Jun 10
17
I love acupuncture.
I love acupuncture. Yes, you read it right–I love acupuncture, especially when combined with painful deep-muscle massage.
A few months ago, I started a new workout regimen that includes weights and more lunges and squats than I had been used to. I also self-diagnosed myself with plantar fasciitis, but never connected the two. I had sharp pains in the arch of my foot and had trouble standing for long periods or walking for a long distance.
I was meeting with Dr. Tenesha Weine, a holistic health-care practitioner, about collaborating on Flourish Over 50 and mentioned my ailment. She said “I can fix that. I do it all the time.” A few days later I made an appointment, and after three visits, I was cured.
Dr Tenesha found that the root of my problem was not my foot, but a strained muscle in my calf. She performed acupuncture on my calves and lower back, then about brought me off the table with “muscle stripping” to release the tension in the strained muscle (which would be a good technique for criminal interrogations). I was a bit skeptical at first, but knew that I had a big vacation coming up that would include lots of walking, so I was willing to try just about anything to get my foot back in shape.
After only three treatments, and some at-home stretching exercises, I was amazed at the results. And after walking, hiking, and climbing all over central Italy for two weeks with no problems, I must say that the acupuncture/muscle stripping regimen really works.
Now I just have to remember to follow my weight-bearing exercises with plenty of stretching to prevent more sore muscles and related complications. And when I have a flare-up of lower back pain, which I have been dealing with all my adult life, I think I’ll turn to acupuncture for relief.
