Popping the Balloon of Potentially Harmful Ailments

Alternative medicines and treatments have long been considered as sort of a saving grace, especially for a 35-year old widow and mother of two future NBA superstars. I’ve always been the obedient patient when it came to my doctor’s prescriptions for chronic pains. Back then, I endured menstrual cramps and PMS with regularity; coming to a point where taking medicines and exercising became a frustrating ordeal. But when my sister introduced me to acupuncture, I got intrigued right from the onset. At first, I wasn’t fond of the idea of someone sticking needles all over my body, but as I delved deep into the benefits of this alternative treatment, I suddenly felt the urge to become a human pin cushion for the sake of taking care of my family’s future. 

Before, I had this perception about the importance of planning for the family’s future that involves a lot of traditional “piggy bank” saving methods. I used to allocate 20% of my income for the long road ahead; not knowing that – in more ways than one – my life insurance has its own way of providing my family with a suitable financial safety net. In hindsight, planning for the future isn’t such a bad idea; however, dealing with present day problems is still my ultimate objective. 

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I read about a study in the Archives of Internal Medicine claiming that “alternative treatments often get short shrift in standard healthcare because doctors are generally unaware of the science showing that they really are effective alternatives to drugs and medication.” These researchers compiled data from close to 18,000 people who took part in studies that analysed the effectiveness of acupuncture. Again, being the submissive patient, I hopped on the bandwagon and got a firsthand experience of this alternative treatment. To my amazement, with just a couple of acupuncture sessions in a nearby Vancouver facility, not only did it alleviate the constant menstrual pain, it also popped the balloon of potentially harmful ailments. After discovering acupuncture, I have now fully understood my body and mind; as a result, I can confidently watch my young ones grow and develop as basketball players. 

Amanda Dawson
Guest Blogger

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