Prednisone and Acupuncture

Yes, I tried it for a few months before I was diagnosed with PMR. It would help for an hour or a day, but then right back where I was. It was prednisone that really took the inflammation out. But everyone is different with this dang thing, so it might be worth a try.

I do acupuncture. Honestly don't know how much it really helps, as a lot of my pain is already under control at the moment. I view it more as a preventative to help with my titration from prednisone (down to 5mg), so will likely continue with acupuncture until off it. In my thinking, doing something is better than not trying. Also think it helps with some non-PMR pain from shoulder and back injuries, bursitis, etc. So in a very similar situation as you with it.

Thanks for your thoughts. I plan to continue with acupuncture - hoping it helps

I started on acupuncture about 13 years ago, at first for high blood pressure, so have been getting monthly "tune-ups" and ever since, my blood pressure has averaged 123/78 on the whole. While there I asked about PMR and my acupuncturist told me she had several other patients with PMR who had been seeing her regularly. She said she had one patient who has never, ever been able to get down beyond 2 mg of prednisone, so she comes for treatment. I get pain in my upper shoulders, so that is where I ask her to concentrate, and I would say it helps for maybe 3 weeks till the effect begins to wear off and then I go back. This type of treatment is one of those "different strokes for different folks" alternative. It works for some, others say, meh. So try it and see what you think if you are persuaded in that direction.

Thanks very much for your input

I’ve gone to Acupuncture for at least 30 years, with the exception of the Covid years, when my acupuncturist had to retire and close his practice. My next acupuncturist was not as knowledgeable, and when I came down with PMR, I had no confidence in her ability to help me. Luckily, I was able to find someone else who is a former orthopedic surgeon educated in China, and has been a practicing acupuncturist in the US since the 1990s.

It’s impossible to know how much he helped me, but I did get through the taper in one and a half years. I started out going twice a week, then once a week, then once a month, and now every five weeks. The last few months of the taper were the most difficult. The worst time was after I went to zero mg prednisone. I managed to ride it out and now just take Tylenol as needed.

I developed glaucoma, or possibly just high eye pressure from prednisone, but was recently allowed to go off of the eyedrops. My last pressure check was OK after a month off of the Timolol drops.
This was a very difficult winter in the northeastern US, but things have still been improving in fits and starts, along with the weather.

One interesting thing that showed up in my recent bloodwork was that the TSH test for my thyroid was too low at .231. I have been on thyroid medication since I had Graves disease around 40 years ago. My pre-Covid acupuncturist had helped me adjust to a 25% lower dose of levothyroxine. That had been steadily improving recently, but has now overcorrected. So my PCP has lowered my dose from 75 mcg to 50 mcg.
I will be seeing my acupuncturist in a couple of days to let him know that I will need help adjusting to that dose. So far I’m basically just more tired but sleeping better. But it will take months to know how well I’m adjusting.

Anyway, of course everybody is different. I’ve had very good luck with knowledgeable acupuncturists, who I feel that I can trust. Sometimes you can like somebody but realize that they’re not helping you, but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t somebody else out there who can.
Good luck!