I’m not a “acpuncture cures everything” person. Surgery is often the only and best thing that sould be done for a given condition, whether cancer, to repair a broken bone, and hundreds more.
However, in my view of health, you should always try to use the least amount of intervention in order to solve a problem. Surgery is sometimes a very damaging procedure and its side effects can become their own ongoing problem
Using this “least intervention” approach, acupuncture comes before surgery. I’d say that surgery comes last in many cases.
Here’s what I advise my patients:
- Depending on the problem, assuming that surgery is NOT the only option, then I advise everyone to first try.
- Stress Relief using exercise, meditation, fun, therapy, taking time of roneself and whatever else works for them.
- Exercise and stretching – With all of the necessary precautions and disclaimers.
- Changing diet when appropriate (digestive issues for example).
- Losing weight
- Massage and other body work
- Acupuncture
- Medical Injections of lesser medicinies (when appropriate
- Surgery
Some of the items above may be done in parallel, for example stretching and exercising and stress reduction can all be done at the same time as wel as others.
Things like pain related to back and neck disc problems, long standing injuries of joints, and many other things should take the gradual approach including acupuncture before going under the knife.
So, when time is not of essence, and you can tolerate the pain for a while longer, try to fix it with the most gentle approach first, and only then, escilate. If you have a broken femur that needs a metal bar, go directly to surgery.