Hi all,
As most people on here have probably heard by this point, I have a long-standing shoulder injury from being thrown off of an elliptical trainer. This injury resulted in the formation of 7 or 8 major trigger points in the muscles surrounding my shoulder blade. These are limiting range of motion and causing me a considerable amount of pain, especially when I do something that aggravates it (most recently, a really super-duper turbulent flight in which I was flung to and fro and against my seat for an hour).
We've tried a lot of treatments (PT, deep tissue massage, 22 cortisone shots into the trigger points and counting), and finally my pain management doc recommended that I try acupuncture as nothing else has helped long-term. So I found someone highly reviewed and made an appointment for 12:45 tomorrow.
Anyone done any acupuncture for any reason, or specifically for a musculoskeletal injury or pain? What should I expect? Did it hurt (I'm not particularly scared of needles or anything...just curious if I should prep myself for discomfort)? Should I anticipate additional herbs/other alternative treatments to be suggested? Did it help?
I have a lot of respect for non-Western medicine, but I've never actually experienced any of it before! Any reassurance is appreciated!