have been inserted into acupuncture points in the skin, has been used for centuries to treat a wide variety of ailments, including chronic pain, depression, menstrual irregularities, infertility and weight loss.

Individual treatments at licensed acupuncturists can cost anywhere from $25 to $65 dollars or more per session.

My friend isn’t the only one who swears by acupuncture treatments, according to a 2007 National Health Interview Survey, which polled Americans about their use of alternative treatment, an estimated 3.1 million U.S. adults and 150,000 children had used acupuncture during the previous year.

If that many people are using it, perhaps there is something to this acupuncture thing after all.

Acupuncture is definitely a holistic alternative to prescription drugs and as the price of medical care rises acupuncture could prove to be a cheaper solution in some cases.

Maybe it’s time to give acupuncture a shot … if only I could get over the needle part, ouch!

Would you try acupuncture? If you have tried it, how has it helped?

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4 Comments

  1. For some strange reason I would like to try acupuncture. I have chronic back and shoulder pain from a motorcycle accident. My health insurance (United Healthcare) doesn’t cover accupuncture so I have yet to give it a try.

  2. I have done it and have nothing but good things to say about it. It gives a feeling of peace, relaxation, and wellbeing afterward. I got my good friend into it too, and she loves it. The needles going in really feel like mospuito bites, sometimes they go in so smooth you don’t feel a thing.

  3. I’ve tried acupuncture and actually liked it, though I didn’t continue it long term so I can’t testify to the long-term benefits of it.

    @Tia- depending on where you live there may be community acupuncture places that let you pay what you can afford. The place I went to charged $20 for a 45 min session, which isn’t too bad.

  4. I have tried it. and will do again. I’ve had great experiences with acupuncture in healing some back problems

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