`The pain started in February, 1996. I can remember the moment. I was doing gentle, aerobic exercises at home when I felt something happen in my back on the right-hand-side below the waistline. After a week, I could feel with my hand the area had swollen and I had a pain going down my right leg, like a sciatic pain. When I was walking, I felt shooting pain up my leg as I put my foot on the ground. I went to my GP and he gave me heat rubs and tablets and sent me to have an X-ray. It came back clear. The doctor told me to take it easy and not to bend or lift anything. The pain kept getting worse and it got to the stage where I had to sit on a hard chair. Sitting was fine, but when I went to move the pain started again. The pain was so sharp, I had to build myself up to get out of bed in the morning by rolling on to my side and gradually lifting myself up.
I kept working, but at a slow pace and I could not lift anything.
The pain varied: some days it was grand and other days it was terrible. When you have a severe, darting pain in your back, your head gets sore with it too because the tension spreads through the body. Because I had the pain down the leg as well, it was nearly all over my body that I had pain. People were sympathetic, but they would forget. Back pain is invisible. You look perfect, except for walking stiffly.
In September, 1996, a friend asked me if I would consider Chinese medicine. I was apprehensive because I didn't fancy needles and all of that, but I had to do something. I got the professional register of traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and chose one in Donnybrook, Dublin.
The practitioner there he sat me down for a chat. He asked me about my injury. He took a total medical history; I was amazed at how detailed it was, lasting about half-an-hour. Then he showed me the acupuncture needles and assured me they would not hurt. They were remarkably small. After having reassured me, he asked me to lie down on the treatment table, which I did. I lay down and relaxed and after a few minutes I asked him again, "will it hurt?" and he answered, "has it so far?" He had already put some of the needles in and I hadn't felt a thing.
All I felt was a slight tingling sensation for three or four seconds after he put the last needles in. He told me to lie still for 20 minutes or so, and I felt myself snoozing off. It was very relaxing.
Then it was time to take the needles out, and I wondered what might come out with them, but there was no blood or anything. The practitioner told me to get up slowly and to take it easy. We had another chat about what he had done and he gave me some Chinese tablets and told me to come back in two weeks.
After the first session, I didn't really get any relief, but I was expecting this because the practitioner had told me it would take time. Two weeks later, I had another treatment and afterwards I did get relief. I could feel the pain leaving my body and I even felt better in myself.
There was also the relief that finally I had met someone who understood the pain and could reassure me they could help me. He seemed to know right away what pain I was talking about and what symptoms I had with it. After the third session, I got even more relief and after the fourth session, the pain had gone. I was afraid it might come back, so I kept going back for further acupuncture sessions, nine times in all, until I felt I was well enough not to go any more. The whole treatment process cost about £200. The next time I saw the practitioner was when I was three months pregnant.
I was concerned pregnancy may place pressure on my back and reactivate the pain and the practitioner told me it was a good thing I had returned for treatment, even though I had experienced no pain for over a year. I must say I felt great all through the pregnancy. You come out of a session and feel so relaxed; you could really go home and go to bed. Emma was born by Caesarian and I was up and about the next day. I think the fact I was in such good form was partly due to the acupuncture, as well as to the fact that I was not overweight and was young. Six months after the birth, my back is great - I have no twinges, nothing. With a new baby, you do a lot of bending, carrying and lifting so you might expect a few problems, but there's no problem at all.
I would recommend Chinese medicine, but I would warn people to go to a registered practitioner, fully qualified and fully insured.
For more information, contact The Secretary, Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine Clinic, 100 Marlborough Road, Donnybrook, Dublin 4. Tel 014967830.
In conversation with Kathryn Holmquist