Acupuncture

[lonefisher]

Rick I think you are right it takes mass willpower..... the patches and zyban made me go goofy and after a while seemed to do little for the cravings...... I think my biggest problem is (and I am not really trying to cop out but) work..... I work all customer service and regardless of the willpower I have to quit a really frustrating day blows it all away....... anyways I suppose I should just quit my job and do something that is less stressful but I hate to have to do that just because of cigarettes. Most people I know who have quit the cold turkey way have had a really good reason to do it. Usually children...... thats what made both my father and grandfather quit and evidently many other's......

I guess I could make some babies......... (just kidding )

[Weedy1]

Hey Lonefisher maybe we can have a quit smoking competition. I'm a pack a day guy.

I don't even like smoking anymore, I only smoke because of the addiction. Did the Zyban thing (again) this summer, the stuff is crap. Acupuncture, hypnotherapy or laser are methods I've never tried, might be worth it.

The father of a buddy of mine quit after smoking for 40 yrs+ with hypnotherapy. He said it was like he had never smoked. He sucked back 4 packs a day.

[lonefisher]

weedy thats not a bad idea........ I don't like smoking anymore..... there are certain cigarettes that I really really like, like after meals ect but for the most part I only smoke A because of the addiction, and B because its a stress relieving habit for me now....... I have heard of the hypno therapy thing working as well...... I dunno it might help to make it a contest...... I'm pretty much a pack a day as well so I think it would be fair......

[reevesr1]

Hope you guys have the contest and both win. I wish I had something worthwhile to offer up as an incentive (other than the whole live longer thing). How about I bring the winner the bottle of their favorite spirit (within reason) to the get together this summer?

 

LF, I was running 10+ crews when I quit. Monster stress. But what I found was that it wasn't the cigarette that relieved the stress, it was the 5 minutes away from the issue that does it.

[SanJuanWorm]

You know? If im not mistaken I think Acupuncture is making me more better looking ever day too. I think i'll stick with it.

[flyangler]

You don't have to believe in acupuncture for it to work or to work well. The majority of new acupuncture patients are skeptical, mainly because they've been through the wringer with their medical treatments, medicines, advice from friends and so forth. Quite a few of them are at the end of their rope and willing to try anything. One benefit of a positive attitude is that other people enjoy being around you more and may be better inclined to help if you ask them, but I don't have any science on that.

 

That's where I was after three rounds of antibiotics and countless visits to doctors about a chronic cough. Terrified of needles but exhausted from countless sleepless nights, I got acupuncture because I'd read somewhere that it helped asthma. I didn't think what I had was nearly as serious as asthma but had no preconceptions about it helping me. Hell, I didn't even know if I'd be able to go through with it, what with all the needles. I stopped coughing after two treatments. An old Chinese acupuncturist put me at ease with his respectful touch and thorough questions. He told me at one point that I had 28 needles in me. None of them approached the sensation of the average flu shot, but something did the trick.

 

To illustrate my previous point on animals and acupuncture here is a study on rats which showed, by virtue of chemical analysis after acupuncture, that the rats' arthritis improved after acupuncture:

 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?D...Pubmed_RVDocSum

 

(sorry about the long URL)

 

Someone mentioned that acupuncture worked for a specified number of people. I don't know what that one number is, it would depend on the technique, the patient and the condition being treated. There are 622 pages of abstracts on PubMed and they certainly show different levels of efficacy for acupuncture. Here's one on a comparison of real acupuncture, sham acupuncture and conventional treatment (physical therapy, drugs and exercises) for back pain. 47% got better in the acupuncture group, even sham acupuncture helped 44% in that group, but only 27% in the conventional treament group improved.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?D...Pubmed_RVDocSum

 

Lastly, someone asked about laser acupuncture (I think) for smoking cessation. I have no experience with that, but the financial and physical costs of continuing to smoke make LA worth a try by comparison. Auricular acupuncture (teensy tiny needles in the outer surface of the ear) works best combined with smoking cessation counseling.

 

Though I'm sure this is educational, you are welcome to pm me or google for answers to questions, too. There have to be millions of pages on "acupuncture for (name the condition)".

 

As for getting better looking, there's actually a specialty in cosmetic acupuncture. I know I'd try it before going under the knife! Seriously, even acupuncture for your toe pain will help your general health. If you digest better, sleep better and are more relaxed, heck yeah you'll look better!

