Cupping

so for the last year or two, i get this periodically recurring acute pain that runs from the top of my neck down through the middle of my back. i feel certain that it is a muscle cramping resulting from stress and nerves, but haven't been able to figure out an effective way to combat the pain.

today i decided to put aside my biases, have an open mind, and try an acupuncturist. we spent close to an hour just talking about me and my medical history. then, he stuck some needles in my back while i lay face down on a table to produce some bleeding, followed by what's commonly referred to as 'cupping'. the inside of a small jar is swabbed with alcohol, lit on fire, and then placed on my back as the flames go out to produce a suction. when combined with a needle, it is called wet-cupping, and is supposed to draw out toxins and 'stale-blood'. i attended college and am married to a breast surgeon. physiologically, i know there is no such thing as stale blood and that this is probably bullshit. i don't know why i let it happen.

long story short- cupping is ordinarily performed for 5-10 minutes and 15 minutes on the outside. it actually feels good initially (sort of like a massage). however, the idiot that I saw forgot about me for 50 minutes. as it really began to hurt, i kept reassuring myself...ordinary people do this all the time- you can handle it.

when he finally returned and removed the cups, he made no mention of the severity of the bruising, and tried to play it off (i think some bruising is normal). i knew it hurt, but didn't something was really wrong until i was driving home and my shirt kept sticking to my back (from the bleeding). i decided to swing by helen's office and ask her to look at it (it's difficult to see your own back). she was furious with him...

took this on the second day.
won't be going back for more.