Anyone tried Dry Needling or Acupuncture for Pain or Neuropathy?

Hi Jennifer,

I appreciate your response to my neck pain issue! You are wonderful to share your experience to try to help me.

I have seen a spinal surgeon, 2 years ago when I had the neck pain on the right side. He said I was a long way from needing any surgery. Then the pain disappeared. The recent MRI has not shown much change, but I do have multiple spinal issues. The headaches, thankfully, have subsided since I wrote that post a month ago. I still have some neck pain, but it’s not as bad as it was and I’m not having those head pains. I realize these could all return with a vengeance at any time, but I am hoping I have some time before I need surgery.

The main thing I have is narrowing of the facet joints I’m the cervical spine. This, along with arthritis and bone spurs is what is causing the pain.

I am scheduled to have some facet joint injections on Jan. 17th if I don’t chicken out before then and cancel. The doctor says she can only inject 1-2 ccs of medicine in those joints because they are so small in the cervical spine. It may work for a while, it may not help, and I realize it could potentially make things worse, thus my reluctance to start down this road. I decided to try it and see what happens.

Thank you for your input, I do appreciate it.

A waste of my time and mone for me.

@jetsetter The facet joints are what allow the spine to twist as they glide past each other. I have a bit of facet joint arthritis that comes from the disc shrinking and putting more pressure on the facet joints. My C5/C6 had collapsed about 50% before I had spine surgery. Physical therapy can help a lot by maintaining proper spine alignment. Muscle spasms can pull the spine out of alignment and cause headaches. That happened to me and it would independently rotate a vertebra which then pulled on the muscle attachments. getting it back in alignment stopped the pain. A physical therapist is a good resource for that. It's good that you have a starting point with a spine specialist that you can follow up with if things change. Physical therapy might be able to buy you some time and prevent surgery for awhile. I'm glad your headaches got better.

After going to physical therapy for 2 weeks, a therapist recommended dry needling due to the knots in the side of my neck. I was told it resets your body somehow to get rid of pain. Not gonna lie, it’s not real pleasant, but after only 1 treatment, my right arm is almost pain free. Going for another treatment next week.

Hi @kkirkum, welcome.
I moved your post to this discussion:
- Has anyone tried Dry Needling or Acupuncture for Pain, Neuropathy? https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/dry-needling-or-acupuncture/

I did this so you can connect with others like @cookiepic @debkl @jenniferhunter @jetsetter and others. I encourage you to click the link and read through the helpful comments.

@kkirkum, I noticed you posted to the Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) group. Do you also have PMR?

It was rather painful, but after only 1 treatment, my right arm is doing great. Going to have more dry needling done Wednesday. If hurting for a minute during the process makes it work, i can handle that. I have been able to actually get things done at home that I couldn’t do after PMR.

I tried acupuncture for about 5 times but my pain was not diminishing, so I stopped it. Only 1 day did the pain diminish, but after that it came back in full force, including after the acupunture seessions. It was for my hip but the practitioner got it approved by Medicare, my back also was affected a little bit, but after several tries, I sensed he was rushing through the job, not doing a thorough job of pinpointing the pain areas and so after several tries, I quit.
I went to another practitioner and I left before even getting started because I couldn't get on the bed. Slightly off the subject, I was disgusted with an orthopedic surgeon who also had a table I could not get myself on because it was so high and could not go up and down. Now that I'm talking about it, I'm going to call the ortho surgeon I have an appointment with next month to see if their office has a bed that goes up and down. After all, it's for people with mobility problems, so you'd think a good surgeon would have a table that goes up and down. oh well.

I’m trying to be positive, but you hit a not-so-funny bone with most exam tables! With my neuropathy, steps are extremely difficult to maneuver with walker or cane, and I must be very careful with a curb. Step ladders are no longer in my life capabilities.
I still cannot erase the memory of my fall after I had my last step I was able to take before my sudden onset of neuropathy put me in wheelchair for 6 months, before some good rehab. Anyway, I had been admitted to a hospital for rapid weakness and an infection that needed IV antibiotics. I had no restrictions (yet), went to the toilet, and my knees just finally collapsed when I tried to stand from toilet. I was at rock bottom, couldn’t even pull myself up. I had to pull the emergency cord. When the nurse and an assistant came in to “help”, I was greeted with the worse chewing out I’ve ever gotten in my life! Apparently falls in hospitals are frowned upon and tracked, and they really try to not let them happen. They hadn’t seen me as a fall risk yet, but at that point an alarm was put on my bed in the event I was able to get out, and I officially became a “fall” risk for the 6 years bringing me up to today.
I gladly find that medical folks are more than happy to help me up and off the tables that aren’t well suited for us, and wish they had better tables like my PT does. Expense I guess, but I can’t do the high/dangerous step up and down without help. But 8 months ago, my actual Neurologist then, of all doctors, quickly rushed out after our quick exam and told me to just check out at the desk on my way out. I just sat on the table in disbelief, looking at my shoes and socks way down there on the floor. My cell phone was in my walker which was out of my reach, so I couldn’t even call 911 lol. So after a minute, I had no choice but to yell as loud as I could from my closed room “Hello!!??? HELP!!!! Can anyone out there help me?? HELLOOOO????” Finally my neurologist’s nurse came in, and I sweetly said “oh thank God, thanks for coming. My Neurologist left me on this table, and I have neuropathy and am not able to get off this high table and using that step by myself without falling, and I really need to go to the bathroom” Well, she was embarrassed for the situation and of course more than happy to help.
Anyway, we have sadly learned by hard knocks so many simple things that other people take for granted, and even our doctors can sometimes overlook little challenges we have, including the not so ideal table design. But I do know that almost all the time, they do not want us to risk falling and are more than happy to help. What I definitely know is that WE do not want to fall, and must assess in the end if it’s too risky to climb on the table. Some docs just take one look at me and know they can do what they need to do from a chair.

Hi friend.
Had done on my legs. But must be in a rather muscular are and thus can be needled deep and get the MUSCLE TO RELAX. Cannot think of the term... My daughter is a Dr. In PT and special training in needling.
Did not help long term.

I’m hoping this lasts, of course. I also do a total no lectin diet by Dr Gundry for inflammation. Also do CBD cream, and gummies. So far, so good.