I’ve been routinely receiving acupuncture treatments for more than 10 years. I like the Acupuncturist; she has become a friend. I consider her an integral part of my MS treatment team.
When people learn of this they inevitably ask “Do you find it makes a difference? Do you feel better?” Unfortunately, how can I know? While an MRI every year can show brain lesion activity over time, researchers haven’t yet discovered whether those lesions even correlate to disease progression and/or current symptoms.
My disease has seemingly progressed in spite of acupuncture treatment. But it also appears to have progressed even with my daily Copaxone® injections too, which are the standard, current recommended medical treatment. So then, would it have progressed more without the acupuncture? I don’t know.
Acupuncture has a growing acceptance in western medicine as being good for treating pain. So if I had pain associated with my MS, as some people do, this might be one way to gauge and easily communicate its effectiveness to others. As convenient as I might find that, thankfully I do not have pain.
At least I get regular check-ins with a healthcare professional who monitors my symptoms so I only have to “bother” my neurologist with any bigger concerns. I also enjoy 45 minutes of relaxation per session. Some years it is even partially reimbursed by my health insurance.