How I did it: I'm having some pain issues right now and acupuncture was just something I wanted to try. It's not the only approach I'm taking to the problem and I don't expect it to solve everything, but some of what I have is a fairly straightforward tension issue and I wanted to try something besides massages. (They're nice, but having stuff kneaded hurts sometimes.) I thought maybe I was a little crazy for doing it, so I shopped around until I found a decent place that operates on a sliding scale so I don't have to pay an arm and a leg just to try it.I guess to some extent, I just wanted the experience, and it isn't a terrible one, whether or not it does much in the long run. It's pretty relaxing, and I'm OK with that.

Resources: If you've got friends who are into acupuncture, talking to them is also a good idea. Alas, I don't seem to have any of those. I had to make due with Google. Certainly, every acupuncturist doesn't have a web page and if location is the main issue for you, a phone book is probably a better choice. Still, if you're like me and just want a good overview of what you're dealing with without calling a thousand places, internet searches won't hurt.

Community acupuncture is the best way to go if you want to find affordable acupuncture. The Community Acupuncture Network has a directory.

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Apr 10, 2009, 08:40AM PDT | 0 comments | 2 cheers