I felt nothing this morning.
For the past five days, nothing greeted me when I got out of bed.
There was no ache, no pain, no reminder of how bad my back has become after so many years of walking, running and standing on this earth. Not to mention, jumping out of an airplane five times, landing badly my first parachute jump and hiding it from the military instructor who would have kicked me out of jump school had he suspected I injured myself.
Yes sir, I felt nothing piercing from my back. It all ended last Thursday at a veterans’ clinic for acupuncture when former clinical director Ed Cunningham stuck me with a dozen or so needles as I removed my shirt and laid face down on the massage table. I didn’t expect much. I thought I’d might get some temporary relief and I didn’t think anything of it until Friday morning when I awoke and got out of bed and spent the day unaware of anything dramatic occurring in my life.
It wasn’t until Saturday when I had more time rousing myself that I realized that I felt no pain in my daily ritual I call my “resurrection.” No suffering raised its head at the spots in the lower lumbar areas where I’ve felt pain for years and years.
I wanted to shout it out to the world that I felt good. But I didn’t want to jinx it. So I wrote nothing and kept hoping day after day that the 22-minute treatment would extend another day and then another day. It did. And I couldn’t contain my exuberance any longer.
Back pain gone after just one acupuncture treatment
My back is as good as it has ever been!
Sure, I still have pain in the dead center of the back. It pains me when I extend my left leg while putting on one of my socks. It’s a nerve, many of my friends with the same ailment tell me. My sciatica, I think it’s called.
But I don’t cringe when I swing my feet off the side of the bed and push the body to a sitting position. I’ve noticed a spring to my gate as I get off the bed while looking toward the floor for one of the cats that might have entered the bedroom at night.
Acupuncture did it folks. The acupuncturist knew exactly where to place the needles. It must have stimulated what needed to be stimulated. He stuck the head of the pointed pieces of metal into each meridian point, manipulating my senses and relieving whatever pressure must have built up over the weeks, months and years.
I’m looking forward to the next treatment. But maybe I can ask them to work on my “impulse control,” you know, the problem I have with boundaries. I could use a little lid to keep my unskillful mouth in check while sharing the beneficial words that we all can use for a healing.
Contoveros 
Michael, so happy to be of service.
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You dog you!
You can still perform miracles, Ed. I thank God He brought you into my path and the paths of tens of thousands of others. Not only those you have treated, but those you have taught to treat the rest of us.
God love you dude!
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Follow your acupuncturists advise carefully, otherwise you could hurt yourself more …It is an amazing science / art isn’t it?
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You got it. He knows more about meridian points than anyone I have ever met. And he ain’t from Asia!
On Tue, Feb 16, 2016 at 4:59 PM, Contoveros wrote:
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Its a 4 year program to get licensed in the US and very often they are taught by Chinese masters
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So happy for you, Michael! Maybe I should try acupuncture.
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Give it a shot Patty.
I’m amazed out how well it worked and is still working six days later now!
On Tue, Feb 16, 2016 at 2:58 PM, Contoveros wrote:
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Hi Michael. I love this post! You’ve got me considering acupuncture now. I’ve had a bad SI (sacro-iliac) joint for about 6-7 years. Some days the pain is worse than others but usually it’s always whispering to me. I’ll be searching for a practitioner near me. So happy to now be a fan of your blog. Shanti, Terri
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Terri you are too kind. I hope you can bring as much of a smile to our writing group as you did for me on Tuesday.
Thanks.
Look into the treatment. It works for me!
Michael J
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This is wonderful news! Acupuncture can work wonders when you have a skilled acupuncturist which you most definitely have. Maybe he help your sciatica. 🙂
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It helped me with the nagging feeling every time I got out of bed. I still have problems with the center of my back, but it is not as severe as it was . . .
I’m returning to the WON Institute in Glenside, PA tonight for another treatment. I’ll be thinking of you and your back. I see our good friend Patty also has back problems, as well as Terri, our new writing member. I’ll meditate for you and all of our friends with similar ailments.
In other words, I’ll get your back!
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