[gardener]

The only way to start this is a brief medical history. For perhaps a decade, I've been plagued by foot pain--- unpredictable and difficult to explain, except for some instances that have had a clear cause. One of these was a bout of winter psoriasis with lesions of the sole that became painful fissures. Haven't had that in 4 or 5 years however. Another instance was gout, a couple of times annually, for a day or two, with the pain pretty much controlled with NSAIDs of various strength. But the serious stuff has steadily increased in several respects--notably the length of the episodes, their frequency, and their intensity. Until about three years ago I "treated" this malaise by ignoring it. My wife, I might mention, has a strong Teutonic belief in mind over matter, which translates into her conviction that if I just put my mind to it and stood up straight and didnt slouch I would manage the pain.

Here's what I've done. First, I saw a podiatrist and was fitted for orthotics. It helped, briefly. But then the pain increased significantly and I saw another podiatrist, who diagnosed plantar fasciitis, and put me on a regimen of exercise and nocturnal corrective footwear. Then it was a massage therapist, weekly, who really did some good I think. Then an osteopathic doctor. I think he helped too. A chiropractor did me no perceiptible good.... I hated his phony cheer.

Lately I have had almost constant pain in my right foot, like I had stepped on a nail and still had it in my heel. The pain came earlier and earlier when I walked. The problem began seriously to affect my way of life and my relationships with family.

At last week's session with my massage therapist she suggested that I try acupuncture and recommended her person (who also has my osteopath as a patient). I made an appointment. It was pretty much a desperate, last measure. I'm somewhat familiar with the intellectual framework of this school of medicine.... ying/yang, balancing opposites, chi, and so on... but a glance in my bathroom medicine cabinet is pretty good evidence that I subscribe to western not eastern theories of medicine.

And there's another reason that acupuncture never had much appeal. I am almost pathologically needle-averse. Being stuck is an absolute horror, and the idea of deliberately allowing needles to be stuck here and there on my body is most unappealing.

Nevertheless, I spent 2 hours with Debra B, the acupuncture practitioner my massage person recommended. She spent half an hour explaining chi and so on, then started with the needles. First a row of them across the small of my back. Then one in the forehead and another in the top of my skull. Then some at various locations in both feet and legs. Finally, stuck like a pin cushion, I was left to lie for half an hour and try to relac. Then I made an appointment for next week and left.

On the way home I stopped at a big box liquor store for a bottle of gin and then at a grocery store. Ordinarily, walking that much on concrete would bring on pain, but it didn't. For the first time in months, the nail in my foot disappeared. Something else... the stairs in our 200+ year-old house are very steep. There's a rail on their left and a banister to the right... and lately, for the past several months, i've been holding on for assistance when going upstairs, essentially using my arms to supplement the lefitng action of quads and hamstrings and knees. Yesterday I climbed the stairs standing upright, with no arm action.

This morning I walked a couple of blocks first thing. No pain! I sm convinced that this stuff WORKS! I'm still sceptical about chi, about the supposed theory behind the pragmatic fact that for me, as for some others, getting stuck with needles works better than a pain pill. I'm not quite sure what the explanation might be. It seems reasonable that acupuncture might stimulate the brain to manufacture natural various chemicals.. opiates, serotonin... that relieve pain, and thus facilitate a body stance that does not complicate pain. Ten years ago after cancer surgery I was on morphine for several days, and my current freedom from pain has a familiar ring, a kind of chemical echo. (BTW, withdrawal from the morphine was a dilly of an experience... I hallucinated jungle cats stalking the hospital at night!)


I remain a sceptic at ground level, a longtime convinced disciple of David Hume. The entire notion of causation and causality is shaky territory, although we use it constantly in ordinary reasoning. More damage and harm are done in this world by believing too much than in believing too little. (Think of the belief that God hates the idea of gay marriage!) The spleen and its meridians may have nothing whatsoever to do with serious pain of the extremities. But today I am free of the pain that was close to crippling me in recent months and that is, quite simply, a fact.
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Later note: It's now two days since that first treatment... there's still not a trace of pain. Acupuncture clearly works for me... at least. I have another session scheduled for this coming Monday. I believe that there's also been improvement in posture and stamina.