I was 22, in college, sitting in marketing class, staring at my fingers. They were moving from side to side, and I wasn’t the one who was making them do it. Watching a part of your body move without the consent of your brain can be very disturbing. At that point, I had no idea this could be caused by anxiety (nor that it could be healed through acupuncture). So, as is customary in these situations where a previously unknown symptom presents itself, I did what any rational person would do: I turned to Google.
Big mistake. In front of me, a long list of possible causes for finger twitching popped up. And–as is usually the case with these things–the worst-case scenario was the first one on the top of the list and the one that immediately caught my attention: Parkinson’s disease.
I read the description and the symptoms, checking mine off as I went. I read the treatments for the disease and the long-term prognosis. Michael J Fox, the poster boy for the disease, crossed my mind. He was doing all right, wasn’t he? I thought, convincing myself that I had Parkinson’s.
I kept reading. Before long, I was having heart palpitations, and my vision started turning white. I was having a panic attack, and I had had enough of those in my life not to need Google to perform a self-diagnosis. I exited the classroom, went outside to get some fresh air, and tried to regain my composure.
When I got home that day, I looked up the nearest walk-in clinic. By this point, I was also having sensations of electrical shocks running up and down my arms, and I was panicking even more. I told no one what I was experiencing–not my friends, family, or girlfriend. I was too terrified to see their reactions.
The doctor’s office was, as doctor’s offices tend to be, freezing. The fluorescent lights, the muzak, and the dated magazines on the end tables were all too much to bear. My anxiety was out of control. I felt another panic attack coming on at any moment, and I did everything in my power to keep it in check.
When I was finally admitted to see a doctor, he examined me without any real care. When I showed him my fingers, he just simply remarked that it was interesting and asked me what brought me in to see him that day.
“My fingers,” I reiterated. “It feels like I have electrical shocks going up and down my arms,” I added.
“I wouldn’t be too concerned,” he said dully.
Wouldn’t be too concerned? I didn’t know what to say. I just stared at him.
He sensed my concern because he then told me he could refer me to a neurologist if that would “make me feel better.”
“Sure,” I said. “Thank you.”
And with that, I left. When I tried to book an appointment with the neurologist, I learned it would be a three-month wait. I did some Googling and found a naturopath and acupuncturist just a few miles away. Right there, I browsed his website, saw that he treated neurological disorders, and was able to get an appointment just two days later.
The first thought I remember having as I entered the naturopath’s office was that I had never seen a doctor’s office quite like this before. This, I recall thinking, is what a healthcare center should look like. A pleasant arrangement of greenery littered the room, the rustic wood furniture was warm and welcoming, and the serenely blue walls made me feel immediately at ease.
After a short wait, I was taken in and greeted by my doctor: Dr. Joseph, as he preferred to be called. I explained my symptoms, what I was feeling, and how anxious I was.
Dr. Joseph listened intently and patiently for me to finish. “You’re very nervous,” he said matter-of-factly.
I admit it, I was. I was a nervous wreck back in those days, even before my fingers developed a mind of their own. Anxiety was something that ran in my family, so I never really thought much of it. Being anxious was just the way I was.
“Relax,” Dr. Joseph told me. “Lie down. I’m going to check your energy flows.”
I did as I was told.
“Were you injured recently,” he asked me.
Initially, I was going to say no, but then I thought of something. A while back, I had been shoveling some snow out of my mom’s driveway when I felt a distinct popping sensation in my upper back, right around my neck. I relayed this information to doctor Joseph.
He proceeded to feel around the area I had described and said that he felt a bit of inflammation in my neck. In fact, he said that if he had to guess, he would think the inflammation was pinching down on a nerve, and that was what was causing those sensations shooting up and down my arms, along with my finger twitches.
“But this happened three months ago,” I said. “Shouldn’t it have healed by now?”
I still remember the expression on the doctor’s face as he said these words: “Probably. But the body heals slower when the mind is in a constant state of stress.” He knew anxiety was a part of this and he mentioned acupuncture as a way to help.
He then explained that he would use acupuncture to redirect my energies to both heal my anxiety and calm me down. I sat back and closed my eyes, not expecting much. Shockingly, 20 or so minutes after he first put the needles in, I was able to sit up, look at my hands, and see that they were acting completely normal. I felt a sense of calmness and serenity come over me. As a matter of fact, it was an awesome feeling.
I continued to see Dr. Joseph for several months after that, and it felt like I became calmer and calmer with each passing session. Anxiety no longer seemed like something I was destined to live with, thanks to acupuncture. I had a choice. I could change. So my advice is that if you’re suffering from any ailment that traditional medicine doesn’t have an answer for, seek an alternative view. You’ll be happy you did.
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