How to let my ankle heal
How I did it: Acupuncture! Rest, stretches, visits to the podiatrist, and just plain waiting did nearly nothing. After some time, my ankle wasn't priority anymore due to a seemingly random bout of severe arthritis, for which I sought treatment from both Eastern and Western medicines. I don't have health insurance, so I didn't really have a choice when it came to treatment with Western medicine, which eventuated in my having to turn down the "healthcare" offered at my local Volunteers in Medicine clinic. They wanted to put me on 40mg of Prednisone, a cheap steroid which is highly volatile in both side effects and withdrawal--and at 40mg, that was alarming.
I found a Community Acupuncture center in West Philadelphia in hopes that someone there could help with my mystery arthritis symptoms. Immediately, my joints were less swollen, my pain was reduced, my ability to walk, move, and grasp things was improved, and my general quality of life had begun to, for the first time, feel as though it was going up.
It took months of treatment to get me back to a healthy place, but along with my arthritis, issues with my lower back AND my ankle disappeared. All with no side-effects or chemicals to worry about.
I still receive acupuncture, and will probably never stop going.
Lessons & tips: Acupuncture is affordable for nearly everyone. If you have heath insurance (lucky you), most acupuncturists accept it. If you don't, however, you should try Googling "Community Acupuncture" or "Working Class Acupuncture" in your state/region, and/or check the Community Acupuncture Network for practitioners near you. They typically charge between $15-$40 per treatment based on what you want to pay.
You could even try talking to your local acupuncturist for tips on nearby community acupuncture clinic.
Resources: www.communityacupuncturenetwork.org
www.acufinder.com if you've got insurance.
Of course, www.google.com
