Acupuncture Offers Benefits of the Best Medicine - Laughter

 

 

     As I have entrusted my health and healing of fibroids to Acupuncture, it is by no means a laughing matter, as it has proven to be successful for me with shrinking my large fibroids. That, indeed is serious stuff. However, the comedic thread that compliments Acupuncture comes from the procedure.

     In short, the procedure includes my getting on a hospital cot and laying supine while the Acupuncturist strategically inserts 6 inch needles into my abdominal area, my hands and feet. There are 20 insertions made altogether. Then, with the assistance of an Acu Machine. Electrodes with tiny heads extend from the bottom knobs and are clamped on to each inserted needle......

 

 

     The Acu Machine produces very low volts of electricity that is conducted through the wires to the needles, which produces rigorous vibrations from my stomach. As the whole Acupuncture session lasts 30 to 40 minutes, the vibrations begins to slow down. By the time the Doctor comes in to check on me, my body is calm, relaxed and at peace inside and out.

 

     It is said 'a picture is worth a thousand words': so I know after seeing the picture above, you probably can churn out a few funny metaphors or similes that apply to the content. From day one of beginning my Acupuncture regimen, I have laughed, chuckled to myself, and been able to make some funny parodies to family and friends. My 'Frankenstein' reference is always cute.

 

 

     The conversation I had with my Dad last night prompted me to write this particular blog post:



 

     As my Dad and I wound down our phone conversation last night, I happened to mention that I had my scheduled appointment with Dr. Lu on today. He commented by saying, "so you're going to play like a dart board tomorrow...". We both laughed wholeheartedly, because the term "dart board" elevated me from the "pin cushion" realm that my Mother bequeathed on me. Honestly, my Parents kind of freaked when they saw the pictures as I started this blog. They kept asking, "Does it hurt? It looks painful". I assured them that Dr. Lu was skilled with his implementation of the pins, and I don't feel any pain. Many times, I don't even flinch while he's 'pinning' me.

 

The terms humorously applied to my Acupuncture procedure have been:

 

'Getting roasted today?'

'Are you gonna have shock treatment?'

'I've got a sticky situation to attend'

'I'm getting pinned today'

'I've just had a shocking experience'

Bride of Frankenstein

Pin cushion

Jellyfish

Porcupine

etc.

 

     As these and other little terms seep into my conversation, it tickles me, and makes whomever else I'm with laugh, especially if they know nothing about Acupuncture. And here's where the added benefit comes in: the laughter that Acupuncture promotes from this standpoint aids in the healing process. Of course, I'm not existing daily with the need to make continuous comedic references to my procedure, but when I do, it's funny. The laughter in turn, does so many good things for you, overall.

 

Laughter's Effects on the Body

"In the last few decades, researchers have studied laughter's effects on the body and turned up some potentially interesting information on how it affects us:

• Blood flow. Researchers at the University of Maryland studied the effects on blood vessels when people were shown either comedies or dramas. After the screening, the blood vessels of the group who watched the comedy behaved normally -- expanding and contracting easily. But the blood vessels in people who watched the drama tended to tense up, restricting blood flow.
• Immune response. Increased stress is associated with decreased immune system response, says Provine. Some studies have shown that the ability to use humor may raise the level of infection-fighting antibodies in the body and boost the levels of immune cells, as well.
• Blood sugar levels. One study of 19 people with diabetes looked at the effects of laughter on blood sugar levels. After eating, the group attended a tedious lecture. On the next day, the group ate the same meal and then watched a comedy. After the comedy, the group had lower blood sugar levels than they did after the lecture.
• Relaxation and sleep. The focus on the benefits of laughter really began with Norman Cousin's memoir, Anatomy of an Illness. Cousins, who was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis, a painful spine condition, found that a diet of comedies, like Marx Brothers films and episodes of Candid Camera, helped him feel better. He said that ten minutes of laughter allowed him two hours of pain-free sleep.

We change physiologically when we laugh. We stretch muscles throughout our face and body, our pulse and blood pressure go up, and we breathe faster, sending more oxygen to our tissues".

Source: http://www.webmd.com/balance/features/give-your-body-boost-with-laughter

 

     So, if you research, consider and decide to use Acupuncture as a means to heal, know that you will be able to laugh your way to good health in the process....sometimes I laugh when I'm in the midst of the procedure as I look down on my stomach and sea a little 'army' of pins shaking around....it's funny to me - definitely a different experience. With the current success I have had with Acupuncture, the 'laugh factor' is an added benefit.

 

 

 

Happy Health!



K