Hi Lorie,

Oh yes, we are very familiar with pain, especially in the joints and in, or caused by, the lower back.

You bring up an extremely important difference here:
"First - you have to figure out if your pain is localized or referred. That is critical."

A lot of people don't understand that almost all pain from sciatica is referred, the source is the sciatic nerves in the lumbar spine being pinched (by osteoarthritis, spinal canal narrowing or stenosis, curving of the spine to scoliosis, and on and on).

Local pain is just that, local to the place where you feel the pain.

Anyway, thanks for bringing that up.

(Finally, after years of skepticism, I tried acupuncture while on a cruise two weeks ago. My lower back is very tight ever and I got immediate relief. I had two more sessions on board, and will continue them back home. And Medicare Part B covers acupuncture for lower back pain/stiffness, so Medicare Supplement and Medicare Advantage need to cover it as well.)

Joe