When I was referred to acupuncture by my physician, I initially thought he was an idiot.

A form of traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture was the last thing on my mind to help me reduce stress. Weren’t there other options? No – little tiny needles stuck in me like a pushpin would be the way to go, he said!

I’m sure most of us have assumptions regarding acupuncture, but I think these assumptions come from a lack of knowledge. Allow me drop some learning:

• Acupuncture doesn’t hurt. The needles are barely thicker than a human hair.
• Many people associate needles with drawing blood or getting a shot – these are hollow needles, and sometimes painful. Accupuncture needles are virtually painless.
• While Eastern practitioners describe acupuncture as the free-flowing of energy or life force within the body, many Western practitioners explain acupuncture as places to stimulate nerves, muscle, and connective tissue.
• Acupuncture is used to reduce pain, relieve stress and allergies, and much more.

On Groupon, I found an offer for a $17 acupuncture treatment, thought “what the hell”, and purchased. Before purchasing, I made sure to look up the local center providing the Groupon to confirm reputation – The Acupuncture Lounge has nothing but raving clients and good reviews, so I was quite confident that I would be in the best hands there.

 

The session I had purchased was for one-hour in a group setting. It might sound strange to be laying down and receiving treatment in the presence of a group of people, right? Wrong. No one’s concerned with you – they’re too busy relaxing and enjoying their own sessions. The Acupuncture Lounge makes it easy to enjoy the session and relax, wiping your stress slate clean. The soft music enhances the experience, and all three times that I’ve visited, I’ve been able to take a nice little siesta.

The staff at Acupuncture Lounge are friendly and helpful, answering any questions that you may have. They’re also relatable, and able to provide plenty of helpful tips to continue your stress-free journey after your sessions.

Frequency of visits really depends on what you’re going to treatment for – The Acupuncture Lounge will be happy to help you carve out a plan.

 

I’m happy that my physician recommended acupuncture; like I said, I would never have thought about this sort of treatment for stress, but it really is helping. I enjoy, and look forward to, my once per week visits – it helps me wipe the stress slate clean, and recollect myself. It helps me to remember my own goals and to focus on them, rather than sweating what we call “the small stuff”.

 

Acupuncture can be used for ailments other than stress – helping with quitting smoking, pain, allergies, migraines – you name it. Check out the Acupuncture Lounge and give them a call with any questions you may have – try something different! You’ll be pleasantly surprised.

 

Find more about what’s good in Denver by visiting our Facebook page.

Follow our adventures on Instagram  and Twitter: @denverspeax