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Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Jeremy Gets Acupuncture

Long story short, my back's been acting up lately like it used to, so I am thinking the pinched nerve issue from early last year was never fully resolved. Went to a back specialist at a hospital in Daejeon, and three different procedures were performed, all at no cost to me because of the nationally-provided insurance (sweet!). First, after having my consultation (all of 3 minutes), I was led to an area curtained off for Phase 1: Acupuncture. This was the first time ever receiving it, and it was....okay. I had about 6 needles in each hand/wrist and 8 in each foot/ankle. A few in my right wrist hit the nerve awkwardly and my nerves tensed with the slightest movement. Not sure if this is supposed to happen, but it was okay. It only lasted 20 minutes before the needles were plucked from me so I could go to a different floor and area of expertise altogether. Phase 2: Glass Suction Stuff...I was told to lie on my stomach so 8 (I think) large chemistry-set-looking glass-suction pieces were suctioned on my skin. At first it was cool because I felt like I was getting a massage; each one pulled at my skin comfortably. After around 5 minutes, I was extremely uneasy, as it felt like it does when my back is fully out of whack. Just as I start thinking this whole thing was a dumb idea, Nurse comes over and releases me from the suction terror. Thankfully this was concluded with a phase I am familiar with from the chiropractic visits last year. Phase 3/Final Round: Electrical Stimulation. Still on my stomach, 6 or so electrical sticky pads are placed,  2x2x2, on my lower, middle, and upper back. Then an electrical charge is sent through to calm and relax and soothe my nerves, while simultaneously providing heat for the blood flow. 15 minutes of this and I am out of there, not feeling better ultimately, but leaving some new marks for the road.
Dang bed springs