In an earlier post (2/2) about hot stone massage, I described various forms of pain and humiliation endured by yours truly since taking on the Mile Challenge. About a month later (3/1), I wrote about overcoming a running slump by taking my mile lumps in the morning. That was a mistake. Basking in personal pride proved to be too much temptation for the fate of lazy; I didn’t run again for three weeks. Damn.
So I’ve started up again. Luckily my legs seem to have retained earlier conditioning and I can walk--not limp--just fine. However, I have been experiencing killer headaches and neck stiffness. In addition to trying to train myself to loosen up my upper body while running (suggestions welcome), I thought, “Hey, an excuse to try a new recovery splurge!” Next up: electroacupuncture.
Long story short, electroacupunture means someone sticks needles in you and sends electrical currents into your tissues. (There are also a bunch of other Eastern medicine components that I don’t really understand but you can read about here.) Depending on the level of skill and experience of the practitioner, this could be heaven or torture, so I was a little nervous going into it…. and from the aromatherapy candles, tabletop waterfall and ambient music in her waiting room, I gather I’m not the only one.
The session begins with a preliminary assessment. You can keep your clothes on for this—it’s mostly chatting. Where is the pain, what is your lifestyle like, and most importantly, how will you be paying me? Then it gets a little personal, which doesn’t bother me but I know other people who most certainly would be bothered, so if you ever consider trying this, be prepared. These are questions like, “what color is your feces?” and “how many time in a week do you orgasm?” She also did a physical once-over, paying particular attention to my tongue, and determined that I’m more yang than yin. Remind me to look up what that means later.
Next I’m in a gown and laying face-down on a leather table with a face hole—much like a massage table, only with an electrostimulator attached to it. My practitioner tapped the points on my back, neck and shoulders where she would be inserting needles, gently pinched my skin and voila, I’m a pin cushion. I didn’t feel a thing. No pricks, no pains. Then she attached wires to the ends of the needles, turned a few dials, and I was an electrified pin cushion. That felt just like her tapping on my back as she’d done earlier, only a little harder and at all the points at the same. Then she left.
Now in the spirit of informative blogging, when I was alone I tried to see what was going on. Word to the wise: don’t. There were no mirrors or reflective surfaces in the room so I craned my neck to catch a glimpse, and it fucking (can I say fucking?) killed! The needles in my neck turned into searing little bastards (can I say bastards?) and I gasped, turned my head back around and apologized out loud to I-don’t-know-who… the electrostimulator? The needles? God? At any rate, if you want to see yourself with needles sticking out of your back, bring a hand mirror.
After a bit I started to relax… really relax. My back became very warm and I couldn’t feel where the needles were anymore. It just felt like my whole body was pulsating. Awhile later (there are also no clocks so I’m not sure how long it was exactly) the practitioner came in, removed the needles and told me to stay on the table for a few minutes until I “felt steady.” I didn’t understand that until I stood up. (Tip 3: Don’t wear heals.)
It’s been three days and I have run twice. I’m still struggling to not stiffen my shoulders on the treadmill, but so far I’m living large and headache-free. Did the electroacupunture have anything to do with it? Hell if I know. The research supporting and refuting the medical benefits of acupuncture as it relates to muscular tissue and pain is all over the place, but despite looming work deadlines and a less-rehabbed/more-regretted home renovation project, I’m feeling pretty darn chill.
It could be from the running.
No comments:
Post a Comment