Skip to main content

Acupuncture - will it help me get active again?

Yesterday saw my first session of acupuncture as pain relief for what my physiotherapist now thinks is a frozen shoulder.

Acupuncture and taping my shoulder

I felt very relaxed after that session but, sadly, didn't sleep any better than before. I was hoping it might do the trick. Mind you, I didn't feel any negative effects, so I am definitely willing to give it another go next week.

I also read up on frozen shoulders today. Basically, it would appear that there is no treatment for it, beyond relieving the pain it causes. A bit annoying, as I was hoping that there was something I could do that might speed up my recovery.

The pain is now so tedious that it feels as if I have never been pain-free. I can't imagine what it's like to lift my arm above my shoulder or even touch the top of my head. I would like to be able to put my hands in my pockets without wincing with e pain and I would LOVE to go for more than four hours without popping a pill or two.

The most depressing element of all of this is that I know I can't realistically agree to play any gigs until I am moving my arm again. Although playing sax is possible, it is incredibly painful and the only answer is to just admit defeat for the time being. Breaks my heart, when I was beginning to get some nice gigs in.

So, I will keep going on with the acupuncture and hope to at least relieve the pain. If I could just sleep for more than three hours at a time, I know I could cope better during the day. Meanwhile, I am endeavouring to resist the temptation to tell people how I am ACTUALLY feeling when they ask - from now on, 'Fine' will have to do. Even though I'm not.

Posted via my iPad

Comments

Unknown said…
As a student dietitian I get a lot of people coming to me in search of the next "miracle food" that will miraculously cure all their ailments! And my studies have made me very skeptical about EVERYTHING. Saying this - you can never underestimate the power of a placebo! If you think something will help you... it probably will!!

If you are interested in the truth behind all these alternative therapies you may enjoy this:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bad-Science-Ben-Goldacre/dp/000728487X

You don't have to be a scientist to read it and it very sarcastic and satirical! It is a humorous read but also helps you to make your own judgement on all the misleading health claims of this day and age!

From memory he had rather strong views on acupuncture lol!
Hilary Seabrook said…
I'm looking back on this 11 years later - it turns out that at least some of the discomfort, fatigue and lack of sleep was caused by my stomach cancer. At least they sorted it in the end!

Popular posts from this blog

Big Wade - 'Piano Man' out now

Big Wade and Black Swan Theory collectively blends funk, soul, jazz and everything that fills the cracks between those genres: his new album -  Piano Man - on all major streaming platforms ahead of the Piano Man Tour 2024 , which has dates across the US. Piano Man  brings a selection of original and covers, including a stunning version of Autumn Leaves , which reinvents the song as the funky, electronic Autumn . Big Wade's voice takes the song's melody and improvises around and around, with backing vocals and a deliberately sparse arrangement underpinning the song. Similarly, on Children of the Ghetto , the lead and backing vocals blend in with the soulful musicians of Black Swan Theory. Electronics are used with dexterity, often expanding the vocal lines, as in the ethereal and ghostly opening of Don't Let Me Go . However, the tools never dominate - simply adding depth and layers to the funk. Never more than when Big Wade enters a new world in Interludes , including vocals...

Playtime: 'Morse Code Through The Lights'

Every once in a while, an album drops into your inbox and isn't going anywhere. Morse Code Through The Lights is just such an album. Incontrovertibly controversial, this won't be everyone's cup of tea, but this one has absolutely, instantly, made it onto my list of top albums of 2024. Drummer Tom Bancroft and his band Playtime, which began in Edinburgh as Adventures in New Music ten years ago as a weekly session, have produced something delightfully experimental and brilliantly creative. Four of Scotland's most-established jazz musicians - Martin Kershaw (sax), Graeme Stephen (guitar), Mario Caribe (bass) and Tom Bancroft (drums) - tried out new music and new ideas together. Once lockdown struck in 2020, they decided to explore the possibilities of improvising music together online, partly for something to do, and partly because it was something they could do for their audience. Most of us discovered - or thought we had - that improvising online was difficult or impossi...

Remembering season 20 of Harmonious World

In June 2020, I released the first episode of my podcast -   Harmonious World  - and I had no idea how much delight it would bring me to share conversations with musicians from around the world. Whether you're a guest, a listener or one of the collaborators who have helped me find my guests, thank you! I now have listeners in 2, 475 cities across 129 countries, so wherever you are, welcome to our collective musical attempts to make the world more harmonious. Season 20 guests were: Chris Gall Sultan Stevenson Fotina Naumenko Quinn Sternberg Tara Minton for International Jazz Day Nicole Zuraitis Dave Keech Ute Lemper Vonn Vanier Iain Farrington Cecilie Strange Becca Wilkins Dave Handler