[Castuserraticus]

I've had physio, chiro, ART, and acupuncture for various athletic and other injuries. All have worked to varying degrees. The practitioner is critical. If what they're doing doesn't feel right then try another practitioner. When injured I'll see up to 3 practitioners of each type within the first week or two. When I find what works for that injury then I return. Physios do the best assessments I've found. Some chiros are like doctors and try to crank patients through too quickly and don't take time to do proper assessments. The acupuncturist I go to is for a specific issue and he provides the only relief I've found for the condition.

 

I've learned over the years to be very proactive. Don't believe what doctors tell you just because they're doctors. It's my health and I have to advocate for it.

[Weedy1]

This marks for me 24 hrs - 14 minutes - WITHOUT A SMOKE!!

Nobody piss me off today. J/K

 

I have always found the first 30 days to be quite easy to quit, it's after that that drives me nuts. I know it doesn't make any sense.

[SanJuanWorm]

I struggle with smoking too. Im taking champix. It works better than zyban

[reevesr1]

This marks for me 24 hrs - 14 minutes - WITHOUT A SMOKE!!

Nobody piss me off today. J/K

 

I have always found the first 30 days to be quite easy to quit, it's after that that drives me nuts. I know it doesn't make any sense.

Good luck brutha! You too SJW. You could go over to the GW post and get your aggression out if you want!

[Weedy1]

I struggle with smoking too. Im taking champix. It works better than zyban

 

How you making out Dave?

 

I was on Zyban this summer. I went from a pack a day to 1 1/2 packs a day. The first time I tried Zyban in 1998 I quit for 3 months. Maybe the second time around it doesn't have the same effect.

 

I'm chewing the gum this time around. Tasty stuff. Nearly spewed when I chewed the first one.

[Weedy1]

Good luck brutha! You too SJW. You could go over to the GW post and get your aggression out if you want!

 

I've been geared up to quit for some time. Funny thing is it's for the same reason you quit - kids. (And the fact most of the good access to bully fishing means you have to have good lungs.)

 

Honestly AHC should have asylums for smokers. If you sign on the dotted line they lock you up for 30 days.

[Fisherwoman]

This marks for me 24 hrs - 14 minutes - WITHOUT A SMOKE!!

Nobody piss me off today. J/K

 

I have always found the first 30 days to be quite easy to quit, it's after that that drives me nuts. I know it doesn't make any sense.

 

 

Hi Weedy1, Hang in there... on man good for you! I quit over 20 years ago.. So many times I quit, it was so hard to stop.. every second for me was a killer.. than I made it one day, then two days.. I had to change my way of living no more baths I took showers, walked not drive, got up earlier went out for a walk .. I'm glad I stuck with it. Just say to yourself... Weedy1 you can do this.. keep on saying No to yourself hang in there.. than before you know it one year has pasted than 5 years have pasted.. One day a smell will pop in your head and just say No No Weedy1.. Just say No.... that's what I did.. but I put my mind over matter I did some other things to help me... like.... I said to myself when I would smell some smoke I will get sick to my stomak and ya know I did get sick.. I said that over and over and over .. than one year later I said to myself Ok.. it's time to not get sick when I smell smoke it's ok .. I said that again over and over so my mind, soul, spirt heard me... this really works.. for me it did..

 

Anyways Weedy1 hang in there.. your doing this only for yourself and it's worth it...

 

Thanks..

 

8-)

[lonefisher]

Good luck weedy! I didn't start today......

 

Rickr maybe your right about the temporary escape from the issues I know when I am frazzled I either go grab a coffee, a smoke or a bite to eat..... Just need to toss a healthy alternative in there I guess.

 

Weedy a month in a mental institution might be just what I need to kick the habit. Maybe we should start a petition.

[Weedy1]

Thanks Fisherwoman. I think it will be much easier this time around. I don't drink anymore, seldom go to pubs, and work almost exclusively in Government/Municipal buildings. The less exposure the easier it is to do. I have been doing the mental preparedness thing for about 4 months. I didn't think fishing season was a good time to try so why not do it at Christmas, the most stressful time of year!!

[Weedy1]

Maybe we should start a petition.

 

You would just have all the non smokers whining and crying.

[Fisherwoman]

Thanks Fisherwoman. I think it will be much easier this time around. I don't drink anymore, seldom go to pubs, and work almost exclusively in Government/Municipal buildings. The less exposure the easier it is to do. I have been doing the mental preparedness thing for about 4 months. I didn't think fishing season was a good time to try so why not do it at Christmas, the most stressful time of year!!

 

 

Well It worked for me... I used to smoke 2 packs a day before that it was one pack. then one n half a pack when I found out a boss was going in my purse to smoke mine I thought Hey... I'm going to show him.. haha I never thought that it was going to be so hard Holly F#$% it was hard, I would rock on the floor sitting on my knees.. my stomack would cramp up and than I thought I have a really good imagination... So I put it to work.. The lumps on my lips went away, I did gain a few lbs. 98 lbs to 175 lbs.. but it's all gone now.. I'm a amazon woman now.. Smoke does bug me but it won't make me sick.. I'll never go back to smoken....

 

Thanks

[reevesr1]

Well It worked for me... I used to smoke 2 packs a day before that it was one pack. then one n half a pack when I found out a boss was going in my purse to smoke mine I thought Hey... I'm going to show him.. haha I never thought that it was going to be so hard Holly F#$% it was hard, I would rock on the floor sitting on my knees.. my stomack would cramp up and than I thought I have a really good imagination... So I put it to work.. The lumps on my lips went away, I did gain a few lbs. 98 lbs to 175 lbs.. but it's all gone now.. I'm a amazon woman now.. Smoke does bug me but it won't make me sick.. I'll never go back to smoken....

 

Thanks

 

98 lbs? What were ya, 12 yrs old?

 

Not an easy habit to kick, that's for sure. But Weedy has the right idea, do all you can to avoid people, places, activities you associate with smoking, at least for the first few weeks.

 

Dave, I feel your pain buddy! I used to smoke like a chimney when I was in the field. Stress piled on stress.

[Fisherwoman]

98 lbs? What were ya, 12 yrs old?

 

Not an easy habit to kick, that's for sure. But Weedy has the right idea, do all you can to avoid people, places, activities you associate with smoking, at least for the first few weeks.

 

Dave, I feel your pain buddy! I used to smoke like a chimney when I was in the field. Stress piled on stress.

 

 

Hi, nope I was 24 something years old , 5'10 skinny as a rail, to finish a meal it was my cigs, not one or two cigs.. I had to have 4, sure don't miss them days, always taking my purse with me to have a smoke, now I take my wallet and keys, carrying a purse was a pain...

 

If you can take off without being around people.. great... not everyone can do that... It's a wild ride. Someone said to quit smoking is the hardest thing to stop.. even compared to Drugs.. drinking.. ect.. good thing is not to altar it.. to one thing to another. Being outside like fishing.. or conecting with nature is pretty damn good.. everything is in moderation.

[Guest Sundancefisher]

I can comment on my limited experience.

 

Accupuncture has been proven to stimulate nerves and pain receptors. I had Bell's Palsy last year and it was recommended to try accupuncture. I unfortunately could only see a red headed young accupuncturist in Bonavista... She did not come across being credible at all. I only had one treatment.

 

I would never try another unless chinese...over 50 and trained in China with references of people who were helped. I am sure for some ailments the plecebo is definately a factor.

 

I was a sceptic so that probably hurt my chances. Massage and physio are what I believe in.

 

JMTC.

 

Sun

[darthwader]

I am currently getting ART treatments for a shoulder injury... couldn't even cast ... very tragic. What I have found so far is that as he works around the shoulder, a new scar tissue location is found each time. Meaning there was an original injury and then all the muscles tried to cover for it and then themselves became injured. BTW, that's in laymans terms.

 

After 7 treatments, he is now working on my bicep and I won't lie, it hurts. In fact, it kind of makes want to puke when he does it and I dread each visit a little more than the first. I even commented to him at my last thing that if I could reach around with my left, I probably would have popped him a few sessions ago. I always thought I had a pretty high pain tolerance but this stuff does not feel good at all.

 

Having said all of that, each part he has worked on has gotten better and the pain has definitely moved around the shoulder, so I have to assume it is working. I go for two more on the bicep, plus an ultrasound to see if there is anything more serious going on. After that, I will have a more definite opinion on this stuff.

 

But for now, if you read about a chiropractor getting popped while doing active release therapy on some guys shoulder, it was probably me.